Meta has announced a major investment: roughly $1 billion to build a data center campus in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. The site, located in Alliant Energy’s Beaver Dam Commerce Park, will house a 700,000-square-foot facility built to support Meta’s growing AI infrastructure. Mortenson, a well-known general contractor, will lead construction for the project.
Advanced Construction Tech Drives Efficiency
To deliver the Beaver Dam campus, Mortenson plans to use a range of advanced construction technologies. The company will rely on BIM coordination, live digital utility mapping, drone-captured data, and robotic automated layout. Meta will even use VR reviews (Meta Quest) with stakeholders to check design and build quality. These tools should accelerate construction and reduce rework, critical for a project of this scale.
Water Efficiency & Environmental Restoration
Meta’s Beaver Dam design emphasizes water stewardship. The data center will use dry-cooling, meaning once it’s operational it won’t demand water for cooling. Moreover, Meta plans to restore 100% of the water it consumes back into local watersheds. Beyond that, the company is partnering with Ducks Unlimited to restore 570 acres of wetlands and prairie around the campus, about 175 acres will be deeded to Ducks Unlimited for long-term protection.
Infrastructure Investment & Energy Commitment
Meta’s role extends beyond building the data center itself, the company will underwrite nearly $200 million in energy infrastructure upgrades. These upgrades include transmission lines, utility substations, and network improvements, which Meta argues are needed to power the campus reliably. The company also pledges to match its electricity use with 100% clean and renewable energy.
Economic Impact: Jobs, Local Commitment & Community Fund
Meta’s Beaver Dam project is expected to drive significant job creation. According to Meta, the data center will support around 1,000 construction jobs at peak, and about 100 permanent operational roles once the campus is up and running. To benefit the broader community, Meta is also donating $15 million to Alliant Energy’s “Hometown Care Energy Fund” to help local families with energy costs.
Local Reactions & Environmental Concerns
While local officials and state leaders have welcomed the investment, the project has stirred concern in some parts of Beaver Dam. Critics worry about whether the data center’s water-management promises will hold, especially amid past local drought issues. There are also questions about how the restored wetlands will affect existing drainage and wildlife. Despite that, city and state leaders remain optimistic. As Beaver Dam’s mayor put it, Meta’s presence could dramatically boost the city’s tax base without raising local property taxes.
Strategic Significance: AI Infrastructure & Wisconsin’s Role
Meta’s decision to build here underscores Wisconsin’s rising role in the AI infrastructure ecosystem. The Beaver Dam Commerce Park was shovel-ready and certified for industrial development, making it highly attractive for a project of this magnitude. Moreover, the state’s economic leaders see the data center as a strategic boost that aligns with broader efforts to attract high-tech investment and diversify the economy. For Meta, the facility reinforces its global AI strategy, the Beaver Dam campus is its 30th data center worldwide.
Timeline & Next Steps
Construction on the Beaver Dam campus is already under way, with ground-breaking announced in November 2025. Meta expects the facility to be fully operational by 2027. Over the coming months, the company plans to begin energy upgrades, site work, and wetlands restoration in parallel, reflecting the company’s broader push to keep major U.S. data center projects on track, including the Prometheus campus in Ohio where construction recently resumed after a security incident. As construction progresses, Meta says it will open applications for Data Center Community Action Grants, aimed at helping local schools and organizations build digital capacity.
Project Factsheet
Investor / Owner: Meta Platforms
Location: Beaver Dam, Wisconsin (Alliant Energy Commerce Park)
Investment: $1 billion
Size: 700,000 sq ft data center
Construction Jobs: 1,000 at peak
Permanent Jobs: ~100 operations roles
Water Strategy: Dry-cooling tech; 100% of water restored to local watersheds
Land Restoration: 570 acres wetlands and prairie; 175 acres deeded to Ducks Unlimited
Energy Infrastructure: $200 M in upgrades (substations, network, lines)
Sustainability & Certification: 100% clean electricity matching; LEED Gold target
