Meta gets 35-year sales tax exemption to build $800M data center in Indiana

Meta and Indiana have come to terms on what will become the tech giant’s newest data center: a 700,000-square-foot, $800-million campus to be built in Jefferson, approximately 825 miles from the state’s capital. The partnership was announced by Meta and Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb on Jan. 25. 

The new center will support Meta’s global data needs, including its artificial intelligence (AI) operations.

Together with @GovHolcomb , today we announced that Meta will be building a new AI-focused data center in Jeffersonville, IN. It will be one of the first built on our next generation design to help us continue to develop deploy AI at scale.

Details ➡️ https://t.co/plkPlmRvCD pic.twitter.com/gbhi2TyV4S

— AI at Meta (@AIatMeta) January 25, 2024

Construction is expected to begin in January, with a targeted completion date of 2026. It’s expected to employ as many as 1,250 workers at “peak construction” and, according to a press release from Governor Holcomb’s office, will subsequently support “100 high-wage jobs.”

Per an official post from Meta, the site will be green from inception:

“Once operational, the Jeffersonville Data Center will be supported by 100% renewable energy through our investments in new renewable energy projects and like our other data centers, will achieve LEED Gold certification.”

The expansion comes at an opportune time for the social media network. Meta recently landed back in the trillion-dollar-valuation club, making its first appearance since 2021.

Related: Microsoft crosses $3-trillion valuation as AI investments bloom

Renewed vigor for the company’s stock has largely been attributed to its efforts in the field of generative artificial intelligence. As Cointelegraph recently reported, with business up, Meta  intends to bring its total GPU count to 350,000 H100s — for comparison, rival AI firm OpenAI only used about 10,000 GPUs to train ChatGPT.

The state of Indiana is also pitching in. Per Governor Holcomb’s press release, Meta will receive a data center sales tax exemption for the first 35 years of campus operation, with the potential to extend exemptions through 2074:

“For each additional $800 million of eligible investment made at the site within that time period, the company will be eligible for tax exemptions for an additional 5-year period, up to a total term of 50 years.”