Meta to add 100MW of solar power from US gear

Meta signed a deal yesterday with solar developer Silicon Ranch to develop a $100 million, 100-megawatt solar farm in South Carolina.

The new renewable installation will power Meta’s planned AI data center in the state, which is expected to cost $800 million. Both the data center and the solar plant are expected to begin operations in 2027.

Most of the equipment for the solar farm will be made in the U.S., according to the companies.

The new deal is the 18th such agreement signed between Meta and Silicon Ranch. The renewable developer said the deals have helped drive over $2.5 billion in investments.

Meta has added over 2 gigawatts of solar capacity this year alone. In June, it signed a deal with developer Invenergy for several projects in Ohio, and in May it said it was working with AES to build 650 megawatts of solar in Kansas and Texas. Meta is also working in Texas with Engie and Zelestra to develop nearly 800 megawatts of additional solar capacity.

Like many hyperscalers, Meta has been tapping renewables like solar for two main reasons. One, it helps the company stick to its net-zero carbon emissions pledges. But perhaps more importantly, solar power is inexpensive and can be deployed quickly, helping reduce time-to-power, a key bottleneck for any new data center.