Meta to launch data center in Idaho in 2025 with renewable energy support from Idaho Power

Published on February 18, 2022 by Chris Galford


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Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is scheduled to kick off operations at a new data in Kuna, Idaho, come 2025, and according to Idaho Power, the 960,000 square-foot facility will be fully supported by renewable energy to be built and integrated into the grid.

It’s the first example of a company exercising the construction option of Idaho Power’s Clean Energy Your Way program proposal, filed with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (IPUC) last year. Under that option, customers can work with the utility to procure new renewable resources to meet their needs and work them into the existing grid.

All customers above 20 MW require special contracts detailing their energy service agreement and associated pricing, though, and Meta will exceed that. The contract calls for a two-block rate structure to govern their arrangement, would authorize treating bill credits provided to the facility as incurred expenses for ratemaking purposes and enshrine protections for existing Idaho Power customers, shielding them from unreasonable cost shifts while granting Idaho Power the rights to recover its cost of service for the new arrangements.

Idaho Power asserted that the allowance of the special contract would clinch Meta’s decision to build and net it as a long-term contributor to the region, a job provider, and a significant investor. Construction is expected to begin this September, and overall, Meta expects to invest approximately $800 million into the new facility. It has paired that with about $50 million to be pumped into a new water and sewer system for Kuna, built by Meta but owned and operated by the city, offering new capacity for users and businesses in the area.