Meta Opens $1B Kansas City Data Center, Advances Multi-Billion Projects in Lebanon, Louisiana

Meta has launched a $1 billion hyperscale data center in Kansas City, Missouri, situated within the Golden Plains Technology Park, powered entirely by renewable energy and designed with water-efficient cooling solutions. The company has committed over $1 million in donations to local schools and nonprofits, highlighting Kansas City's robust infrastructure as a key factor in its location choice. In Indiana, Meta is advancing plans for a massive 1,500-acre data center in Lebanon's LEAP Research and Innovation District, with an initial $800 million investment that could grow to $4.8 billion over six phases, accompanied by significant tax abatements and community impact payments, although concerns about water usage and tax implications persist among residents and advocacy groups. Concurrently, in Louisiana, state regulators are considering a plan to power Meta's largest AI data center via three new gas-fired power plants, a $10 billion project expected to consume substantial electricity but drawing criticism from environmental and consumer groups over potential pollution, climate impacts, and increased utility costs. These developments illustrate Meta’s strategic expansion of AI-optimized data centers across different U.S. regions, balancing economic benefits with environmental and community concerns.