Meta is making plans for a $437 million gas-fired power plant to run its data center in El Paso, Texas despite significant pushback. The 1GW project is set to be powered behind-the-meter by a 366MW array of modular natural gas generator. It also includes 813 modular generators, slated to come online by 2027. The campus is Meta’s third in Texas. Moreover, it is one of Meta’s major data centers developments in the United States. 

The company has data center campuses in Fort Worth and Temple in the Lone Star State According to reports, Meta would cover all costs associated with the generation units in an initial five-year “bridge period. Furthermore, during the period, the data center would remain unconnected to the grid.

Despite this, the El Paso City Council has voted unanimously to intervene in the regulatory process. They are citing concerns that the plant could eventually be rolled into the general rate base. The proposal has also led to opposition amongst environmental and community groups.

Opposition Faced by the Meta Gas-fired Power Plant in El Paso, Texas

One of the most vocal opposers of the Meta gas-fired power plant in El Paso is the Sembrando Esperanza Coalition, an El Paso economic and environmental justice group. It has also called on the city, county, and utilities to terminate their contracts with Meta. “We were not told that El Paso Electric would be building a power plant powered by fossil fuels,” said Coalition organizer Verónica Carbajal.

“To the contrary, we were told that Meta is going green and would rely on renewable energy. When we looked at the contracts ourselves, we realized that was an illusion.” News that Meta was targeting a site in El Paso surfaced in late 2023, with the company operating behind the WurldWide LLC affiliate to acquire more than 1,000 acres of land in the northeast of the city. Some $1.5 billion is set to be invested in the first phase of development.

Previous reports also suggest there could be up to five phases of development, each totaling around 800,000 sq. ft. (74,320 sq. m). The site has been designed to support “both the traditional servers of today and future generations of AI-enabled hardware.” It will also use a closed-loop, liquid-cooled system that will use zero water for majority of the year. El Paso, located in the west of Texas and close to the borders of Mexico and New Mexico, is not traditionally a major data center hub.

 

Project Overview

• Project: Behind-the-meter natural gas plant for data center campus
• Location: El Paso
• Developer: Meta Platforms
• Total Gas Plant Investment: $437 million
• Data Center Capacity: 1GW campus
• Power Generation: 366MW modular natural gas plant
• Generation Units: 813 modular generators
• Target Operational Date: 2027

Power Structure

• Behind-the-meter configuration
• Unconnected to the grid during initial five-year “bridge period”
• Meta to cover all generation costs during this period

Data Center Development

• Third Meta campus in Texas (after Fort Worth and Temple)
• Land acquired via WurldWide LLC affiliate
• Over 1,000 acres in northeast El Paso
• First phase investment: $1.5 billion
• Potential for five total phases
• Each phase approx. 800,000 sq. ft.
• Designed for traditional servers and AI-enabled hardware
• Closed-loop liquid cooling system (zero water use for most of the year)

Regulatory & Community Response

City Action

• El Paso City Council voted unanimously to intervene in regulatory process
• Concern: Potential future inclusion of plant costs in general rate base

Community Opposition

• Sembrando Esperanza Coalition
  • Environmental and economic justice concerns
  • Claims project contradicts earlier renewable energy expectations

Key Issues

• Fossil fuel reliance vs. renewable energy commitments
• Long-term utility rate implications
• Environmental justice concerns
• El Paso not traditionally a major data center hub