Meta turns on its $1.2B Idaho data center with promise of water efficiency

Meta officially opened its $1.2 billion data center in Kuna, Idaho, making it the company's 28th facility in the United States and its first in the state. The 750,000-square-foot plant is only the second Meta data center to utilize a new "closed loop" cooling system, which Meta Director of Global Economic Development Brad Davis stated would dramatically reduce water consumption by functioning similarly to a car radiator.

This system allows the facility to operate for much of the year without additional water for cooling, using about 200,000 gallons in its sealed pipes after an initial one million gallon flush, a fraction of what traditional evaporative cooling systems might consume daily. The launch comes amidst broader public backlash against data centers over their resource demands, as indicated by a May Gallup poll. Meta plans to include water usage data in its annual sustainability reports.

Meta collaborated with Idaho Power to electrify the site, backing three solar projects expected to add 645 megawatts to the grid to offset the data center's power consumption. The company committed to matching 100% of its electricity use with clean and renewable energy. Additionally, Meta invested $100 million to build a new water and wastewater plant, which was then transferred to Kuna, and contributed funds for local police, fire services, and STEM education in the Kuna School District. Kuna Mayor Joe Stear expressed strong support for the project, noting its significant scale and economic benefits, including employing 1,600 tradesmen during construction and creating around 100 full-time operational jobs.