Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on July 14 that the company will file applications to restart shipments of its H20 AI chips to China while simultaneously expanding its own compute capacity with two massive data center projects. The first cluster, named Prometheus, will deliver one gigawatt of power by 2026 in New Albany, Ohio. The second, called Hyperion, will scale up to five gigawatts over several years in Richland Parish, Louisiana.
Prometheus: Meta’s First Gigawatt Cluster
Prometheus will become operational in 2026 and stand among the world’s earliest AI facilities at this scale. Located in New Albany, Ohio, it will harness gas turbine–powered generators to meet its energy needs quickly and reliably. The one‑gigawatt capacity positions Meta alongside a handful of hyperscalers that command similar power levels for training and serving advanced AI models.
Hyperion: Scaling to Five Gigawatts
Hyperion will build on Prometheus by eventually offering five gigawatts of dedicated compute power. Its physical footprint will rival most of Manhattan, underscoring the sheer scale of compute and cooling infrastructure required. Meta spokesperson Ashley Gabriel confirmed the Louisiana site will bring two gigawatts online by 2030 and expand to five gigawatts in subsequent years.
Renewed China Chip Exports
Alongside its build‑out, Meta will seek US export licenses to resume sales of Nvidia’s H20 AI inference chips in China. The H20 sits just below the banned H800 in performance but remains the most advanced chip permitted under current controls. Chinese tech firms such as ByteDance and Tencent heavily stocked H20 units earlier this year to power AI applications before restrictions took effect.
Energy, Water and Community Impact
Combined Prometheus and Hyperion could draw enough power to supply millions of homes. This demand places new strains on local electricity grids and water resources used for cooling. In Georgia, a prior Meta data center drew water so heavily that some neighbors reported dry taps. Louisiana officials have already approved a $10 billion data center project in Richland Parish and dismissed legal challenges to utility plans.
Federal Support for AI Infrastructure
The Biden administration, and now new government leaders, view AI centers as a strategic priority. The US Secretary of Energy recently urged accelerated energy production from diverse sources to power AI growth. With public backing, tech giants like Meta, OpenAI, and others are poised to absorb a significant share of America’s energy output by 2030.
