Hajra Naz
Meta is building a huge new data center called Hyperion. According to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, it will eventually provide up to 5 gigawatts (GW) of computing power to support Meta’s AI lab. He shared the update in a post on Threads on Monday.
This move shows Meta’s ambition to compete with OpenAI and Google in the fast-growing AI space. After hiring big names like Alexandr Wang (former Scale AI CEO) and Daniel Gross (former Safe Superintelligence CEO), Meta is now focusing on the power it needs to train large AI models.
Where Is Hyperion Being Built?
A Meta spokesperson, Ashley Gabriel, told TechCrunch that Hyperion will be located in Louisiana, likely in Richland Parish, where Meta already announced a $10 billion data center project.
The company expects to have 2 GW online by 2030, with plans to reach 5 GW in the following years. Zuckerberg also mentioned that Hyperion will be massive—big enough to cover most of Manhattan.
Meet Prometheus: Another Mega Data Center
Meta also has another major project in the works. A 1 GW supercluster called Prometheus is set to launch in 2026. It will be located in New Albany, Ohio. This would make Meta one of the first tech companies to run an AI data center of this size.
With both Hyperion and Prometheus, Meta hopes to stand toe-to-toe with companies like Google DeepMind, OpenAI, and Anthropic. These powerful AI centers may also help Meta attract top talent, especially those looking to work on cutting-edge infrastructure.
Read More: OpenAI Adjusts Pay Packages After Meta Recruits Researchers
Power Demands and Community Impact
But these massive data centers come with huge energy needs. Together, Hyperion and Prometheus could use enough electricity to power millions of homes.
In some places, these demands are already causing problems. In Newton County, Georgia, one of Meta’s data center projects has reportedly led to dry taps in nearby homes, according to The New York Times.
Other companies face similar concerns. CoreWeave, another major AI firm, plans to expand a data center that could double the electricity usage of a town near Dallas, Texas, Bloomberg reports.
AI Boom and America’s Energy Push
Despite the risks, the tech world is racing to build even more AI-powered data centers. Some of the most talked-about projects include:
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OpenAI’s Stargate, backed by Oracle and SoftBank
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xAI’s Colossus, led by Elon Musk
The U.S. government is backing these efforts. Former President Donald Trump helped OpenAI announce its Stargate project. He has since supported more AI infrastructure growth.
In an op-ed for The Economist, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright called for America to lead the “next major energy-intensive frontier”—artificial intelligence. He said AI turns electricity into “the most valuable output imaginable: intelligence.”
To keep up with this demand, the government plans to increase energy production from sources like coal, nuclear, geothermal, and natural gas.
What’s Ahead?
Experts warn that by 2030, data centers could use up to 20% of the country’s electricity—a sharp rise from just 2.5% in 2022. Without rapid increases in energy supply, this could lead to even more strain on local communities and power grids.
