A major US tech giant announced a multi-billion AI datacenter build outside the US, likely Meta's Canadian expansion.

California-based technology giant Meta announced Wednesday that it is constructing its first artificial intelligence data center in Canada. The new 1-gigawatt "AI-optimized" data center will be located in Sturgeon County, Alberta, and represents a total investment of more than 13 billion Canadian dollars, intended to help power the company's "AI innovations and core products."

The project is projected to support more than 3,000 construction workers at peak and over 300 operational jobs. Meta is also planning to invest approximately 60 million Canadian dollars for "local infrastructure improvements that will benefit the local community" and disburse grants and funding to local nonprofits.

All electricity usage from the data center project "will be matched with 100% clean and renewable energy," according to Meta's announcement. The company also plans to utilize "a water efficient closed-loop, liquid-cooled system with dry cooling, which means there will be no operational water use in the cooling system." As a result, water use at the site will be limited to domestic uses, fire protection safety, and equipment maintenance.

AI data centers consume gigantic amounts of electricity and water. According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, large data centers can use up to 5 million gallons of water daily—equal to the water usage of a town populated by 10,000 to 50,000 individuals.

In related developments, Meta launched a free training program in June to prepare American workers for data center construction jobs. The company also intends to begin manufacturing an AI chip in September as part of a broader effort to bolster computing power in 2027.

Public opposition to data center construction remains significant. A Gallup survey released in May found that 7 in 10 Americans opposed constructing AI data centers in their local communities. Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott suggested on June 30 that he wants to "prohibit" new data center projects in certain rural parts of the state, stating: "We must prohibit them from building AI data centers in rural Texas neighborhoods," and claiming that the issue "dovetails right into fighting for East Texas values."