Facebook to invest $1 billion in Virginia to build data center and multiple solar facilities

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has announced that Facebook is set to invest over $1 billion in the U.S. state.

The tech giant will invest $750 million to construct a 970,000 square foot data center in Henrico County. In addition, it will spend hundreds of millions building “multiple solar facilities” to power the data center with renewable energy.

“I am proud to welcome Facebook to Henrico County, and we look forward to a strong partnership,” McAuliffe said in a statement.

Authorities said that the project would create thousands of construction jobs and 100 “full-time” operational roles.

Rachel Peterson, Facebook’s director of data strategy, added: “When considering new data center locations, we not only look for clean and renewable energy solutions, but great partnerships within the local community, a strong pool of local talent, excellent access to fiber, and a robust electric grid. Henrico County and the Commonwealth of Virginia has it all.”

Facebook has ambitious plans when it comes to sustainability and says it is committed to powering its business with 100 percent “clean and renewable energy.”

The U.S. installed almost 2.4 gigawatts of solar photovoltaics in the second quarter of 2017, according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight report from GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association. The report, which was released in September, said this represented an increase of 8 percent year-on-year. Source: CNBC