Meta has broken ground on a new data centre campus in Lebanon, Indiana, marking one of the largest technology infrastructure investments in the state’s history.
Valued at more than US$10 billion, the project will support both Meta’s data centre operations and the surrounding Boone County community, the company confirmed this week.
The Lebanon site (Meta’s second data centre in Indiana) is projected to deliver 1 gigawatt (GW) of computing capacity once operational, a scale the social technology company links directly to its growing artificial intelligence (AI) computing needs.
Meta said the gigawatt‑scale model reflects the demands of both its core business platforms and the infrastructure needed to power future AI development.
“Building at this scale creates the flexibility to support both goals while enabling technology with higher bandwidth, lower latency, and improved reliability,” Meta stated.
The company expects significant economic benefits during construction and operation.
At peak build, the project will create more than 4,000 construction jobs, followed by approximately 300 long‑term operational roles once the campus opens.
Alongside the physical build, Meta has launched a workforce development program, supporting career exploration and work‑based learning for students across three local school districts.
To extend community benefits, the company is funding local partnerships, multi‑year grants, and infrastructure projects.
Meta has committed US$1 million annually for 20 years to the Boone REMC Community Fund, providing energy bill assistance to households, and is contributing to emergency water utility support.
The company also pledged to cover all energy, water, and wastewater costs associated with the campus, including an estimated US$120 million investment in Lebanon’s water infrastructure and upgrades to roads and utilities.
Energy planning forms a core part of the development’s design.
Meta said it will match 100 per cent of the campus’s energy use with clean energy sources and expects the facilities to achieve LEED Gold certification once operational.
The data centre will feature a closed‑loop, liquid‑cooled system that recirculates the same water, allowing it to operate without water use for most of the year.
The company also intends to restore all water consumed in Lebanon to local watersheds.
As part of its environmental initiatives, Meta is partnering with Arable to deliver water‑efficient irrigation technology to independent farmers in Indiana’s Upper Wabash River Basin.
The project aims to restore 200 million gallons of water annually for a decade while helping farmers reduce costs.
In addition, Meta is funding the restoration of a section of Deer Creek, improving habitat for vegetation and pollinators.
The Lebanon campus expands Meta’s fast‑growing network of US data centres, which now includes more than 30 sites under development or operation, representing investments exceeding $100 billion.
Other recent projects include new AI‑focused facilities in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and El Paso, Texas, both designed to scale to 1GW of capacity.
The announcement follows Meta’s fourth‑quarter 2025 financial results, showing US$22.77 billion in net income and US$59.9 billion in revenue, up 9 per cent and 24 per cent respectively year‑on‑year.
In late 2025, Meta committed to investing over US$600 billion in AI technology, data centre construction, and digital infrastructure across the US through 2028.
