Meta Boosts Texas AI Campus Spend to $10B for 1GW Compute
Meta Platforms raised its planned Texas AI data center investment to $10 billion from $1.5 billion, aiming for 1 gigawatt of compute capacity by 2028 with 4,000 construction jobs and 300 permanent positions. CEO Mark Zuckerberg will join the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology with Sergey Brin and Jensen Huang.
1. Major AI Infrastructure Investment
Meta Platforms has increased its planned investment in its El Paso, Texas data center to $10 billion from $1.5 billion, targeting delivery of 1 gigawatt of AI compute capacity by 2028. The project will employ over 4,000 construction workers at peak and add around 300 permanent positions once operational.
2. Strategic Shift from Metaverse
This surge in AI infrastructure spending accompanies a strategic pivot away from metaverse development, with cost reductions in other areas freeing up capital to support advanced AI initiatives.
3. Sustainability Initiatives
Meta will match 100% of the campus’s power consumption with clean energy and implement a water recycling system designed to maintain near-zero usage for most of the year, while restoring 200% of the water it consumes.
4. CEO Appointment to Science Council
CEO Mark Zuckerberg will join the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology alongside tech leaders Sergey Brin and Jensen Huang, highlighting Meta’s growing role in shaping national technology policy.