Commercial, Solar, Sourcing Renewables  -  December 14, 2023

Meta’s Arizona Data Center Adds Solar Power

Meta announced its Mesa, Arizona data center will be supported by new solar energy from Salt River Project (SRP).

The social media company signed a contract with U.S. clean energy provider Ørsted. Under the contract, Meta will receive the majority portion of the solar energy generated by Ørsted's Eleven Mile Solar Center, a 300 MW solar farm and a 300 MW, four-hour battery energy storage system, currently under construction in Pinal County, Arizona.

The energy not used by Meta's data center will be available to customers of SRP.

The project will be located on over 2,000 acres and is expected to be operational in 2024. Once online, it will be the largest solar-plus-battery project on SRP's grid and one of the largest energy storage systems built in a single phase in the U.S.

Meta will also receive an allocation of 50 MW from the 100 MW West Line Solar Facility, which opened earlier this year. It will soon receive a portion of solar energy from the 200 MW Brittlebush Solar Facility in Coolidge, as well, which is expected to be online in 2024. Together, the projects will bring Meta closer to its 100 percent renewable energy and net zero goals.

"We are proud to partner with SRP to bring new solar energy to the grid. Access to renewable energy and a strong, reliable grid were an important part of our decision to build in Mesa," said Urvi Parekh, Meta's Head of Renewable Energy, in a statement. "Meta is committed to having a positive impact on local communities and we're excited to help bring this additional investment and jobs to the area."

Share this valuable information with your colleagues using the buttons below: