Facebook announced that the company’s new data center will be located in DeKalb, Illinois. According to the announcement, the new facility will provide 100 jobs to operate the facility as well as hundreds of construction jobs. This will be Facebook’s 12th data center in the U.S. and the 907,000 square-foot facility will be supported by renewable energy only and will use 80% less water than the average data centers. According to the county announcement, Facebook bought more than 500 acres of land from local farmers.
100 percent renewable energy
Facebook’s 12th data center in the U.S. is expected to be completed by 2022. DeKalb mayor also stated that the county gave the company a 50% property tax rate over the next 20 years. Rachel Peterson, Vice President of Data Center Strategy for Facebook said,
“There are many variables that enter into the decision process for data center locations, and DeKalb provided many compelling reasons for Facebook to bring our newest data center to Illinois. We’re so thankful to the City of DeKalb, the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation, the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, and all of our community partners for their diligence and enthusiasm throughout this process. We are proud to join the DeKalb community and look forward to a strong relationship for years to come.”