Meta has announced plans to build its first large-scale data center in Canada, marking a major step in the company’s global artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure expansion.

The technology giant will invest approximately C$13 billion (US$9.2 billion) to construct a 1-gigawatt data center in Sturgeon County, Alberta. The facility will become Meta’s 33rd data center worldwide and is designed to support the company’s rapidly growing AI services and computing needs.

Meta said Alberta was selected because of its abundant natural gas resources, cooler climate, and supportive investment environment, all of which help reduce operating costs for large-scale AI infrastructure. The province has increasingly positioned itself as a destination for hyperscale data centers amid surging global demand for AI computing power.

The new facility is expected to consume as much electricity as roughly 800,000 homes. To meet that demand without placing additional strain on Alberta’s existing power grid, Meta will finance new transmission infrastructure and partner with Pembina Pipeline to develop the Greenlight Electricity Centre, a natural gas-fired power plant scheduled to begin operations in 2030.

The announcement underscores the intensifying race among major technology companies to expand AI infrastructure. As companies invest billions in advanced data centers, demand for computing power, energy, and specialized AI hardware continues to rise worldwide.

While the project is expected to create construction jobs and boost Alberta’s economy, it has also renewed debate over the environmental impact of powering AI data centers with natural gas rather than renewable energy. Alberta’s electricity system remains more carbon-intensive than many other parts of Canada, making the balance between economic growth and climate goals a key issue as AI infrastructure expands.