- Meta plans more AI data centers as part of its $600 billion spending spree
- It wants to reduce emissions and replace the water it uses
- Shares are down 17% already this month, but why?
Meta has pledged to invest $600 billion in US infrastructure, artificial intelligence and jobs by 2028 as part of a broader plan to “[reinforce] America’s Technological Leadership.”
As part of the plan, Meta will continue to build more AI data centers across the US, which it says support local economies and create jobs, but the company intends to do all of this while focusing on sustainable and community-centric infrastructure.
The company says it has already supported over 30,000 skilled trade jobs since 2010, contributing $20 billion in business to U.S. subcontractors.
With increasing AI demand creating the need for more and more data centers, Meta says it is drilling down on its sustainability initiatives: “For both our energy and water needs, we work closely with utilities to plan and meet our energy needs, and we pay for the energy costs that benefit our data centers.”
Meta already claims it has made “hundreds of millions” of upgrades to grid infrastructure in the US, adding an additional 15 gigawatts of energy to the grid.
Meta already matches 100% of its energy use with clean and renewable energy across its operations, according to its 2025 Sustainability Report, but sustainability is so much more. It also wants to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42% compared to 2021 levels by 2031, and for third-party suppliers that affect its Scope 3 emissions, it also wants to stick to that 2021 level.
“We are restoring water to watersheds in the areas that host our data centers and plan to be water positive by 2030,” the company added in its latest announcement. Its sustainability report adds some more context – Meta intends to replace 100% of this water in medium-stress areas and double it in high-stress areas.
Regarding local economies, Zuckerberg’s company is committed to using local labor and materials wherever possible, while plowing money into upskilling schemes. “We’ve given $58 million to schools, nonprofits and community projects” through Data Center Community Action Grants, Meta explained.
In many ways, this is a one-up on rival tech companies like OpenAI and Apple, both of which have committed to spending $500 billion in the US.
Despite a 26% year-over-year increase in revenue last quarter, Meta stock prices have fallen more than 17% following the earnings announcement in late October.
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