Meta speeds AI data centers with tent-style deployments

Meta's AI infrastructure buildout is getting more improvised and more urgent. TechCrunch reported that the company has built six rapid-deployment structures outside New Albany, Ohio, including five 125,000-square-foot tents started between April and June 2026, according to local permits reviewed by Cleanview founder Michael Thomas. The setup echoes emergency manufacturing and power tactics: temporary-looking structures, huge AI-chip deployments, and roughly 200 megawatts of modular gas turbines nearby. Meta has said it may spend up to $145B on data centers and capital expenditures, so this is not a side experiment. The story matters because AI capacity is no longer only a chip problem; construction speed, local permitting, grid access, and backup generation are becoming competitive weapons.

Key details: June 4, 2026, Meta, New Albany, Ohio, Six rapid-deployment structures, Five 125,000-square-foot tents, 200 MW of modular gas turbines nearby, Meta capex guidance up to $145B.

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