Story perspectives

Meta invests $9.1B in Alberta AI data center.

7/10/2026

Summary

Meta Builds AI

Meta will invest US$9.1 billion to build its first AI data center in Sturgeon County, Alberta.
The center will be Meta’s largest outside the United States.
It will draw power from the 932-megawatt Greenlight Electricity Center, a natural-gas plant built by a consortium including Pembina Pipeline Ltd.
Meta will allocate US$42 million for local roads and water infrastructure while using a closed-loop cooling system that does not draw water from local sources.

Summary

Meta Gas Deal

Meta signed a long-term tolling deal with Pembina Pipeline for the Greenlight Electricity Centre, a natural-gas plant slated for late 2030 service.
The plant will provide the data centre with about 150 million cubic feet of natural gas daily, creating new demand for Western Canadian producers.
Alberta’s policy lets Meta fund its own generation and grid upgrades, bypassing limits, even though the province’s grid emissions are about five times the national average.

History

Historical Context

In 2013 Facebook (Meta) opened its first overseas data center in Luleå, Sweden, built with Vattenfall and powered entirely by hydroelectricity, a step toward its 100 percent renewable pledge. By 2024 Meta’s $9.1 billion AI hub in Alberta links to Pembina Pipeline’s 932-MW natural-gas plant, mirroring a global trend where data centers use about 1.5 percent of electricity (?415 TWh) and spark climate policy debates.

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Meta Builds AI

Meta will invest US$9.1 billion to build its first AI data center in Sturgeon County, Alberta.
The center will be Meta’s largest outside the United States.
It will draw power from the 932-megawatt Greenlight Electricity Center, a natural-gas plant built by a consortium including Pembina Pipeline Ltd.
Meta will allocate US$42 million for local roads and water infrastructure while using a closed-loop cooling system that does not draw water from local sources.

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