Social media and technology company Meta announced plans to invest in two new buildings at its Montgomery Data Center on Tuesday.
The planned expansion will bring the company’s total investment in the Montgomery area to more than $1.5 billion, and increase the data site’s total footprint to nearly 1.3 million square feet.
The Facebook parent company first announced an $800 million investment to begin construction of the data center in April 2024.
“Once operational, the Montgomery Data Center will be optimized for our AI workloads and will help people connect, build communities and grow their businesses,” Meta wrote on Tuesday.
The planned expansion received endorsements from the Alabama Department of Commerce, Montgomery’s mayor and the Montgomery County Commission and Chamber of Commerce.
“Meta’s continued investment in Montgomery is a powerful validation of Alabama’s reputation as a destination for world-class technology and innovation,” said Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce Ellen McNair.
“This expansion reinforces our state’s ability to compete for global projects, create high-quality jobs and build the infrastructure needed to support a modern economy,” she continued.
According to the Department of Commerce and Meta, the facility is expected support more than 100 jobs once constructed.
“This investment reflects our vision of building a modern economy rooted in innovation, talent, and quality of life,” said Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed. “It also means real opportunities for our residents – good jobs, stronger schools, and a future where technology drives shared prosperity.”
“Meta’s continued growth here affirms what we know to be true: Montgomery is a place where global companies can thrive, and where innovation and community go hand in hand,” Reed added.
The Montgomery Chamber of Commerce cited that “at peak construction,” the site will support more than 1,500 skilled trade workers.
“This expansion not only strengthens the Montgomery region’s role as a hub for advanced manufacturing, logistics, technology and national security, it demonstrates the impact of bold public–private partnerships in driving long-term growth,” said President and CEO of the Montgomery Chamber Anna Buckalew.
The chamber also highlighted investments made by Meta in the Montgomery community.
Investments include a $20,000 donation made by the tech company in July to expand robotics and STEM programming in Montgomery Public Schools.
Meta also cosponsored the Montgomery Chamber’s 2025 Camp I.T. event, which invited 8th grade students to learn about mobile app development and robotics.
“Montgomery has proven to be a perfect home for a Meta data center,” said Meta Community Development Regional Manager Henry Thornton. “The support of this incredible community, together with the partnership we’ve experienced with state and local leaders, have made it possible for us to expand our facility and continue investing in Montgomery’s long-term vitality.”
Meta’s total investments in Alabama will represent $3 billion following the expansion of the Montgomery Data Center’s campus. Meta also owns and operates a data center in Huntsville.
According to the company, energy use at the Montgomery facility “will be matched with 100 percent clean and renewable energy.” Meta pointed to a prior investment in a 227-megawatt solar farm in Muscle Shoals, which produces energy for its Huntsville plant.
Since 2020, Meta has pledged to “match” 100 percent of its electricity use with long-term renewable energy investments.
Clean energy purchases, which offset the company’s carbon emissions, have allowed Meta to report near net-zero emissions since 2020 under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s corporate standards. However, Meta’s overall carbon footprint and location-based emissions increased from 2021 to 2024, in part due to rising energy needs necessary to operate AI technologies.
A May study analyzing Meta’s emission reporting practices has called for more stringent standards from GHGP to better align with hourly and location-based carbon intensity variations.
The company also received criticism from U.S. House Democrats in May regarding a planned data center which local utility company Entergy is constructing three new gas plants to support.
A 80-megawatt and 900-plus acre solar farm is planned for a site near the Meta facility near Snowdoun, approved by the Montgomery Board of Adjustment in January.
