“THIS IS A BIG DEAL FOR ALBERTA” – Meta Announces $13 Billion AI Data Centre Investment in Alberta – Canadian Energy News, Top Headlines, Commentaries, Features & Events
Publish Date: 2026-07-08 16:40:00
Source Domain: energynow.ca
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is making a landmark investment in Alberta, announcing that Sturgeon County will be home to the company’s newest AI data centre — its first in Canada and its largest outside the United States.
The 2.9-million-square-foot facility represents an investment of more than $13 billion Canadian and will be located north of Edmonton in Sturgeon County. Reuters reported that the project will be a 1-gigawatt data centre and Meta’s 33rd data centre globally, part of the company’s rapid expansion of computing capacity to support artificial intelligence.
Gary Demasi, Meta’s Vice-President of Data Center Development, made the announcement after being introduced by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. He thanked the premier, the Government of Alberta, Sturgeon County, Invest Alberta, the Alberta AI Concierge Team and other partners who helped bring the project to the province.
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“We are thrilled to announce that Sturgeon County, Alberta, will be home to Meta’s newest data center, our first in Canada and our largest outside the U.S.,” Demasi said.
The project is expected to create more than 3,000 construction jobs and generate an estimated $250 million annually in benefits for Albertans. Meta also announced it will invest $60 million in local infrastructure, reinforcing the company’s message that the data centre is not only a technology investment, but also a long-term commitment to the community.
Demasi said Meta’s electricity use at the Sturgeon County data centre will be matched with 100 per cent clean and renewable energy. He emphasized that Meta will pay the full cost of the energy required by the facility and that those costs will not be passed on to Alberta consumers.
“We are fully funding new generation and grid infrastructure to support our data center, which will improve reliability…
