Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has withdrawn from the RE100 global renewable electricity initiative as it rapidly expands the infrastructure needed to support its growing artificial intelligence operations. The decision reflects the enormous energy demands of next-generation AI data centres, which require continuous and reliable power around the clock.
Meta joined RE100 in 2016, pledging to source all of its electricity from renewable energy. However, the Climate Group, which manages the initiative, said the company no longer met the programme’s technical requirements because of its investments in new natural gas power generation. Despite leaving RE100, Meta says it will continue matching its annual electricity consumption with 100% clean energy through long-term renewable energy purchase agreements.
The shift is closely tied to the explosive growth of artificial intelligence. Training and operating large AI models requires enormous computing capacity, forcing technology companies to secure stable electricity supplies that renewable energy alone cannot always guarantee. Meta is therefore investing in gas-fired power stations, including projects supporting its massive Hyperion AI data centre campus in Louisiana. Together, the planned facilities are expected to provide around 7.5 gigawatts of generating capacity.
Meta is not the only technology company adjusting its energy strategy. Microsoft and Google are also expanding investments in a combination of renewable energy, natural gas and other reliable power sources to keep pace with growing AI infrastructure. Industry analysts say the rapid rise of artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping global electricity demand.
Environmental organisations argue that increased reliance on natural gas could undermine corporate climate commitments. Although gas emits less carbon dioxide than coal, it remains a fossil fuel and methane leaks during production can significantly contribute to global warming. Critics warn that balancing AI expansion with climate goals will become one of the technology sector’s greatest challenges over the coming decade.
Meta maintains that renewable energy remains a central part of its long-term strategy. Nevertheless, the company’s departure from RE100 highlights the growing tension between ambitious climate targets and the unprecedented energy requirements created by artificial intelligence.
