BlackRock adquiere una participación del 80% en el centro de datos de Meta en El Paso

BlackRock Inc., the world's largest asset manager, has taken an 80% ownership stake in Meta's data center under construction in Northeast El Paso, with Meta retaining a 20% share, according to El Paso Matters.

The two companies formed a joint venture last month to develop and operate the facility. A BlackRock-controlled entity called Sopaipilla Investor sold $12.3 billion in bonds to debt investors late last month to generate cash for completing construction over the next two years, according to El Paso Matters.

El Paso's city attorney's office determined that Meta did not breach its tax break agreement with the city through the transaction. The city's 2023 contract with Meta subsidiary Wurldwide LLC contains assignment provisions that specify what happens if Meta sells all or part of the data center. In most cases, the contract requires only notice to the city, not approval. Wurldwide LLC retains ownership of the land and project; BlackRock and Meta established the joint venture without transferring ownership to an outside entity.

"The City was not provided the terms of the proposed transaction before Meta's public announcement," the city said in a statement, according to El Paso Matters. "Based on our review of the City's agreements and the publicly available information, our preliminary analysis is that the proposed transaction does not currently appear to trigger the assignment provisions."

City Council Rep. Josh Acevedo, whose District 2 includes parts of Northeast El Paso, acknowledged that Meta likely complied with the agreement but criticized the company for not alerting city officials before announcing the BlackRock deal. "I feel that there's just no trust with Meta," Acevedo told El Paso Matters. "They're not a good partner. They're not telling us of their moves until after they do them."

Acevedo suggested the city review whether the joint venture violates the 2023 land sale contract, under which the city sold 1,039 acres to Wurldwide at approximately $8.5 million. That contract prohibits assignment or transfer of ownership without written consent from both parties.

Meta said "nothing about Meta's commitment to El Paso and the entire Borderplex region has changed," and described the data center as a significant long-term investment supporting thousands of construction and operational jobs while generating millions in local tax revenue, according to El Paso Matters.