Meta AI Training Campus (Cortland, Illinois)

Meta is building one of its largest AI training campuses in DeKalb County, Illinois, anchored near Cortland. The project is part of Meta’s massive 2024–2025 AI infrastructure push, which committed over $37 billion in capital expenditure to expand compute for training the Llama model family and supporting AI products across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The Illinois campus is designed to draw up to 800 megawatts, powered through ComEd’s grid with long-term renewable energy purchase agreements. It represents Meta’s shift toward hyperscale AI training hubs concentrated in Midwest states offering stable grid access, lower land costs, and access to renewable capacity.