Meta Sturgeon County Data Centre
Canada's largest AI data centre and Meta's first in the country. It is the project behind the Pembina Institute's estimate that Alberta households could pay $267–$462 more per year while it draws grid power before its own plant is finished.
Electrical demand
970 MW
1 GW campus; 970 MW AESO load contract (P2936 GLDC Load)
Capital cost
$13 billion
per provincial inventory
Operator
Meta
AI / high-performance computing
Last verified
September 22, 2026
Primary-source record
What we know
- Power
- Grid + on-site generation. Draws from the grid first under AESO Phase 1, then the 932 MW Greenlight Electricity Centre gas plant (Pembina Pipelines / Kineticor) plus a 250 MW Capital Power agreement. Meta has pledged to match its use with new renewables.
- Timeline
- Final investment decision July 8, 2026. Provincial inventory lists 2026–2029; the Greenlight plant follows roughly two years after the data centre opens.
- Water
- Closed-loop liquid cooling with dry coolers; Meta says no operational water use for cooling and less annual water than a typical Alberta golf course.
- Jobs
- 3,000 construction at peak · 300 permanent
- In perspective
- Enough for ~1,180,490 homes · 7.8% of Alberta's record peak · 0.8× Calgary's average draw
Government of Alberta inventory
How the province lists this project in its Major Projects Inventory, refreshed daily.
- Listed as:
- Meta Data Centre
- Stage:
- Under Construction
- Cost:
- $13 billion
- Schedule:
- 2026 – 2029
- Developer:
- Meta Platforms Inc.
What has changed
July 8, 2026
Meta reaches final investment decision on its $13-billion Sturgeon County campus
Meta broke ground on a 1 GW AI data centre, its first in Canada, with about 3,000 construction jobs at peak and 300 permanent positions. Power comes from the grid first, then the Greenlight Electricity Centre gas plant.
Meta Sturgeon County Data Centre — questions people ask
Where is Meta Sturgeon County Data Centre?+
Meta Sturgeon County Data Centre is in Sturgeon County, in the Edmonton region of Alberta. Its status as of September 22, 2026 is under construction.
How much power will Meta Sturgeon County Data Centre use?+
Meta Sturgeon County Data Centre is planned at 970 MW of electrical demand (1 GW campus; 970 MW AESO load contract (P2936 GLDC Load)). Running continuously, that is enough electricity for roughly 1,180,490 Alberta homes, or 7.8% of the province's all-time record peak demand of 12,384 MW.
Who is building Meta Sturgeon County Data Centre and how will it be powered?+
Meta (listed by the province as Meta Platforms Inc.). Power: grid + on-site generation. Draws from the grid first under AESO Phase 1, then the 932 MW Greenlight Electricity Centre gas plant (Pembina Pipelines / Kineticor) plus a 250 MW Capital Power agreement. Meta has pledged to match its use with new renewables.
How much water will Meta Sturgeon County Data Centre use?+
Closed-loop liquid cooling with dry coolers; Meta says no operational water use for cooling and less annual water than a typical Alberta golf course.
How many jobs will Meta Sturgeon County Data Centre create?+
About 3,000 construction jobs at peak and 300 permanent positions, according to the proponent. These are projections; Alberta has not required local-hiring commitments.