Oct. 6 (UPI) — Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced Thursday that Facebook will build a $1 billion data center just outside Richmond, the state’s capital.
The center, planned to be built in eastern Henrico County, will involve $750 million in construction and $250 million for solar power infrastructure to power the project.
“Working with companies like Facebook and many others, we are advancing Virginia’s position as a global leader in the technology economy,” McAuliffe said.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership will give Facebook $19 million in tax exemptions and the project is expected to create 100 full-time jobs, in addition to more than 2,400 temporary construction jobs, WTOP-TVin Washington, D.C., reported.
Richmond-based Dominion Resources, Inc. was awarded the $250 million contract to construct the solar facilities.
“We came together with Dominion Energy Virginia to create a new tariff that ensures renewable energy solutions are accessible not just to Facebook but other companies as well,” said Bobby Hollis, director of Global Energy at Facebook.
The data center announcement comes soon after the Henrico County Board of Supervisors cut the tax rate for computers and equipment related to data centers by 90 percent, slashing the rate from $3.50 per $100 of estimated value to 40 cents per $100, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.
Facebook has three data centers across the country in Oregon, North Carolina and Iowa. It is in the midst of a large U.S. expansion with data centers under construction in Texas, Ohio and New Mexico.
Danish media also reported Facebook is expanding in Europe and is in negotiations with the Danish government to build its largest data center on that continent.
