Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta), previously known as Facebook, announced plans to build a second Hyperscale Data Center in Texas.
The data center will be in Temple, Texas, approximately 125 miles from the company’s data center in Fort Worth, Texas, which opened in 2017. Meta has seventeen data centers operating or under construction in the United States, along with three in Europe and one in Asia.
Meta projects the cost of the 900,000-square-foot facility in Temple at $800 million and expects to employ approximately one hundred people.
The City of Temple granted the company a 75% property tax break for the first ten years with additional grants in years 11-20. In an interview with KCEN-TV, City Manager Brynn Myers said the City expects to receive “just under $7 million a year in property taxes.” He also said that the company had previously contributed $8 million to the City for water and wastewater improvements.
The Information Revolution requires enormous computing and storage capacity with bandwidth capable of facilitating the transfer of zettabytes of data. A zettabyte is equal to one sextillion bytes.
The World Economic Forum estimated in 2019 that existing bytes of data equaled forty times the number of stars in the observable universe. The Forum also projected that the digital data created every day would be the equivalent of 212,765,857 DVDs by 2025.
Mega data centers like the one in Temple are extensive facilities containing thousands of computer servers running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Data centers require complex cooling systems to handle the massive amounts of heat generated in the facility. Research indicates that a center uses as much electricity to cool the facility as it takes to run its servers. A single data center can require the power delivered by a large power station generating 1,000 megawatts or more.
Meta’s data centers use 32% less energy than average with net-zero carbon emissions. In Texas alone, the company has invested more than 700 MW of renewable energy (wind and solar) into its centers. Each center is LEED Gold level certified and 80% more water-efficient on average than the industry standard.
Temple city officials are excited about the new facility and the relationship with Meta.
Adrian Cannady, the president and CEO of Temple Economic Development Corporation, said, “The Hyperscale Data Center will have a positive impact on our community not only by creating jobs, but because of Meta’s commitment to invest in local schools, nonprofits, and community projects.”
Temple Mayor Tim Davis agreed, commenting, “We are excited for the opportunities this project will create for our residents and look forward to being a part of Meta‘s continued growth.”