Inside Meta’s AI data center in Temple: See photos from the facility
Meta has opened its first AI-focused data center in Temple, Texas, a $1.2 billion investment on a 400-acre campus. The facility features a closed-loop liquid cooling system and renewable energy matching for its electricity usage. Despite these efforts, local residents continue to voice concerns about the increasing strain on natural resources, noise, and air pollution from this and other data center developments in the region.
Meta Platforms Inc. has officially opened its inaugural artificial intelligence data center in Temple, Texas, marking a significant $1.2 billion investment in the Central Texas region. The 760,000-square-foot facility, located on a 400-acre campus, will create approximately 100 full-time jobs and represents a new frontier for the company's AI infrastructure.
The data center incorporates advanced environmental features, including a closed-loop liquid cooling system that recycles water, minimizing consumption to administrative uses for most of the year. Meta's director of global economic development, Brad Davis, stated that the facility's water usage would be less than that of a typical Texas golf course annually. Furthermore, Meta is offsetting its electricity demands with investments in 40 renewable energy projects totaling 9,000 megawatts across Texas. The company has also committed to a regional water conservation and restoration project, aiming to replenish 5.2 million gallons into the local watershed annually.
Despite these measures, residents and officials in Temple remain concerned about the broader impact of data center proliferation. Locals have voiced apprehension regarding the strain on natural resources, increased noise, and air pollution from such developments. The Meta project is one of three currently planned or under construction in Temple, alongside facilities by Rowan Digital Infrastructure and Atlas Development, contributing to at least 76 data centers operating, under construction, or planned along the I-35 corridor between Temple and San Antonio. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) projects a 71% increase in total energy demand by 2031 if all planned data centers across the state are built. Meta received a 10-year, 75% property tax abatement from Bell County for its investment.