Meta has signed an agreement to buy 650 megawatts of solar power from projects in Kansas and Texas developed by AES Corporation.

The deal includes 400 megawatts in Texas and 250 megawatts in Kansas.

This agreement supports Meta’s growing data centers, especially for AI operations.

It is Meta’s fourth solar deal this year, all in Texas, bringing its total renewable energy capacity to over 12 gigawatts.

AES usually starts power purchase agreements two to three years before the solar projects begin and the contracts last 15 to 20 years.

Meta’s move reflects a trend among big companies favoring solar energy for its fast setup and cost savings.

These developments show how solar energy is becoming key to powering large tech infrastructure like Meta’s data centers.

🔗 Source: TechCrunch

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Meta’s renewable push reflects broader tech sector climate race

This latest 650 MW deal adds to Meta’s already substantial renewable portfolio exceeding 12 gigawatts, positioning it among tech’s leading clean energy buyers.

In 2023, Meta ranked as the second-largest corporate buyer of renewable energy globally, behind only Amazon and ahead of Google 1.

The timing aligns with Meta’s AI infrastructure expansion, demonstrating how technology companies are scaling renewable purchases alongside their growing energy-intensive computing operations.

Since first committing to 100% renewable energy in 2018, Meta has dramatically accelerated its purchasing pace, securing over 2,500 megawatts in a single 12-month period during its initial push 2.

Corporate renewable power purchase agreements have grown at a remarkable 33% annual rate since 2015, with tech companies driving much of this expansion as their data center footprints increase 1.

This trend extends beyond Meta, with Microsoft recently signing a record-breaking 10.5 GW deal with Brookfield valued at over $10 billion to support its own data center growth 3.

Recent Meta developments