Meta is investing more than US$9.1 billion（約1.5兆円） to build its first AI data center in Canada and its largest outside the United States in Sturgeon County, Alberta. The facility will be powered by a dedicated 932-megawatt natural gas plant starting in the second half of 2030. This move reflects how hyperscale AI infrastructure is expanding beyond the US, though it also highlights the infrastructure and environmental challenges provinces must navigate as AI demand accelerates.
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Meta announced it will invest more than US$9.1 billion（約1.5兆円） to build its first artificial intelligence data center in Canada, located in Sturgeon County, Alberta. The facility will be powered by a 932-megawatt natural gas plant expected to begin operating in the second half of 2030, and Meta will also invest US$42 million（約67億円） in local infrastructure including roads and water systems.
Why it matters
Alberta has been actively attracting large AI data centers as demand for AI infrastructure surges, though the rapid growth has raised concerns about electricity consumption and water use. Meta's decision to build and secure its own power generation addresses the province's constraint—Alberta's electricity grid cannot support multiple large AI data centers—making this project a model for how future facilities may need to operate in the region.
What to watch
The power plant is expected to begin operating in the second half of 2030. Meta plans to use a closed-loop cooling system that will not draw water from surrounding sources, addressing environmental concerns tied to large-scale data center development.
Meta's commitment to Alberta reflects a broader shift in how major technology companies are approaching AI infrastructure expansion. Rather than concentrating capacity in the United States, Meta is establishing its largest data center footprint outside the US, signaling confidence in Canada's regulatory environment and available land. Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish highlighted that Alberta has created a regulatory framework specifically designed to attract data center investment, demonstrating how provincial policy can influence corporate location decisions.
The project also illustrates the hard infrastructure constraints that accompany explosive AI growth. Because Alberta's existing power grid cannot accommodate multiple hyperscale facilities, the province has made a strategic choice: prioritize projects that bring their own power generation. Meta's approach—partnering with a consortium led by Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Ltd. to develop a dedicated natural gas plant—satisfies that requirement while also addressing environmental concerns. The closed-loop cooling system that does not draw water from surrounding sources signals awareness of the water-intensity criticism leveled at large data centers elsewhere. These design choices reflect how AI infrastructure decisions now involve not just technical capability but also energy security and environmental stewardship at the regional level.
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