{"id":64965,"date":"2026-07-27T18:16:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T22:16:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/?p=64965"},"modified":"2026-07-27T18:16:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T22:16:41","slug":"meta-gas-plants-data-centers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/overcentral.com\/en\/meta-gas-plants-data-centers\/","title":{"rendered":"Meta Backs 10 Gas Plants for Data Centers, Drops Renewables Pledge"},"content":{"rendered":"

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OUTPUT RULE: Return ONLY the final HTML article. No explanations. No comments. No notes. No text outside the article. No Markdown. No symbols like *, **, #.<\/p>\n

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\nTITLE: Meta Backs 10 Gas Plants for Data Centers, Drops Renewables Pledge
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\n
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\t\"Meta

\n\t\t\t\tMeta hyperscale data center in Northeast Louisiana. Image: Entergy Louisiana\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Facebook and Instagram\u2019s parent company, Meta, has quit RE100<\/a>, the global corporate initiative whose members commit to using 100% renewable electricity. That\u2019s because Meta is bankrolling a fleet of new gas-fired power plants to fuel its expanding AI data centers.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Recharge<\/em> first reported in an exclusive story<\/a> on July 23 that Meta and RE100 had parted ways because the tech giant no longer met the initiative\u2019s technical criteria. Meta joined RE100 as Facebook in 2016 and pledged to cover its entire operation with renewable electricity by 2020. The tech giant stated in 2021 that it had reached that target. Meta has always done so with renewable energy certificates (RECs) and PPAs, not by powering directly with renewables.<\/p>\n

Then came AI\u2019s insatiable appetite for power.<\/p>\n

At Meta\u2019s largest data center, Hyperion, in Richland Parish<\/a>, Louisiana, the original power plan called for three new gas plants totaling about 2.26 gigawatts (GW). (Oh, and the New York Times<\/em> reports<\/a>: \u201cNo insurers would provide full coverage for Hyperion because it was so big and was being built in a flood plain.\u201d) <\/p>\n

\tAdvertisement – scroll for more content<\/span><\/p>\n

In March 2026, utility Entergy Louisiana announced<\/a> a second agreement: Meta will fund seven additional combined-cycle gas plants, totaling more than 5.2 GW. That takes the Louisiana buildout to 10 gas plants and roughly 7.5 GW. Meta is also tied to a 200-megawatt (MW) behind-the-meter gas project<\/a> in Ohio announced in June 2025.<\/p>\n

Meta isn\u2019t alone \u2013 Google has agreed to buy power from a 400 MW Illinois gas plant with carbon capture, while Microsoft signed a 20-year deal for a 2.67 GW gas plant at its West Texas data center. But its Big Tech rivals Apple, Google, and Microsoft remain on RE100\u2019s 444-company roster.<\/p>\n

Meta says it still matches 100% of its annual electricity use with \u201cclean and renewable energy\u201d and has supported more than 30 GW of wind, solar, battery, nuclear, and geothermal projects. Entergy\u2019s Louisiana package also includes Meta funding for up to 2.5 GW of renewables.<\/p>\n

But that annual matching is a big fudge. Meta can buy renewable energy certificates or back clean energy elsewhere, but its data centers will be using fossil-fuel-generated electricity around the clock. Supporting new renewables on the grid and on paper doesn\u2019t make those gas plants renewable, and they\u2019ll run and cause harmful emissions for decades.<\/p>\n

Meta says gas is necessary where utilities cannot meet its AI power needs, and it\u2019s now seeking certificates for lower-methane gas. But we know renewables can power data centers, because Big Tech is busy commissioning solar farms to do so left and right, including Meta.<\/p>\n

So Meta hasn\u2019t abandoned renewables altogether; it\u2019s just got its fingers crossed behind its back. It has abandoned the clean, unambiguous promise that put it in RE100: 100% renewable electricity. When AI growth and that pledge collided, the pledge was the goalpost that moved.<\/p>\n

Read more: <\/strong>This $900 million solar farm in Texas is going 100% to data centers<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n
\n

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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online, and you\u2019ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. <\/em><\/strong>Get started here<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.<\/em> More.<\/a><\/p>\n

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LANGUAGE: Write entirely in English. Preserve proper nouns, brand names, product names, game titles, technologies, and technical terms exactly as written. Translate everything else naturally. Read as if written by a native English editor.<\/p>\n

CONTENT SOURCE: Treat CONTENT as your primary factual source. Build the article from deep understanding of CONTENT. Do not mechanically expand the title.<\/p>\n

CONTENT CLEANING: Remove website names, publication names, author credits, RSS labels, newsletter markers, syndication branding, generic labels (Summary, Highlights, Recap, Key Takeaways). Convert “according to X” into direct factual statements.<\/p>\n

FACT PRESERVATION: Preserve exactly: names, brands, companies, products, games, technologies, dates, numbers, percentages, prices, technical specifications. Never distort facts.<\/p>\n

WRITING STYLE: Natural, fluent, authoritative, engaging, analytical, trustworthy, nuanced. Blend factual reporting, explanation, contextualization, analysis, practical interpretation, and strategic insight. Vary paragraph length and sentence structure. Avoid robotic phrasing, repetition, clich\u00e9s, promotional language, filler sentences.<\/p>\n

ARTICLE LENGTH: Long-form, highly detailed. Target 1,500-3,500 words. Feel comprehensive and substantive. Never feel brief, superficial, or summary-like. Expand naturally with historical background, industry context, technical explanation, market implications, strategic significance, practical consequences, comparisons, future outlook \u2014 but only when content genuinely supports it.<\/p>\n

STRUCTURE:
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introduction. No heading before the first paragraph.
\n– Introduction must hook the reader within 2-3 sentences.
\n– Use <\/p>\n

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, <\/p>\n

only when they improve organization.
\n– Each section must introduce meaningful new information.
\n– Closing: end with a forward-looking, analytical, or practical paragraph.
\n– Never use generic closing headings like “Conclusion”, “Summary”, “Final Thoughts”, “Looking Ahead”, “What Comes Next”, “Takeaway”, “Key Points”.<\/p>\n

HEADINGS: Write content first, then generate headings. Headings must be specific, concrete, informative, and editorial. They should reference actual events, features, numbers, dates, or companies. Support SEO naturally.<\/p>\n

SEO + AEO + GEO + E-E-A-T:
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\n– Use semantically related terms throughout.
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INTERNAL PROCESS (do not output this):
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\n2. Determine ideal length (1,500-3,500 words based on complexity)
\n3. Adapt tone: Journalistic \/ Analytical \/ Explanatory \/ Consultative \/ Technical \/ Conversational Professional
\n4. Clean sources and preserve all facts
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HTML RULES: Use ONLY: <\/p>\n

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\n

<\/p>\n
    \n
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    1. . Valid, clean HTML. No inline styles. No unnecessary whitespace.\n

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