LEBANON — Meta has officially broken ground on a new data center campus at the LEAP Innovation and Research District in Lebanon, the company and state and local officials announced February 11.
Investment and jobs
Once completed, the Lebanon Data Center will represent more than $10 billion in investment, the company said. The project is expected to support more than 4,000 construction jobs at peak, with the campus supporting roughly 300 permanent positions once operational.
“At Meta, we’re building the infrastructure that will power the next generation of AI technology, and Lebanon is now at the heart of that effort,” said Rachel Peterson, vice president of data centers at Meta. “This is one of our largest investments to date, and it marks an important milestone in our AI ambitions.”
Indiana Governor Mike Braun framed the project as validation of the state’s economic strategy. “Indiana has the business-first environment and the central location needed to support the global infrastructure of tomorrow’s economy,” Braun said. “Meta’s significant investment in Indiana is a testament to our workforce and to our communities that will power its growth and its future here in Lebanon.”
Community and energy commitments
Meta plans to invest approximately $45 million in public road improvements around the LEAP district to support continued economic development in Lebanon, Boone County, and surrounding regions. The company said it will pay the full energy costs for the data center so that consumers do not bear those costs, and will donate $1 million per year over 20 years to the Boone REMC Community Fund for direct energy-cost assistance to families in need.
Meta has also backed more than 400 megawatts of new energy projects in Indiana as part of its goal to match its energy use with 100% clean and renewable sources.
