Story perspectives

Meta Unveils $13B Alberta AI Hub, Faces Gas Plant Backlash

7/10/2026

Summary

Meta Launches AI

Meta Platforms announced a C$13 billion, 1-GW AI data center in Sturgeon County, Alberta, its 33rd worldwide.
The facility starts with 1 GW capacity, can scale to 1.8 GW, and will initially draw 250 MW from Capital Power.
Meta will finance Pembina Pipeline’s $4.6 billion Greenlight natural-gas plant, slated for completion in late 2030.
Greenpeace Canada and other groups called for a moratorium, citing the plant’s fossil-fuel use and water consumption.

Summary

Meta Builds Data-Centre

Meta expects the Alberta AI data centre to create over 3,000 construction jobs at peak and more than 300 jobs.
Alberta’s Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish said the province created a framework to attract hyperscale data-centres that generate their own power.
The 932-MW Greenlight Electricity Centre, built by a consortium, will operate in the second half of 2030.
Meta also announced an AI-powered smart glasses product in a separate rollout.

Summary

Meta Forecasts AI

Meta forecasts $125-145 billion in AI and data-center spending for 2026.
It is evaluating a cloud-computing service to sell excess AI-compute capacity to third-party enterprises.
Analysts say Meta trails OpenAI, Anthropic and Google in AI model leadership, raising competitive concerns.
Meta’s stock is down about 9 % this year while the Nasdaq is up 11 %, with the Alberta data-center intended to diversify infrastructure beyond the United States.

History

Historical Context

Microsoft’s Quincy hyperscale facility, bought in 2006 and online by 2007, drew about 30–50 MW by 2012, illustrating early dependence on regional power. In the United States, roughly 40% of data-center electricity comes from natural gas, a pattern that now extends to new AI-focused hubs, reinforcing the fossil-fuel link in modern cloud infrastructure.

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Meta Launches AI

Meta Platforms announced a C$13 billion, 1-GW AI data center in Sturgeon County, Alberta, its 33rd worldwide.
The facility starts with 1 GW capacity, can scale to 1.8 GW, and will initially draw 250 MW from Capital Power.
Meta will finance Pembina Pipeline’s $4.6 billion Greenlight natural-gas plant, slated for completion in late 2030.
Greenpeace Canada and other groups called for a moratorium, citing the plant’s fossil-fuel use and water consumption.

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