CHEYENNE — Project Cosmo, an $800 million, 750,000-square-foot data center development in south Cheyenne, has been discussed since work began to recruit the project as far back as seven years ago.
On Tuesday, it was officially unveiled as a data center for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
The announcement was made to an audience of around 100 people at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Event Center, including U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, both R-Wyo., Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins, and other elected officials from local and state government.
New investment in Meta data center
From left, Mayor Patrick Collins, Wyoming Business Council recruitment manager Wendy Lopez, U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, Meta Director of Community and Economic Development for Data Centers Bradley Davis, Gov. Mark Gordon and Cheyenne LEADS CEO Betsey Hale pose together for a picture during a new Meta data center investment announcement event in the Cheyenne Frontier Days Event Center on Tuesday.
“I’m really proud to welcome Meta to Cheyenne and Wyoming,” Collins said to announce the business behind Project Cosmo, followed by applause from attendees.
Meta Director of Community and Economic Development for Data Centers Bradley Davis said this development will create around 1,000 construction jobs over the next two years, and establish 100 permanent jobs in the area.
Davis described the data center as the engine that allows them to power apps and services like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Simply put, it is a series of network computers that will store, process and transmit data around the globe. This data center, in particular, is being designed specifically to handle artificial intelligence (AI) workloads.
“It’s cutting-edge technology,” Davis said. “Couldn’t be more excited to have it here in Cheyenne.”
When Collins first met with Meta about the project, he shared concerns about water usage in the area. Davis said it is a goal of the company to work with the needs of the communities where they develop data centers. In response, Meta chose to use a closed-loop liquid system, which Davis said is the most water-efficient option.
In addition, he said the center, located on a 960-acre parcel of land in the High Plains Business Park, will be powered 100% by renewable energy sources.
While the development worked in partnership with Black Hills Energy, Meta has yet to identify which renewable energy projects they will be using, but they are currently evaluating options.
Dustin McKen, Black Hills Energy program manager for Wyoming, said that if they are selected as the energy provider for the project, they will likely have to create or purchase renewable energy from other providers to transport to Cheyenne and provide to Meta to meet their renewable energy goal. He also noted that Black Hills customers should not expect to see any rate increases if they are selected as the energy provider.