The facility is designed to deliver 1 gigawatt of power capacity once operational—equivalent to the energy consumption of about 800,000 homes, according to U.S. power grid operators. The data center is expected to come online by late 2027 or early 2028, Meta said.
The announcement highlights an escalating infrastructure push among major technology companies as they compete to build increasingly large data centers to gain an edge in what executives describe as a once-in-a-generation AI race. However, the expansion has drawn criticism from environmental and consumer groups concerned about the energy demands of such projects.
Meta has already outlined a broader investment plan, committing $600 billion in U.S. infrastructure and jobs over the next three years, including significant data center development.
Rachel Peterson, Meta’s vice president for data centers, told Reuters the company would rapidly scale construction at the Indiana site and has secured agreements with local utilities to supply power. She added that Meta is funding energy infrastructure upgrades itself.
This move follows Meta’s $27 billion financing deal with Blue Owl Capital in October to fund a 2-gigawatt data center in Louisiana—its largest project globally—and a $1.5 billion investment in a Texas facility.
The Louisiana project has faced scrutiny, with the environmental law group Earthjustice asking regulators to investigate its financing, arguing that costs could fall on ordinary homes and businesses. Meta has said it is covering the full cost of the Indiana project upfront, though it declined to comment on financing specifics.
The Indiana data center marks another significant step in Meta’s broader push to expand its AI infrastructure amid growing competition and regulatory attention.