Meta signed three major solar energy agreements this week totaling nearly 1 gigawatt of capacity, marking a significant step in its effort to supply the growing electricity needs of its artificial intelligence infrastructure. The deals bring Meta’s total solar procurement to over 3 gigawatts in 2025, reflecting the company’s ongoing strategy to scale renewable energy as data center construction accelerates.
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The social media giant announced two of the new agreements in Louisiana on Thursday, covering the environmental attributes of a combined 385 megawatts of electricity. Both projects are scheduled for completion within two years. Earlier in the week, Meta disclosed a separate 600-megawatt purchase from a large solar farm near Lubbock, Texas, which is expected to begin commercial operations in 2027.
Although the Texas installation will not directly supply Meta’s data centers, it will feed power into the regional grid, offsetting the company’s energy consumption. The Louisiana arrangements, however, involve the purchase of environmental attribute certificates (EACs)—also known as renewable energy certificates—that allow Meta to offset carbon emissions from its operations.
EACs were initially created when renewable generation was expensive compared with fossil fuels, enabling companies to pay a premium to support clean energy while compensating for their own emissions. These certificates were credited with encouraging early renewable energy development. However, with the cost of solar and wind power now lower than many fossil fuel sources, experts have raised concerns that EACs may no longer drive the same level of new project development.
Critics argue that as the electricity use of AI technologies continues to rise, companies relying solely on EACs risk overstating their climate progress. Experts have urged firms like Meta to fund or facilitate the construction of new renewable generation rather than depend primarily on credit-based offsets.
Featured image credits: Dima Solomin via Unsplash
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