Meta secures nearly 1GW of solar to power AI data centers

Major AI infrastructure players are increasingly turning to renewables as compute demand climbs. This week Meta announced agreements for nearly 1 gigawatt of solar capacity to help power its growing AI data centers — a sign that tech firms are starting to address the real energy costs of large‑scale model training and deployment.

Industry data show U.S. data‑center electricity consumption has more than doubled since 2018 and now accounts for roughly 4% of national generation, with some projections suggesting that AI growth could push that share substantially higher by 2028. Public concern is rising: surveys indicate many consumers worry AI’s energy use could raise utility bills.

Key takeaways

• Meta’s solar deals: Nearly 1GW of new solar capacity contracted to offset AI compute demands.
• Rising grid impact: Data‑center demand has surged and may require grid upgrades, better demand management, and more renewables.
• Policy and efficiency: Renewables procurement helps carbon goals, but efficiency improvements, demand‑side controls, and transparency about energy intensity are also needed.

Why it matters

Training and operating large AI models is energy‑intensive. As hyperscalers expand compute, they face not only environmental scrutiny but also practical challenges: grid capacity, peak demand, and potential cost impacts for consumers. Long‑term renewable contracts are a common response, but they don’t eliminate the need for smarter workload scheduling, model efficiency, and infrastructure investment.

What to watch next

• Whether other AI operators follow with similar renewable deals or invest in on‑site generation and storage.
• Regulatory actions addressing concentrated energy demand from data centers, including new tariffs or incentives for flexible consumption.
• Industry transparency efforts: reporting on energy and carbon intensity of AI workloads and independent audits of claims.

For further reading on industry energy trends and Meta’s procurement moves, see reporting on AI and data center energy demand.

Discussion: Should tech firms prioritize large renewable purchases, invest more in model and hardware efficiency, or focus on demand‑side solutions to manage AI’s energy impact? What mix of measures do you think is most effective?