Meta Inks 176 MW Solar Deal with Zelestra in Texas, Bolstering Clean Energy Push
February 4, 2026
In a significant move underscoring the tech industry's escalating commitment to sustainable operations, Meta Platforms Inc. has signed a new long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for solar energy in Texas. This deal highlights the critical role of renewable energy procurement in powering the massive data center infrastructure required for cloud computing and artificial intelligence, while helping major corporations meet ambitious carbon neutrality goals. The social media and technology giant has agreed to offtake power from the 176 MWdc (136 MWac) Skull Creek Solar Plant, currently under development in Anderson, Texas, by Spanish renewable energy developer Zelestra. The project is slated to begin commercial operations in May 2027, feeding its output into the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid. Meta stated the agreement supports its ongoing drive to add new clean energy to the grids where it operates and to match its global operations with 100 percent renewable energy. This latest contract brings the total contracted capacity between Meta and Zelestra to approximately 1.2 gigawatts (GWdc) across seven projects in the United States, all expected to be online by 2028. The partnership's momentum was noted by Zelestra's US CEO, Phil North, who said, "Our clean energy collaboration with Meta is gathering momentum across the US. We are delighted to welcome full operations at Jasper County and the start of construction at two further major projects, at the same time as closing another major agreement that will enable the construction of Skull Creek in Texas." The agreement has substantial implications for the data center and renewable energy sectors. It represents a continued trend of hyperscale operators directly financing new renewable generation through long-term contracts, thereby de-risking project development and accelerating the energy transition. For Zelestra, which rebranded from Solarpack in 2024, the deal reinforces its growing footprint in the competitive US market, where it reports a development pipeline of around 6.6 GWdc. For Meta, the PPA is part of a rapid expansion of its renewable portfolio in Texas, following a 303 MWdc solar deal with Origis Energy last month and a landmark bundle of agreements with NextEra Energy for up to 2.5 GW of clean energy announced in December 2025.
Source: datacenterdynamics
