Facebook is setting out a vision for greener technology with a planned investment of a whopping one billion dollars into a new data centre in the picturesque state of Virginia. The tech giant will channel $750 million of this enormous sum into the data centre’s edifice itself, while an additional $250 million will be poured into solar facilities destined to provide power to this gigantic piece of infrastructure.
In the realm of tech behemoths, Facebook isn’t alone in its quest for exploring non-traditional methods of powering data centres. The company’s Fort Worth data centre is a fine example of an environmentally-conscientious project, announced to be entirely powered by renewable energy sources.
Even in the world of massive tech investments, $1 billion is a figure that demands attention. This enormous commitment to the state of Virginia hasn’t gone unnoticed by state officials. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe praised the initiative, expressing expectations for the project to generate 100 full-time jobs once it is fully operational. As a token of recognition and support, Facebook will be granted a $19 million state tax exemption through 2035.
Emphasizing the significance of projects like these, Governor McAuliffe stated, “Working with companies like Facebook and many others, we are advancing Virginia’s position as a global leader in the technology economy.”
Facebook has also voiced their excitement for the project. Rachel Peterson, the company’s Director of Data Center Strategy, underscored the importance of environmental considerations in their strategy. “One of the many important factors in our search for a new data center location is being able to source clean and renewable energy. We also look for great partnerships within the local community, robust infrastructure, and a strong pool of local talent.”
With an impressive tally of two billion users as of June, and billions more across its auxiliary platforms WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram, Facebook’s growing demand for computing power is unmistakable.
Currently, Facebook operates data centres in Iowa, North Carolina and Oregon. They have several more under construction in places such as Fort Worth, Texas; New Albany, Ohio; and Los Lunas, New Mexico. Internationally, the company operates twin data centres in Lulea, Sweden, one in Clonee, Ireland, and another under construction in Odense, Denmark.
The push to power data centre operations using renewable or clean energy is not unique to Facebook alone. Tech industry leaders like Microsoft, Google and Apple have all taken significant strides in this direction, signalling a shared commitment towards a more sustainable future.
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Paul Femi Balo is the founder and publisher of TechBooky. He covers artificial intelligence, African technology, digital infrastructure, enterprise technology and the global digital economy.
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