Meta Platforms Inc. has withdrawn from a prominent corporate renewable energy initiative amid an expansion of its data center operations that includes increased reliance on natural gas power. The company, which operates major social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, confirmed it is no longer a member of RE100, a UK-based nonprofit Climate Group project that encourages companies to source 100 percent of their electricity from renewable sources.
RE100 counts several leading technology firms among its 444 members, including Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Meta joined the pledge in 2016 but was recently removed from the Climate Group’s membership list, a change first reported by a renewable energy industry outlet.
The departure follows Meta’s recent agreements to support new natural gas power plants. Notably, it has arranged contracts to supply 10 natural gas plants intended to power its Hyperion data center in Louisiana. This move reflects a broader industry trend as major tech companies rapidly expand their data center infrastructure to support artificial intelligence and other computational demands.
A Meta spokesperson told AFP the company continues to increase its investments in renewable energy and remains committed to matching its electricity consumption with 100 percent clean energy. Since 2020, Meta has claimed to achieve this goal on an annualized basis through long-term power purchase agreements with renewable energy providers.
However, the Climate Group indicated these measures no longer satisfy the initiative’s technical criteria. “After several in-depth conversations between Meta and Climate Group, Meta has withdrawn from the RE100 initiative, as it is no longer able to meet the technical criteria due to investments made in new gas power,” a spokesperson told the renewable energy outlet.
Natural gas is often described as a transitional fuel that emits fewer greenhouse gases than coal or oil when burned. Yet its extraction and use remain controversial due to methane leakage during drilling, which contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Burning natural gas also generates pollutants including nitrogen oxides, sulfur, mercury, and particulates, and the hydraulic fracturing process used in some extraction methods raises environmental concerns such as groundwater contamination.
Meta is not alone in increasing natural gas use amid its operational growth. Last month, Microsoft finalized an agreement with Chevron to supply natural gas electricity to a data center in West Texas, while Google has also reportedly pursued similar arrangements.
These developments highlight the complex balance technology companies face between scaling infrastructure to meet growing demand and adhering to renewable energy commitments.