ZUCKERBERG REVIEWS STRATEGY AS BIG TECH FACES PRESSURE OVER CLEAN-ENERGY DEMANDS
MENLO PARK, California — November 12, 2025. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reviewing strategic options for what insiders describe as an overbuild of AI-optimized data centers, as the company races to scale its artificial-intelligence infrastructure while navigating mounting tensions over clean-energy consumption.
Sources familiar with the matter say Meta’s rapid expansion — originally designed to support large-scale model training, metaverse workloads, and its new Llama-3 ecosystem — has outpaced near-term demand. As a result, the company is now analyzing whether to repurpose, lease, or temporarily idle certain facilities across North America.
The reassessment comes at a moment when Big Tech faces intensifying scrutiny from regulators, utilities, and environmental groups over the soaring electricity requirements of AI. Data-center energy use in the U.S. is projected to double by 2030, prompting fears of grid strain and conflict with state-level clean-energy mandates.
For Meta, the challenge is acute. Several of its hyperscale sites operate in regions where renewable-energy commitments exceed available supply, forcing negotiations with state regulators and pushing Meta to purchase long-term clean-power agreements.
Industry analysts say the company’s overcapacity problem is not unique — Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are also wrestling with record-high AI compute demand paired with public-policy pressure to lower carbon intensity.
“Big Tech built faster than the grid could adapt,” said Clara Neumann, a senior infrastructure analyst at EnergyShift Research. “Now they’re stuck trying to balance growth with sustainability optics.”
Zuckerberg has reportedly instructed Meta’s infrastructure division to weigh options such as colocating third-party AI labs, leasing unused facilities to government cloud programs, or converting certain data halls into low-power inference nodes that require less energy than full training clusters.
The company continues to accelerate its shift toward long-duration batteries, advanced cooling, and 24/7 clean-energy deals — but experts note that policy pressure will only intensify as AI models grow more power-hungry.
While Meta declined to comment on future strategy, employees say the company remains committed to “efficient, scalable and sustainable AI infrastructure,” even as it adjusts to the realities of grid capacity, regulation, and investor demands.
