Meta has broken ground on a new AI-optimized data center in Sturgeon County, Alberta, just outside Edmonton, marking its first facility in Canada. The company announced on Wednesday that the site represents an investment of more than CAD $13 billion, or roughly $9 billion, and is planned as a 1-gigawatt data center.
The facility will be the company's 33rd data center globally and is designed to support its artificial intelligence workloads, powering technologies used by billions worldwide. Meta said it expects the project to support more than 3,000 construction workers at peak activity.
Once operational, the site is projected to create more than 300 permanent operational jobs, according to the company. Meta is also allocating an additional $40 million for local infrastructure improvements.
The data center underscores Meta's continued push into AI infrastructure, competing with rivals like Microsoft and Google. For Alberta, the project signals a major economic boost, though concerns about energy consumption and environmental impact of large-scale AI data centers remain.
Critics have questioned whether such facilities can meet sustainability goals, given their massive power demands. Meta has not detailed specific renewable energy plans for this site.