Energy Efficiency, Commercial, Sourcing Renewables  -  June 18, 2018

Facebook plans new data center in Alabama

With the headline, “Hello, Alabama!,” Facebook announced it will locate its newest data center in Huntsville, Ala.

On a Facebook page, the company said, "As a growing tech hub, Huntsville seemed like a natural fit for Facebook. The site, located in Northern Huntsville, is shovel-ready and allows us to break ground this year. It also provides reliable access to renewable energy, strong local infrastructure, a great set of community partners, and very importantly, an outstanding pool of talent.”

The company intends to power the data center with 100% renewable energy and will extend the use of clean energy to other users. The company worked with the Tennessee Valley Authority “to establish a renewable energy tariff that will let qualifying customers, not just Facebook, buy new renewable resources. We are also working closely with them to identify new solar projects in the area that will power 100% of our facility.”

The 970,000 square foot facility is expected to become operational in 2020. The post noted that the impact of the data center will go beyond its online capabilities. “These data centers are real economic engines – and beyond just the four corners of the site. We are proud to say a recent study found that for every 1 million dollars in operating expenses at our data centers, there are 13 jobs supported in the economy. And for every 1 million dollars in capital expenditures, there are more than 14 jobs supported in the economy.” 

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