Meta Breaks Ground on $1 Billion AI Data Center in Oklahoma
April 22, 2026
In a significant expansion of its computational infrastructure, Meta Platforms Inc. has commenced construction on a major artificial intelligence data center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with an investment exceeding $1 billion. The move underscores the intense race among technology giants to secure the vast computing power required to develop and deploy next-generation AI systems, a strategic priority that is reshaping data center investment landscapes across the United States.
The new facility, Meta's first in Oklahoma, will span more than 2 million square feet at the Fair Oaks Innovation Park. U.S.-based Fortis Construction has been appointed as the general contractor for the project. Upon completion, the Tulsa data center will become Meta's 28th such facility in the U.S. and its 32nd globally, directly adding critical AI computing capacity to support the company's ambitious product roadmap. The construction phase is expected to create over 1,000 jobs at its peak, with approximately 100 permanent operational roles once the center is online.
Meta has stated that it will cover the full cost of water and waste management for the facility, a commitment that comes as large-scale data centers face increasing scrutiny over their substantial energy and water consumption. The industry's rapid growth, driven primarily by AI workloads, has sparked debates about grid stability and resource sustainability in several regions.
For Meta, this billion-dollar investment is a concrete step in its broader strategy to build a self-sufficient, state-of-the-art infrastructure backbone for its AI research and consumer-facing applications, including its large language models and generative AI features. The Oklahoma expansion solidifies the central U.S. as a key hub for high-performance computing, following similar major investments by other tech firms attracted by the region's available land, power infrastructure, and economic incentives.
Source: finimize
