Meta, a four-letter word to data center critics, will soon spell opportunity for the local business community.

The global tech company said Tuesday it plans to invest $1 billion into its first Oklahoma data center, establishing a 2-million-square-foot facility in east Tulsa.

“Meta could have built anywhere in the world, but they decided to build in Oklahoma,” Gov. Kevin Stitt said at a news conference at The Vista at 21 in Tulsa. “They chose us because we offer what companies are looking for and that’s affordable, reliable energy.

“…We have a huge advantage in Oklahoma because of our affordable energy and our business-friendly environment.”

The Tulsa Data Center, to be located at the Fair Oaks 2,000-acre industrial innovation park, is expected to support more than 1,000 construction jobs at peak and create about 100 operational jobs once completed. The project also includes more than $25 million in local infrastructure improvements, including upgrades to roads and water systems.

The facility is expected to be operational in 2028.

“At Meta, we’re committed to making a positive impact in the communities in which we operate, including right here in Tulsa,” said Gary Demasi, vice president of data center strategy at Meta. “That means supporting jobs, including hiring and sourcing materials locally. It means strengthening local infrastructure, investing in long-term partnerships in progress and giving back to the programs that benefit this very community.”

Addressing the data center protesters outside the building, Demasi noted that Meta would be good stewards for the environment.

Meta will be paying the full costs for energy used by the data center, so they aren’t passed on to consumers. Through its utility bills, Meta also will be paying hundreds of millions of dollars to help pay for grid infrastructure, such as substations and transmission lines, that benefit all consumers.

In addition, the company will absorb the full cost of water and wastewater service required to support the data center site. Meta has a goal to be water positive in 2030, restoring more water than it consumes to local watersheds

It is partnering with the Tulsa Community Foundation to establish a fund that will support Tulsa residents who are struggling to pay their water bills or need water service line repair and replacement. 

Erran Persley, Tulsa’s director of economic development, paid tribute to longtime Tulsa real estate developer Joe Robson, who was the inspiration for the Fair Oaks master plan. He died in late 2025.

“This project is not just a data center,” Persley said. “This project will open up a part of our city that has been neglected for quite some time.

“We finally get a chance to make not only Joe’s dreams but the dreams of people of east Tulsa come true. To bring them good jobs, to bring them vibrancy. Our children and our grandchildren will view this development with pride.”