Meta Exits RE100 as AI Data-Center Power Demand Grows
Meta has left RE100, the global corporate initiative for companies committed to sourcing 100% of their electricity from renewable energy, following a major expansion of natural gas generation to support its growing AI data-center operations.
Meta joined RE100 in 2016 and had previously reported meeting its renewable electricity target through renewable energy procurement and environmental attribute certificates. The company’s departure follows investments in new gas-fired generation, including projects planned to supply its Hyperion data center in Louisiana.
Meta is funding ten gas-fired power plants associated with the Louisiana development, with a combined capacity of approximately 7.5 GW. The company is also linked to a 200 MW gas project in Ohio intended to supply a data center.
A Meta spokesperson described the separation from RE100 as mutual and stated that the company remains committed to matching its data-center electricity use “with 100% clean and renewable energy.”
The move reflects increasing pressure on technology companies to secure large volumes of reliable electricity as AI-related data-center capacity expands. While renewable generation remains part of Meta’s energy strategy, the company’s growing use of gas-fired power has created questions about how corporate renewable-energy commitments align with the physical electricity supply serving new data centers.
Source: energylivenews.com
