Meta is expanding its Louisiana data center to 5 gigawatts of computing capacity at a disclosed cost of $50 billion（約8兆円）, with total spending potentially exceeding $250 billion（約40兆円） when computing chip costs are included. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is racing to secure AI computing power as part of a $600 billion（約96兆円） U.S. infrastructure pledge, and Meta is exploring a new revenue stream by renting excess capacity to outside customers.
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Meta is expanding its Richland Parish data center campus in Louisiana to at least 5 gigawatts of computing capacity. The company publicly disclosed a $50 billion（約8兆円） investment for the project, but Bloomberg reported Meta could spend another $200 billion（約32兆円） on computing chips, bringing the total potential cost to more than $250 billion（約40兆円）.
Why it matters
CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pledged at least $600 billion（約96兆円） in U.S. infrastructure spending over the next several years to secure the data center capacity needed for AI work. Meta currently operates 33 data centers, and the Louisiana campus reflects the company's belief that access to computing power is central to its expansion strategy. The scale of the project has also attracted outside investors and is generating jobs and contracts for Louisiana businesses.
What to watch
Meta is considering renting computing capacity to outside customers through a potential cloud infrastructure business, which could create a new revenue stream. The completed Louisiana campus is expected to support 1,000 jobs and has already generated more than $1.6 billion（約2600億円） in contracts for Louisiana businesses since construction began in December 2024.
Meta's expansion of its Louisiana campus reflects the intense competition for AI computing capacity among major technology companies. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has committed to investing at least $600 billion（約96兆円） in U.S. infrastructure projects over the next several years, signaling that data center capacity is central to the company's AI ambitions. The Richland Parish project, which began construction in December 2024, has already generated more than $1.6 billion（約2600億円） in contracts for Louisiana businesses and is expected to support 1,000 jobs once completed.
The involvement of outside investors and regional utilities underscores the scale of the undertaking. Blue Owl Capital, which owns an 80% stake in the project, has approached Wall Street for billions of dollars to finance construction, while Entergy Louisiana is spending billions to build 10 gas-fired power plants to support the campus. Meta's willingness to invest such substantial capital, and to involve external partners, suggests the company views computing power as a long-term competitive necessity.
Looking ahead, Meta's exploration of a cloud infrastructure business model—potentially renting computing capacity to outside customers—could create a new revenue source and reshape how the company monetizes its infrastructure investments. This approach would mirror the model of CoreWeave, a neocloud computing provider, positioning Meta to capture additional value from its massive data center buildout.
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