Meta has officially brought its Kuna, Idaho, data center online, marking the activation of what the company describes as its second AI-optimized facility in its fleet. The facility represents a total investment of USD 1.2 billion and sits in Ada County, where Meta has been building since it broke ground in 2022.

Alongside the operational announcement, the company unveiled a series of community investments, environmental commitments, and a new statewide clean energy mechanism that extends beyond Meta's own operations.

A Second AI-Optimized Facility Comes Online

The Kuna data center is now serving traffic. Meta characterizes the facility as the second in its fleet to be designated as AI-optimized infrastructure, placing it within a broader buildout of computing capacity designed to support artificial intelligence workloads.

The USD 1.2 billion figure represents the overall investment in the Kuna campus, which has been under development for roughly three years.

The announcement was made alongside local leaders, signaling coordination between Meta and municipal stakeholders.

New Grant Pushes Total Local Giving to USD 1.5 Million

Coinciding with the launch, Meta announced a grant of more than USD 200,000 to the Kuna School District. The funding is directed toward several specific initiatives: a new robotics and engineering lab at Swan Falls High School, preschool tuition scholarships for low-income families, and upgraded hardware for after-school STEM programs across six elementary schools in the district.

This latest grant brings Meta's total direct giving to Ada County-area schools and nonprofits to USD 1.5 million since the company broke ground in 2022.

Community voices included in Meta's announcement described the impact of earlier investments, with representatives from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Ada County pointing to a Meta STEM Lab as providing hands-on experiences with STEM equipment for children.

School district representatives noted that the partnership has helped create STEM project opportunities across multiple schools, with the aim of preparing students for the workforce.

The Future is for Everyone Fund: A USD 1 Billion National Commitment

The Kuna grants sit within a newly announced initiative Meta is calling the Future is for Everyone Fund. The company has committed USD 1 billion to invest directly in U.S. communities where it owns and operates data centers.

Kuna is explicitly named as one of the communities included in the scope of this fund. Meta did not detail the full timeline or disbursement structure of the fund in the announcement but positioned it as an extension of its existing local investment approach applied nationally across its data center footprint.

Water Infrastructure and Environmental Commitments

Meta addressed water use at the Kuna facility directly, stating that the data center uses a closed-loop, liquid-cooled system that requires zero water for cooling for most of the year.

Beyond its own operational footprint, Meta said it invested more than USD 100 million in a dedicated water and wastewater system for the City of Kuna. The company described the system as deliberately sized for growth, creating capacity for new homes and businesses beyond what Meta itself requires.

On the environmental side, Meta is supporting Trout Unlimited in a project aimed at restoring fish passage around Barber Dam. That project is expected to return roughly 149 million gallons per year to the watershed. Meta cited this as part of its goal to be water positive by 2030.

Additionally, Meta noted that research conducted in connection with the data center includes a long-term study of American kestrels, described as North America's smallest falcon. Representatives involved in the research noted that multi-year data from corporate partnerships enables scientific insights not typically achievable through shorter-term studies.

Renewable Energy and a New Green Tariff for Idaho

On the power side, Meta stated that its electricity use at the Kuna facility is matched with 100 percent clean and renewable energy. Three Meta-supported energy projects are adding 645 megawatts of new renewable energy capacity in Ada County.

Working with Idaho Power, Meta said it helped establish a green tariff under a program called Clean Energy Your Way. The tariff is now available to any large customer in the state of Idaho, not only Meta.

The company characterized this as a first for Idaho, positioning the mechanism as a policy contribution that expands access to renewable energy procurement for other large industrial and commercial customers in the state.

Meta also stated that it pays the full cost of its energy use and funds the infrastructure upgrades required to support that consumption, framing this as part of its financial responsibility to the grid.

State Officials Signal Long-Term Partnership

State-level voices included in Meta's announcement reflected optimism about the company's presence. One speaker noted that Meta has demonstrated Idaho's ability to compete on the global stage for innovation and technology projects, pointing to job opportunities and economic impact as key outcomes.

Local leaders described a shift in community sentiment, with one participant noting initial resistance to Meta's arrival that gave way to what they called a warming of the heart as the company's local engagement became more visible.

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