Meta Breaks Ground on $1.5B AI Data Center in El Paso

Meta has begun construction on a new data center in El Paso, Texas, focused on supporting artificial intelligence workloads. The facility will be capable of scaling to 1 gigawatt of power and is expected to be a key part of the company’s infrastructure expansion.

The initial phase involves more than $1.5 billion in investment, with around 1,800 construction jobs at peak and roughly 100 permanent roles once operations begin. It will be Meta’s third data center in Texas and its 29th globally.

Meta said the facility will operate using 100% renewable energy and incorporate a closed-loop cooling system that uses no water for most of the year. The company plans to restore twice the amount of water the site consumes through local projects.

The project includes agreements with El Paso Electric for new grid connections and partnerships with local organizations on water restoration and community support initiatives.