Meta Platforms is reportedly behind a planned data centre development in central Wisconsin valued at close to $1 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The project is part of a broader push by major tech firms to expand infrastructure in support of artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

Wisconsin approved an incentive package for a company operating under an alias in February, tied to a proposed multiyear investment of $837 million, as reported by Bloomberg. While the name of the company was not disclosed in official documents, a source with knowledge of the plans confirmed that Meta is leading the project.

Both Meta and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation declined to confirm the company’s identity, citing ongoing procedures.

Technology companies have accelerated data centre development in recent years as demand for compute-intensive AI models and cloud services continues to rise. Meta has previously published plans to allocate up to $65 billion to infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on AI. That includes new construction projects across the US, like a multi-phase facility in Louisiana. The company already operates data centres in Midwestern locations including Iowa and DeKalb, Illinois, and is currently developing a site in Wyoming.

According to an article by The Information, Meta is also exploring the possibility of investing up to $200 billion in a large-scale AI data centre campus somewhere in the US. Executives have reportedly visited potential locations in Louisiana, Texas, and Wyoming. While a spokesperson said that anything beyond disclosed capital expenditure plans is speculative, CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted that the company aimed to bring 1 gigawatt of compute online in 2024 and expects to operate more than 1.3 million GPUs by the end of 2025.

The company’s confirmed plans include a $10 billion data centre campus in Richland Parish, Louisiana, where the build-out is expected to reach 2 gigawatts of compute capacity across more than 4 million square feet. Ground breaking for the project was scheduled for late 2024, with construction continuing through until 2030. In Wyoming, a separate campus covering 800,000 square feet is under development on a 945-acre site near Cheyenne.

The Wisconsin site would add to this wave of large-scale infrastructure investments. However, recent market signals have raised questions about how long the current pace of expansion can be maintained. Microsoft has recently delayed or paused several data centre projects, and some analysts have pointed to cheaper AI models and trade-related uncertainty – like tariffs – as factors that could influence future buildout strategies.

Meta is incorporating AI in various aspects of its business, from ad targeting and content ranking on Facebook and Instagram to features in its hardware products like Meta Quest headsets and the smart glasses the company’s developed with Ray-Ban. Zuckerberg told investors in January that Meta’s long-term AI investments could ultimately reach into the hundreds of billions of dollars.

Wisconsin is considered a potential hub for hyperscale data centres. In addition to Meta, Microsoft is developing a campus south of Milwaukee that could become one of its largest. OpenAI’s Stargate venture has also named Wisconsin as one of the states under consideration for expansion.

Local officials have welcomed the potential investment. In a February update, the Beaver Dam Area Development Corporation described the project as one with the potential to bring long-term economic value to the region. The group said it is working with utility provider Alliant Energy and has already signed off on development and water agreements. The project still requires non-local approvals before proceeding.

Alliant Energy confirmed it is currently conducting due diligence steps and is exploring the possibility of a project in Beaver Dam. A spokesperson said more details would be shared once the process moves forward.

(Image by Pixabay)

See also: From Chicago to Jakarta, Microsoft stalls data centre expansion

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