The technology giant Meta has experienced a significant increase in the electricity consumption of its data centers during the year 2023, reflecting the growing demand for infrastructure for the development of artificial intelligence (AI).
Rising Electricity Consumption
According to the company’s latest sustainability report, electricity usage in Meta’s data centers reached 14,975,435 MWh in 2023, representing a 34% increase compared to the previous year. This increase is mainly attributed to the expansion of the company’s operations in the field of AI.
Owned and Leased Facilities
Out of the total figure, 2,187,020 MWh were from leased facilities, marking a remarkable 97% increase compared to the previous year. This data highlights Meta’s strategy of rapidly expanding its processing capacity through the use of third-party infrastructures.
Geographical Distribution of Consumption
Among Meta’s 16 owned facilities, the Prineville campus in Oregon emerged as the largest electricity consumer with 1,375,321 MWh. It was closely followed by the Altoona, Iowa facilities with 1,243,306 MWh, and Sarpy, Nebraska with 1,148,091 MWh.
Efficiency and Sustainability
Despite the increase in total consumption, Meta remains committed to energy efficiency. The company reports that 100% of the electricity used comes from renewable energy sources, primarily achieved through power purchase agreements (PPAs) and renewable energy certificates (RECs).
Improvements in Water Usage
Regarding water consumption, Meta reports a 7% increase in total extraction, reaching 3,881 megaliters. However, the company highlights improvements in some locations such as Altoona, Clonee, Odense, and Prineville, where water usage was reduced.
Future Outlook
Meta anticipates an increase in capital costs during the next year as it continues to develop its infrastructure for generative AI. The company is also implementing new cooling technologies in its latest data centers with the aim of minimizing water usage in these facilities.
This growth in energy consumption reflects Meta’s strong commitment to leading the field of artificial intelligence, a sector that demands increasingly robust and efficient infrastructure.
Source: 2024 sustainability report and DCD.