Meta to build C$13 billion data center in Alberta

Meta Platforms ↘ 1.64% announced Wednesday it will build its first data center in Canada, a 1-gigawatt facility in Sturgeon County, Alberta, northeast of Edmonton, representing a total investment of C$13 billion (approximately US$9.17 billion).money.usnews+1

Alberta's Largest Tech Investment

The facility is part of Meta's aggressive global infrastructure buildout to support growing demand for artificial intelligence computing power. The company said it will fully fund new generation and grid infrastructure for the Alberta data center, which will consume about as much electricity as 800,000 homes.reuters+1

Meta said the project will use a closed-loop, liquid-cooled system with "dry cooling" to eliminate operational water use. The company also committed to investing C$60 million to improve local infrastructure, including roads and water systems.cbc+1

Part of a Broader AI Buildout

The Canadian facility adds to Meta's expanding constellation of data centers worldwide. In March, the company raised its investment in an AI data center in El Paso, Texas, from $1.5 billion to $10 billion, with that facility targeting 1 gigawatt of capacity by 2028. Meta has also announced major data center projects in Indiana and Louisiana in recent months.cnbc+2

The push into Canada comes as tech companies seek jurisdictions with reliable energy supplies and favorable conditions for large-scale computing infrastructure. Alberta's energy market and relatively cold climate offer advantages for data center operations.

Energy and Economic Implications

The scale of the project—consuming power equivalent to 800,000 homes—underscores the enormous energy demands of AI infrastructure. Meta said it would build its own generation and grid capacity rather than relying solely on existing provincial infrastructure. The announcement was reported by Reuters as Meta's latest step in rapidly building out computing capacity to support the global AI boom.money.usnews+1