Meta Platforms and BlackRock announced a joint venture to build and operate a $14 billion artificial-intelligence data center campus in El Paso, Texas. BlackRock will hold an 80 percent ownership stake, while Meta will provide operational expertise and capital.

Meta Platforms and BlackRock disclosed the partnership on July 28, 2026, stating that the new data center campus will be constructed in El Paso, Texas, and will focus on supporting large-scale AI workloads [2]. The announcement marks the latest large-scale AI infrastructure investment in the United States.

The venture involves Meta, the social-media and technology company, and BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager. Meta’s Compute division will supply design, construction, and operational know-how, while BlackRock will finance the project and own the majority of the facility [2]. BlackRock’s ownership share is set at 80 percent, with Meta retaining a 20 percent stake and responsibility for day-to-day management [1].

Project Scope and Ownership Structure

The El Paso campus is projected to cost approximately $14 billion in total development expenditures [3]. The site will comprise multiple data center buildings, power infrastructure, and cooling systems designed to meet the high-performance demands of generative AI models [2]. Construction is slated to begin in early 2027, with an anticipated operational launch in late 2029 [4].

BlackRock’s investment will be delivered through a combination of equity and debt financing, reflecting the firm’s broader strategy of allocating capital to technology infrastructure assets [1]. The partnership aligns with Meta’s long-term “Meta Compute” strategy, which emphasizes expanding its own data center capacity while leveraging external capital to accelerate growth [2].

BlackRock’s ownership share is set at 80 percent, with Meta retaining a 20 percent stake and responsibility for day-to-day management [1].

Meta will retain responsibility for the data center’s engineering, network architecture, and ongoing operational management, drawing on more than 15 years of experience building and operating global data center facilities [2]. BlackRock’s majority ownership grants it rights to a share of the revenue generated by the campus, while also providing Meta with a predictable cost structure for AI compute resources [1].

Economic and Educational Impact

The $14 billion investment is expected to generate a significant number of construction jobs in the El Paso region, with estimates of up to 2,000 temporary positions during the build phase [4]. Upon completion, the campus will create permanent technical and facilities-management roles, contributing to the local labor market [3].

The presence of a large AI-focused data center may stimulate demand for specialized training programs at nearby community colleges and universities, including curriculum development in data center operations, AI hardware management, and high-performance computing [2]. Educational institutions in West Texas have already indicated interest in partnering with industry to align workforce development with the needs of the new facility [4].

By increasing regional AI compute capacity, the campus could enable research collaborations and cloud-service offerings for businesses and academic researchers located in the Southwest United States [3]. The venture also reflects a broader trend of technology firms securing external capital to fund AI infrastructure, a pattern observed across the industry in 2026 [1].

Key Facts

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What: Meta and BlackRock announced a joint venture to build a $14 billion AI data center campus in El Paso, Texas.

Educational institutions in West Texas have already indicated interest in partnering with industry to align workforce development with the needs of the new facility [4].

When: Announcement made July 28, 2026; construction to begin 2027, operations expected by late 2029.

Impact: The project will create construction and permanent technical jobs, and may drive AI-related education and research opportunities in the region.