Social media giant Meta has unveiled plans for a massive data center that will create 1,000 jobs in a rural area of America’s heartland.
The tech giant, which owns Facebook and WhatsApp, plans to build the $800 million center in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The 715,000-square-meter center is expected to open in 2027, Cowboy State Daily defeated.
At the peak of construction, the project, called Project Cosmo, will create 1,000 construction jobs, organizers say.
The announcement was made at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Event Center, with U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, both R-Wyo., Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins and other politicians in attendance.
Social media giant Meta has unveiled plans for a massive data center that will create 1,000 jobs in a rural area of America’s heartland
It is seen as the largest investment ever in the technology sector and could explain why several energy companies are building solar parks in the area.
Still, not everyone is excited about the prospect of more big tech companies in the city.
Several residents previously expressed concerns about noise pollution and traffic as a result of the construction.
“No, we don’t want that here at all,” said Rachel Riter, a local resident.
“We bought our house 18 years ago and we could look out of the back of our house into someone else’s backyard where cattle were grazing. Nobody is happy about that.”
Bradley Davis, Meta’s director of data centers and economic development, said the company has tried to work with the community.
The technology company owned by Mark Zuckerberg, owner of Facebook and WhatsApp, plans to build an $800 million hub in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The 715,000-square-foot center is scheduled to open in 2027. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, both Republicans from Wyoming, were on hand for the unveiling of the plans.
“In all of our data centers, we strive to be a good neighbor, a member of the community. We want to make sure that whatever we do in the course of our operations, it doesn’t cause any inconvenience to others in the neighborhood,” he said.
The facility is designed to house networked computers that store, process and transmit data around the world.
Meta joins Microsoft and others in establishing a data center in Cheyenne.
The company does not yet want to say how much electricity is needed to power the installation.
However, a similarly sized center in Odense, Denmark, consumed 517,718 megawatts of energy in 2022. Cheyenne consumes about 43,800 megawatts per year.
The agreement stipulates that Meta may not use more water than is necessary for a standard company with 100 employees.
The company will also finance the construction of miles of new roads around the data center, as well as water and sewer lines.
At the peak of construction, the project, called Project Cosmo, will create 1,000 skilled construction jobs, organizers said.
According to Betsey Hale, CEO of Cheyenne LEADS, an Oregon company is building the facility, but locals could find work there thanks to new educational programs offered in Wyoming.
The existence of the project was kept secret by strict non-disclosure agreements.
According to Davis, Cheyenne was chosen because of its robust infrastructure, access to a skilled workforce and proximity to renewable energy.
“I can tell you the people of Cheyenne are meeting the requirements on all fronts,” he said.