meta to add 100mw of solar power from us gear

Meta Invests $100 Million in South Carolina Solar Farm

Yesterday, Meta formalized an agreement with Silicon Ranch, a solar energy developer, to construct a 100-megawatt solar farm in South Carolina with a total investment of $100 million.

This new renewable energy facility is designated to provide power for Meta’s forthcoming artificial intelligence data center within the state. The projected cost for the data center is $800 million.

Project Timeline and Domestic Manufacturing

Both the solar plant and the AI data center are anticipated to become operational in 2027.

According to the companies involved, a significant portion of the solar farm’s components will be manufactured within the United States.

Expanding Renewable Energy Partnerships

This agreement represents the 18th collaboration between Meta and Silicon Ranch. Silicon Ranch reports that these partnerships have stimulated over $2.5 billion in investment.

Meta has significantly increased its solar capacity this year, adding more than 2 gigawatts.

Recent Solar Energy Agreements

In June, a deal was reached with Invenergy for multiple projects located in Ohio. Furthermore, in May, Meta announced a collaboration with AES to develop 650 megawatts of solar power in both Kansas and Texas.

Ongoing efforts in Texas also include partnerships with Engie and Zelestra, focused on developing nearly 800 megawatts of additional solar capacity.

The Drivers Behind Meta’s Renewable Energy Investments

Similar to other large-scale data center operators, Meta is increasingly utilizing renewable sources like solar for two primary reasons.

• Firstly, it supports the company’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions.
• Secondly, and crucially, solar power offers a cost-effective and rapidly deployable energy solution, which helps to minimize the time required to power new data centers.

Reducing time-to-power is a critical factor in overcoming bottlenecks associated with the launch of any new data center.

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