{"slug": "meta-plans-billions-for-first-ai-data-center-in-canada-largest-outside-the-us", "title": "Meta plans billions for first AI data center in Canada, largest outside the US", "summary": "Meta announced a $9.1 billion investment to build its first AI data center in Canada, located in Sturgeon County, Alberta, making it the company's largest facility outside the United States. The data center will be powered by a natural gas-fired plant developed by a consortium including Pembina Pipeline Ltd., and Meta plans to use a closed-loop cooling system to avoid drawing water from local sources. The project highlights Alberta's efforts to attract hyperscale data centers amid growing concerns over AI infrastructure's energy and water demands.", "body_md": "# Meta plans billions for first AI data center in Canada, largest outside the US\n\n## Facebook and Instagram parent Meta said Wednesday it will invest more than 13 billion Canadian dollars ($9.1 billion) to build its first artificial intelligence data center in Canada and its largest outside the United States\n\n- Bookmark\n\n[Facebook](/topic/facebook) and [Instagram](/topic/instagram) parent [Meta](/topic/meta) said Wednesday it will invest more than US$9.1 billion to build its first artificial intelligence data center in [Canada](/topic/canada) and its largest outside the United States.\n\nThe 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.\n\nTechnology 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.\n\nAlberta 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.\n\nBecause 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.\n\nMeta 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.\n\nLast 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.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/meta-plans-billions-for-first-ai-data-center-in-canada-largest-outside-the-us", "canonical_source": "https://www.independent.co.uk/news/meta-alberta-canada-edmonton-facebook-b3011615.html", "published_at": "2026-07-09 04:50:44+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-09 05:20:10.665078+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-infrastructure", "ai-policy"], "entities": ["Meta", "Pembina Pipeline Ltd.", "Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners", "Kineticor Asset Management", "Sturgeon County", "Alberta", "Nate Glubish", "Greenlight Electricity Center"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/meta-plans-billions-for-first-ai-data-center-in-canada-largest-outside-the-us", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/meta-plans-billions-for-first-ai-data-center-in-canada-largest-outside-the-us.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/meta-plans-billions-for-first-ai-data-center-in-canada-largest-outside-the-us.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/meta-plans-billions-for-first-ai-data-center-in-canada-largest-outside-the-us.jsonld"}}