Technology giant Meta – the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – has exited from a clean energy pact it had been a signatory to for over a decade, following a natural gas-powered push for its hyperscale data centers.
The company’s exit from the RE100 – a corporate renewable energy initiative – was revealed late last week byRecharge News. The initiative was floated by non-profit outfit The Climate Group founded by former U.K. prime minister Tony Blair.
Despite Meta’s exit, its other big tech rivals Apple, Google and Microsoft remain among RE100’s 400-plus signatories. Another rival Amazon is not a RE100 member. While confirming the “amicable” move, a Meta spokesperson declined further comment.
Renewables Can’t Keep Pace
The company needs reliable powerce development and expansion plans
While Meta’s renewable energy partnerships for wind and solar energy continue, it is also turning to natural gas-fired power near-term demand projections
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Recent overtures include Meta’s backing of ten such power plants in Louisiana capable of generating 7.5 gigawatts of electricity, following on from a 200 megawatt facility in Ohio that it backed in June 2025.
And the tech giant is not alone in turning to natural gas. Both Google and Microsoft have also invested in powerin wattage terms
As AI development morphs into a multibillion dollar industry, deployments accelerate, and the hyperscale data centers needed for the activity continue to grow exponentially – the tension between ‘Big Tech’ headline growth and clean energy commitments continues to grow too.
End Of Decade Scenarios
Many tech firms have inked long-term power purchase agreements with utilities and suppliers. These contracts are underpinned by renewable energy
But with power demand for data centers tipped to grow between 10% and 15% per year between now and 2030, if not more, as noted by S&P Global Commodity Insights, additional powerview both within the U.S. and elsewhere
Meta’s predicament and response offer a true case in point. In the company’s 2025 sustainability report, Meta said it will continue matching 100% of its annual electricity use with clean and renewable energy.
