Meta Commits $9.1 Billion to Largest AI Data Center Outside US

Meta’s decision to build a $9.1 billion artificial-intelligence data center in Sturgeon County, Alberta, places new pressure on regional power supplies already stretched by growing demand for model training and cloud services. The project, the company’s largest outside the United States, will rely on a dedicated 932-megawatt natural-gas plant developed by a Pembina Pipeline-led consortium rather than drawing from Alberta’s main grid.

Alberta’s Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish described the investment as a major win for the province’s regulatory approach to attracting hyperscale facilities. Meta stated that the data center will use a closed-loop cooling system that avoids withdrawals from local water sources and will spend an additional $42 million on roads and water infrastructure. The power plant is scheduled to begin operating in the second half of 2030.

The announcement arrives as communities in other jurisdictions examine similar projects. In central Ohio, residents have gathered more than 76,000 signatures for a proposed constitutional amendment that would restrict data centers exceeding 25 megawatts; the effort missed the 2026 ballot deadline and now targets 2027. In Texas, at least 38 data centers have secured minor air permits for on-site generation, allowing dozens of gas turbines and backup diesel units to operate with limited public review before larger permits are sought.

Alberta has responded to grid constraints by requiring large users to secure their own generation. Meta’s arrangement follows that policy. The company’s filing notes that the facility will support expanded cloud capacity and model training, though it provides no public breakdown of expected employment or tax revenue for Sturgeon County.

Questions remain about long-term emissions from the dedicated gas plant and the cumulative effect of multiple self-generated projects on Alberta’s air-shed. No independent verification of projected utilization rates or actual emissions has been released by regulators or the company.