Meta says its $1.5 billion data center in north Huntsville has little impact on local utility bills, addressing community concerns about the facility’s electricity and water consumption.
During a media tour on Wednesday, Oct. 21, Community Development Regional Manager Henry Thornton said the company buys most of its electricity directly from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and matches its energy use with renewable energy purchases. Residents have raised questions about the facility’s resource demands at recent City Council meetings and campaign events.
Electricity use and renewable energy commitments
The 3.5 million-square-foot facility used approximately 866 million kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2024, according to Meta’s 2025 Sustainability Report.
Thornton said Meta purchases electricity directly from TVA, with a smaller contract with Huntsville Utilities for auxiliary power. He added that the company matches its electricity consumption with clean energy through wind, solar and other renewable energy projects across the country.
Meta also said the Huntsville site required limited additional infrastructure when it was built in an industrial park, apart from a needed electrical substation. The company maintains that its renewable energy commitments help protect local ratepayers from higher bills associated with its operations.
Water consumption and noise concerns
Meta purchased its water from Huntsville Utilities, withdrawing approximately 209 megaliters, or 55 million gallons, in 2024, according to its sustainability report.
Thornton said the company aims to become water-positive by 2030, meaning it plans to replenish more water than it consumes through restoration projects and community partnerships.
Huntsville Utilities CEO Wes Kelley previously told the City Council that Meta’s data center was not among the utility’s top 10 industrial water users.
Noise has also been a concern associated with data centers. Thornton said Meta had not received complaints about noise from its Huntsville facility and described the site as designed to limit its impact on nearby communities.
The facility broke ground in 2018 and opened in 2021. An expansion announced in 2022 is still underway.
Huntsville jobs and community investments
The data center employs approximately 300 full-time workers at full production, with Meta emphasizing local hiring. Construction activity has supported additional employment, reaching as many as 1,200 workers at its peak, with hundreds still involved in the ongoing expansion.
Thornton said Meta has no further expansion planned for the Huntsville facility and expects full-time employment to remain around 300, although that could change.
The company also reported contributing $4.5 million to local schools, charities and nonprofits. Its community initiatives include supporting Huntsville City Schools‘ STEM education efforts and working with Drake State and the University of Alabama in Huntsville on educational equipment and cybersecurity programming.
The Huntsville data center stores information from Meta platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Company representatives said the facility does not store data for third-party companies.
Meta’s Huntsville operations are part of its broader investment in Alabama, which also includes a $1.5 billion data center in Montgomery.
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