Meta Boosts El Paso AI Data Center Investment to 10 Billion Dollars

Meta Scales Texas Infrastructure for AI Future

Meta Platforms has announced a massive escalation of its investment in El Paso, Texas, raising the project budget from an initial 1.5 billion to 10 billion dollars. This expansion transforms the upcoming 1.2 million square foot facility into a critical hub for artificial intelligence workloads. The site is now expected to reach a massive 1 gigawatt capacity by 2028, making it one of the largest AI-optimized data centers in the world. This financial surge brings a substantial boost to the local economy and workforce requirements. Peak construction jobs are now projected to exceed 4,000 workers, while permanent operational roles have tripled to over 300 positions. Meta continues to collaborate with local partners like the Borderplex Alliance and the City of El Paso to ensure long-term regional growth and technological advancement.

Despite the arid West Texas climate, the facility is designed with aggressive environmental goals and resource management. Meta has committed to being water positive by 2030 and will restore 200 percent of the water consumed by the campus to local watersheds. A closed-loop liquid-cooling system will be utilized to ensure zero operational water consumption for the vast majority of the year.

Energy for the 1GW site will be matched with 100 percent clean and renewable energy sources. Meta is funding new grid infrastructure, including substations and transmission lines, through an agreement with El Paso Electric. This investment ensures the facility's immense power needs do not adversely affect local consumer utility rates or regional grid reliability.

Beyond physical infrastructure, Meta is deepening its community ties through significant local grants and social programs. The company recently announced a 500,000 dollar grant for El Paso Public Schools to foster STEM education and workforce development. Additionally, a partnership with DigDeep is currently bringing running water to over 100 homes in local Colonias for the first time. The El Paso campus marks Meta's third major data center in Texas, joining existing sites in Fort Worth and Temple. This latest expansion brings the company's total investment in the state well beyond 10 billion dollars and increases its statewide workforce to over 2,500 employees. As construction progresses, Meta remains focused on building the highly advanced infrastructure necessary to power its evolving AI platform enhancements.