Meta, parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, announced that Sturgeon County will host its newest AI data centre, its first in Canada and largest outside the United States. The 2.9-million-square-foot facility represents an investment of more than $13 billion Canadian and will be located north of Edmonton in Sturgeon County. Reuters reported the project will be a 1-gigawatt data centre and Meta’s 33rd data centre globally. Gary Demasi, Meta’s Vice-President of Data Center Development, announced the project after being introduced by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, thanking the premier, the Government of Alberta, Sturgeon County, Invest Alberta, the Alberta AI Concierge Team and other partners. The project is expected to create more than 3,000 construction jobs and generate an estimated $250 million annually in benefits for Albertans. Meta will invest $60 million in local infrastructure. Demasi said electricity use will be matched with 100 per cent clean and renewable energy, with Meta paying the full cost of energy required and costs not passed on to Alberta consumers. The facility will use a closed-loop liquid cooling system and dry cooling, requiring no operational water, with onsite water use limited to domestic needs, fire protection systems and certain equipment maintenance. Meta committed to becoming water positive by 2030 and is partnering with ALUS and local farmers to conserve 200 acres of grasslands, trees and wetlands in the North Saskatchewan River watershed.