Facebook's Huntsville data center goes online

Facebook's Huntsville data center is finally online, following delays caused by Covid-19. First announced back in 2018, the facility, which saw an investment of $1 billion, spans 2.5 million sqft and is also powered by renewable energy, with 227 megawatts of solar energy added to the Alabama electrical grid.

Speaking about the facility, Katie Comer, a Facebook community development regional manager, said: "We are so excited to officially announce the Facebook Huntsville Data Center is online and serving traffic.We are officially online."

Adding: "When we broke ground in 2018, one of the things we said when we were coming to town is we wanted to provide long-term support and long-term vitality in the community where we work."

Commenting on the future of tech, she commented: "We know, especially in a community like Huntsville, there are going to be so many industries who need STEM-based students in filling those roles – not just Facebook. We want to make sure the communities where we live and work have the resources they need to be successful when it comes to STEM and we want to be part of that mission-critical piece to ensuring that these young students K-12 have the opportunities to be successful in the STEM field."