Meta broke ground on a 1 GW, AI-optimized data center in Sturgeon County, Alberta, on July 8, 2026. In its announcement, Meta calls the site its first data center in Canada and the 33rd in its global fleet, and says the campus will represent an investment of more than CA$13 billion once complete.

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The project at a glance

Item As stated by Meta
Owner Meta
Location Sturgeon County, Alberta, Canada
Capacity 1 GW, AI-optimized
Investment More than CA$13 billion once complete
Position in fleet First in Canada, 33rd globally
Peak construction workforce Approximately 3,000
Operational jobs More than 300
Local infrastructure Approximately CA$60 million (roads, water)
Cooling Closed-loop, liquid-cooled system with dry cooling

Power: new generation paid for by Meta

Meta says it is “fully funding new generation and grid infrastructure” in Alberta to support the data center, and that this will improve reliability across the Alberta grid and “benefit all consumers.” It names Greenlight Limited Partnership, AltaLink, Capital Power and the Alberta Electric System Operator as the parties it worked with to plan its energy needs “years in advance” of the data center coming online.

Meta also says the facility’s electricity use will be matched with 100% clean and renewable energy. The Meta Data Centers site page puts it more concretely: Meta will add enough clean energy to the Alberta grid to match 100% of the data center’s electricity use.

Cooling and water

Meta plans a “water efficient closed-loop, liquid-cooled system with dry cooling,” which it says means no operational water use in the cooling system. The Meta Data Centers page adds that annual operational water use is expected to be less than that of one typical golf course or a 50-acre canola farm, and describes a partnership with ALUS to conserve 200 acres of grassland, trees and wetlands in the North Saskatchewan River watershed.

Jobs and local spending

Meta expects approximately 3,000 construction workers on site at the peak of construction and more than 300 operational jobs. It is also investing approximately CA$60 million in local infrastructure, including roads and water, and will launch its annual Data Center Community Action Grants in the region, which fund local nonprofits.

What it adds

Sturgeon County gives Meta its first data center in Canada and adds a 1 GW AI-optimized campus to a fleet the company now counts at 33 sites. On Meta’s account, the new generation and grid capacity the campus needs is funded by Meta itself and planned with the province’s grid operator and transmission owner, so the project’s power supply was arranged before construction started rather than after.

The Model Press follows the campus in its AI data-center project tracker.

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