Facebook Constructing Solar-Powered Data Center in Mesa Article originally posted on HERE on August 13, 2021 Social media giant Facebook says it is building a data center in metro Phoenix powered only by renewable energy. MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Facebook is building a data center in metro Phoenix that will use only renewable energy, the company announced Thursday. Once completed, the facility in Mesa “will represent an investment of more than $800 million and will support approximately 100 jobs,” Facebook said in a statement. The data center will house routers, switches, servers, storage systems and other equipment. Power for the data center will come from three new solar facilities that will be built in Pinal County in conjunction with the Salt River Project, the company said. Facebook said the Mesa facility will use 60% less water than the average data center, and that the water will be recycled several times before it’s discharged for agricultural use. The company said it worked with the SRP to obtain water credits for the Mesa facility’s operations. “We will not draw water rights from the city of Mesa,” Facebook said in describing its sustainability efforts. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.