Eagle Mountain Facebook data center begins serving traffic

EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah (ABC4) – Today is the day – Facebook’s Eagle Mountain Data Center is now serving traffic.

The data center, seen in the slideshow of photos below, is now part of the infrastructure helping to bring Facebook apps and services to billions of people around the world, according to the social media giant.

In 2018, Facebook announced plans to develop the Eagle Mountain Data Center. Since then, the company has partnered with the local community, supported organizations, and focus on green energy, like the solar energy project in Iron County that was recently announced.

“Overall, we have provided approximately $2 million in community support since breaking ground in 2018, including nearly $1 million to local schools, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations as part of our COVID-19 relief efforts,” Facebook says in a Wednesday release.

Once the Eagle Mountain Data Center is fully built, Facebook reports it will represent an investment of more than $1 billion in the state of Utah and support more than 200 jobs.

SLIDESHOW: Construction of the Eagle Mountain Data Center

At peak, 1,250 construction workers have been on-site, daily, at the nearly 2.4 million-square-foot campus. Over 85% of the project’s construction waste has been recycled instead of taken to landfills, according to Facebook.

In total, Facebook says it is working with Rocky Mountain Power to bring over 800MW of new solar energy to the grid. The company explains its Eagle Mountain Data Center, like the rest of its global operations, is supported by 100% renewable energy.

“These nine renewable energy projects will support more than 1,400 construction jobs and over $260 million in local investment to Utah, including Iron, Tooele, and Carbon counties,” Facebook says.

SLIDESHOW: Inside the Eagle Mountain Data Center

Last year, the company partnered with Trout Unlimited to invest in the Provo River water restoration project, which will ensure 416 million gallons of water remain in the river during the hottest months of the year to help endangered species and sportfish.

Facebook thanks its partners within Eagle Mountain City, the Eagle Mountain Chamber of Commerce, Alpine School District, and EDCUtah, as well as many more from the community.

“We look forward to continuing to strengthen these partnerships for years to come!”