The Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah), the City of Eagle Mountain, and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) are pleased to announce that Facebook is expanding its Eagle Mountain data center campu­­s by more than 900,000 square feet with two new buildings. Once completed, this data center will represent an investment of more than $1 billion.

“Facebook’s sustainable expansion in Eagle Mountain shows the long-term commitment this global tech leader has to Utah. Since 2018, this data center has been a tremendous boon to the local economy and we’re extremely grateful for Facebook’s ongoing investment in our state,” said Governor Spencer Cox.

"We have enjoyed having Facebook in Eagle Mountain and all they have contributed to our city. We are excited about their growth and the jobs and support to our local economy that it brings,” said Mayor Tom Westmoreland, Eagle Mountain.

In terms of local impact, the data center campus projects (Steeplechase and Steeplechase II), which first broke ground in 2018 and are still underway, have employed 1,500 construction and trade workers on site at peak. The company anticipates keeping construction crews busy for years to come.

The Eagle Mountain Data Center will be supported by 100% renewable energy from solar projects funded by Facebook, including more than 600 MW of new solar energy to the Utah grid. In addition, the company has invested in a project that will restore water to the Provo River.

Lastly, since 2018, Facebook has supported Utah County and Eagle Mountain with more than $1 million in grants and donations.

“EDCUtah and our partners worked hard to land Facebook’s data center business back in May 2018,” said Theresa A. Foxley, president and CEO of EDCUtah. “We did it hoping and expecting that it would only be the beginning of Facebook’s investment in Utah. We’re delighted to see those hopes and expectations realized. Hats off to everyone involved for all these years.”

Last year, research non-profit RTI International analyzed Facebook’s U.S. data center fleet (13 sites, eight of which are serving internet traffic), focusing on how their construction and operations have affected the economy, the environment, and communities over the last three years. This report includes detailed results of data center investment and activity from 2017 through 2019. Some findings include:

Facebook’s 2017 through 2019 investments in data center construction and operations totaled $11.5 billion, and these investments contributed a cumulative $18.6 billion to the U.S. GDP.

Facebook has invested in renewable energy with 987 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar capacity coming online between 2017 and 2019.

Facebook data centers use open air cooling. Compared to a traditional chiller cooling system, this technology saved nearly 1 billion gallons of water on-site (primary) in 2019.

From 2017 through 2019, Facebook made over 300 donations in the local communities of its data centers. Most of the donations focused on STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) programs.

For more information, visit https://www.rti.org/publication/impact-facebooks-us-data-center-fleet-2017-2019

For inquiries about this project, please contact:

Mike Flynn, chief operating officer, EDCUtah
(801) 328-9742, mflynn@edcutah.org

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