International Business Times
8 hours ago
- Business
- International Business Times
Meta Partners with Invenergy, Secures 791 MW of Clean Energy to Power AI-Driven Data Centers
Technology giant Meta has inked a new deal with renewable energy producer Invenergy to buy 791 megawatts (MW) of solar and wind energy. The deal will help meet the increasing electricity needs of Meta's data centers, which have been growing at a rapid pace to support the company's artificial intelligence operations.
Both companies confirmed that they had agreed to the deal, which is the latest of a string of renewable energy pacts made by the social media company. The deal also involves four projects currently being developed in Ohio, Arkansas, and Texas, Invenergy said. The power produced will be delivered to local grids, and Meta will get credit for clean energy.
Ohio's Yellow Wood Solar Energy Center and Pleasant Prairie Solar Energy Center will produce 300 MW and 140 MW of power, respectively. Arkansas is home to our Decoy Solar Energy Center, which will add another 155 MW to our system. The 196-megawatt Seaway Wind Energy Center will be built in Texas. The financial value of the agreement between the two companies was not revealed.
This new deal will bring the Mark Zuckerberg-led company's clean energy partnership with Invenergy to 1,800 MW. The social media giant signed contracts for 760 MW of solar power with Invenergy in 2023.
Meta has also struck other clean power deals beyond its Invenergy deal, including 650 MW of solar energy from deals with AES through projects in Kansas and Texas. These initiatives are designed to fuel Meta's growing AI capabilities, which depend on large-scale data processing and energy-intensive computing infrastructure. According to the company, these initiatives are part of its larger bid to match the rapid energy consumption of its AI-focused infrastructure with zero-carbon sources.
The company has also announced four solar projects of 595 MW, 505 MW, and two at 200 MW each in Texas this year. The projects contribute to Meta's aggregate renewable energy portfolio, which now exceeds 12 gigawatts (GW).
Texas has emerged as a leading solar hub due to favorable factors like abundant sunshine, quick permitting, and ease of connection to the grid. The state led the U.S. in new solar capacity in 2023 and 2024, according to data from the Solar Energy Industry Association.
Meta's power strategy involves exploring other forms of clean power, like geothermal and nuclear. The company has invited proposals from nuclear developers and partnered with large-scale solar and geothermal providers.
