Facebook will build a nearly 1 million-square-foot data center at the foot of Utah’s Lake Mountains, state officials said Wednesday.
Gov. Gary Herbert predicted the new project near Eagle Mountain, 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City, would lead to more than $850 million in financial investment and infrastructure projects in the region. The new data center is expected to employ a full-time staff of between 30-50 people, according to Global Banking and Finance Review.
The announcement ends days of speculation about a mysterious company interested in the proposed facility. Utah County last week approved $150 million in tax incentives for the project without divulging the company’s identity,
Facebook’s head of data center strategy, Rachel Peterson, said the company picked the site because of the availability of renewable energy, local workforce and community support.