Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is reportedly contemplating an ambitious expansion of its data center infrastructure, with speculation suggesting a new artificial intelligence (AI)-focused campus that could exceed $200 billion in cost. According to recent reports, this prospective facility may require between 5 and 7 gigawatts of power, significantly surpassing the scale of Meta’s newly announced $10 billion, 2-gigawatt data center in Louisiana. Senior Meta executives are said to have conducted site visits this month across states such as Louisiana, Wyoming, and Texas to evaluate potential locations, aiming to bolster the company’s AI capabilities in an increasingly competitive landscape.
However, Meta has tempered these claims. A company spokesperson dismissed the $200 billion estimate as “pure speculation,” emphasizing that Meta’s data center roadmap and financial commitments were detailed in prior announcements. In January, Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg disclosed plans to allocate up to $65 billion in 2025 for AI-driven infrastructure development—a substantial yet far more conservative figure than the rumored amount. This discrepancy raises questions about the veracity of the larger projection and whether it reflects an unconfirmed shift in strategic priorities.
Meta’s ongoing investments underscore its commitment to expanding its data center portfolio. On February 20, the company submitted plans to construct a fifth building at its Gallatin, Tennessee campus, elevating the total investment there beyond $1 billion. Earlier, on February 18, Meta confirmed a $10 billion, 4-million-square-foot data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana—its largest to date, with a capacity exceeding 2 gigawatts. This facility will partly rely on a new 1.5-gigawatt natural gas plant developed by Entergy Louisiana, a decision that has drawn scrutiny from environmental groups challenging the expedited approval process.
In the broader context of the technology sector, Meta’s efforts align with a surge in AI infrastructure investments among industry leaders. Microsoft has committed $80 billion for its 2025 data center expansion, focusing on AI-optimized facilities to support its Azure cloud platform and OpenAI collaborations. Amazon, meanwhile, plans to invest over $100 billion in the coming years, strengthening its Amazon Web Services (AWS) division with AI-ready data centers to maintain its cloud dominance. Google, another key player, has allocated approximately $50 billion for 2025 to enhance its AI and machine learning infrastructure, including energy-efficient designs powered by renewable sources. By comparison, Meta’s confirmed $65 billion investment positions it competitively, though the speculated $200 billion campus would represent an unprecedented leap, potentially eclipsing its rivals in scale and ambition.
These investments reflect a strategic pivot across the industry toward AI-optimized infrastructure, with Meta integrating advanced GPU clusters and liquid cooling systems to meet the computational demands of its next-generation AI applications. While the $200 billion figure remains unverified, Meta’s confirmed projects and substantial 2025 budget affirm its intent to remain a formidable contender in the AI race, alongside Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. Further developments will clarify whether this rumored mega-project materializes or remains an outlier in Meta’s otherwise robust expansion strategy.
