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Meta plans billions for first AI data
center in Canada, largest outside the US
[July 09, 2026]
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Facebook and Instagram parent Meta said
Wednesday it will invest more than US$9.1 billion to build its first
artificial intelligence data center in Canada and its largest outside
the United States.
The facility will be built in Sturgeon County, Alberta, and powered by a
natural gas-fired plant being developed by a consortium that includes
Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Ltd. |
A Meta logo is shown on a video screen at LlamaCon 2025, an AI developer
conference, in Menlo Park, Calif., April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu,
File) |
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Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish called the
project “a big deal for Alberta,” saying the province had
created a regulatory framework to attract data center
investment.
Alberta has been courting hyperscale data centers as demand for
artificial intelligence infrastructure surges. But the rapid
growth of AI has fueled concerns about the vast amounts of
electricity and water such facilities require, as well as their
strain on power grids and nearby communities.
Because Alberta’s electricity grid cannot support multiple large
AI data centers, the province is prioritizing projects that
build or secure their own power generation, as Meta plans to do.
Meta said the data center will use a closed-loop cooling system
that won’t draw water from surrounding sources. The company also
plans to invest US$42 million in local infrastructure, including
roads and water systems.
Last week, Pembina Pipeline, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure
Partners and Kineticor Asset Management announced they would
proceed with the Greenlight Electricity Center in Sturgeon
County. Meta was identified Wednesday as the customer. The
932-megawatt power plant is expected to begin operating in the
second half of 2030.
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