Whether or not you’re a Facebook user, and chances are you are, it’s hard to deny that the company has made a permanent impact on society on not only a personal but also on a global scale.

Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has also made a significant physical and economic footprint on Huntsville itself and according to a recent announcement, its investment in the city continues to grow with the announcement of the further expansion of its Huntsville Data Center campus.

Located in North Huntsville Industrial Park, the Data Center’s planned addition of two new buildings will bring the total square footage to 3.5 million square feet. This expansion will also increase Meta’s investment in Huntsville to over $1.5 billion and once complete, the data center will support over 300 jobs.

Alongside this news, Meta has announced two grants totaling $300,000 to support local schools and STEM education, providing $225,000 in support of the Raise Your Hand program with the Schools Foundation and $75,000 to the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering.

So far, Meta has given over $2.6 million in community support to Huntsville-area schools and organizations, including the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, Fantasy Playhouse, the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama, Girls Inc., the CAP & GOWN Project, Huntsville City Schools, Madison City Schools, and Madison County Schools.

Meta is also making significant investments in renewable energy through wind and solar projects. Through joint efforts with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the Huntsville data center is fully powered by renewable energy. This includes the creation of an innovative renewable energy program (Green Invest) that is available to other customers seeking to meet similar renewable energy commitments.

Meta-contracted projects will add 447 MW of new renewable energy to support the Huntsville Data Center, with Meta-supported renewable energy projects in the state representing $75 million in local investment.

“The City of Huntsville is thrilled to see Meta continuing to grow in our community. Their latest expansion demonstrates the company’s strong commitment to and desire to make a difference in Huntsville. With new jobs and investment also comes Meta’s gracious support of our educational institutions and focus on sustainability,” said Mayor Tommy Battle.

“We thank Meta for being great community partners and look forward to many more fruitful years at its Data Center campus.”