Meta is once again focusing on solar energy as it expands its data centre operations.
Recently, technology firms have been vocal about their interest in advanced nuclear power, and they are simultaneously increasing their investments in renewable energy sources.
Recently, Meta entered into a partnership with the Spanish renewable energy company Zelestra, securing 595 megawatts of solar power in Texas. The agreement follows closely on the heels of another solar deal with utility provider Engie. The substantial acquisition marks a nearly 5% increase to Meta’s existing renewable capacity, which exceeds 12 gigawatts.
This move aligns with CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s commitment to an ambitious AI strategy that necessitates significant capital investments in data centres.
Meta is striving to position its open-source Llama 4 model as a competitor to proprietary systems such as those developed by OpenAI and Anthropic. Although research from DeepSeek has indicated that models can be developed more efficiently, this methodology may not be applicable to cutting-edge models like Llama 4.
In 2025, Meta plans to allocate $60 billion for capital expenditures, primarily directed toward boosting data centre infrastructure, which Zuckerberg described as a “strategic advantage” during a recent earnings call.
Similar to other tech giants, Meta is exploring the potential of nuclear reactors to provide reliable energy for future computing demands. The company has solicited proposals for generating between 1 to 4 gigawatts of capacity expected to come online in the early 2030s. To put this into perspective, one gigawatt can supply power to approximately 750,000 homes.
However, the company cannot afford to wait until then to expand its data centre capabilities. Meta and its counterparts are investing heavily in building new data centres that require substantial amounts of power. Experts predict that by 2027, half of all newly constructed AI data centres may face power shortages.
The construction of nuclear power plants typically spans several years, and the latest generation of advanced reactors has yet to be proven commercially viable. In contrast, natural gas plants can be built somewhat more quickly.
Nevertheless, neither option can match the rapid deployment capabilities of renewable energy sources.
In addition to the recent agreement with Zelestra, Meta also announced earlier this month that it had procured 200 megawatts of solar energy from Engie, which is set to come online later this year.