How Meta Sources 100 Percent Renewable Energy Around the World

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 21, 2023 / Meta

Originally published on TriplePundit.com

Back in 2011, Facebook set an ambitious target to meet 100 percent of its energy needs with renewable sources. It took 10 years to build the infrastructure and programs, but in 2020, the company now known as Meta crossed the finish line. Meta now has a robust renewable energy portfolio spanning six countries and 20 U.S. states that produces as much energy as the company's global operations consume.

"Our renewable energy projects are diverse and driven by where we have an operational footprint," Amanda Yang, Meta's head of renewable energy for Americas West and the Asia-Pacific, told TriplePundit. "One of our primary values is ensuring that we are adding new renewable capacity in the areas in which we operate. Right now, we are focused on direct operations, where we have a 100 percent renewable energy commitment, but we also have a goal to support the broader value chain."

Meta's portfolio includes more than 9 gigawatts of contracted renewable energy capacity - equivalent to the energy consumption of about 3 million U.S. households - and it's bringing new renewable projects online as its global operations expand.

Meta's clean energy projects create positive economic impacts, research shows

When deciding on new renewable projects, Meta takes a number of different factors into account, such as: proximity to the company's data centers and the potential for positive economic impact in local communities.

"We partnered with an independent research firm in 2021 to evaluate the economic impacts of our renewable energy projects," Yang explained. "The study focused on 5.5 gigawatts of renewable energy across the U.S. Over 40,000 construction jobs were created as a part of that portfolio and $4.2 billion in GDP. Operations of the new renewable projects create over $150 million in GDP annually."

On a long-term basis, Meta's renewable energy projects sustain nearly 1,000 operations jobs in the U.S. annually, the economic impact analysis found.

"Our projects represent billions of dollars in investments, and there is a multiplier effect of benefit to local communities," Yang continued. "When you have construction workers on site, they need housing and to eat, and that creates real local economic activity." An estimated 270 on-site jobs are created for every 100 megawatts of renewable energy that Meta contracts, and every on-site job supports an additional 1.6 jobs in the broader community, according to the analysis.