Data centers in Louisiana

"And we all knew the 50 billion investment number, but what you can see is that it well exceeds any other data center."

"I actually saw it last night right before I went to bed"

"In the case of Meta, there's 1,000 high-paying permanent jobs. You're way better off than you were, but you're not going to be as well off as you were during construction. A whole lot more jobs involved in building the plant than in operating it."

Kate Cotten, Republican challenger in Louisiana's 3rd Congressional District, said she opposes shifting the cost of new power infrastructure onto ratepayers if data centers are the reason for the higher rates.

Kate Cotten said she does not have enough information to take a firm position on SpaceX incentives but is skeptical of promised benefits and concerned about environmental costs.

Meta and Entergy fought to keep the peak power demand figure private

Entergy CEO Phillip May said revealing the power demand information could expose them to business harms

"What we're doing today is not just breaking ground on a new project; we're literally breaking ground on Louisiana's future. We're also breaking ground on America's future"

"We have the current Governor running around the state pitching data centers, pitching carbon capture, talking about artificial intelligence, as if big business and outside corporations are actually good for our economy. If they were, Louisiana would be one of the richest states in the whole country because we've heard this nonsense before"

Dustin McAnn, teacher and landowner in LaSalle Parish, says the transmission line would cut through his property

Meta has a 20 year contract for the transmission line project, with Meta paying a substantial portion of the cost

Jamie Davis, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, urges a halt to new data center construction in Louisiana until environmental and water impacts are better understood

Larry Hand, Vice President of Public Affairs for Entergy Louisiana, says at least 70 percent of the landowners projected to be affected have already signed survey agreements

Public Service Commissioner JP Coussan said tech companies have failed to communicate the benefits of AI data centers to the public

House Speaker Mike Johnson, in a Fox Business interview, said opposition to data centers is a Chinese psychological operation.

Non disclosure agreements used by state officials to attract data centers have created public backlash

Governor Jeff Landry said at a State of the State luncheon in Monroe that the state can set basic rules for data centers and watch opportunity grow, and that he will not allow fear to write the state's future

Two Republicans, Cordell and Echols, said they see the lack of infrastructure for data centers as an opportunity to grow.

Governor Landry said companies building data centers have pledged not to raise residential electricity rates

Larry Hand, Entergy executive, said Entergy and Meta have reached deals requiring Meta to pay billions to cover costs of power plant buildout for Hyperion data center

Joshua Hodge, MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research executive director, said research found electricity rates increased in counties with new data center entrants from 2010 to 2024

JP Coussan, Louisiana Public Service Commissioner, said tech companies are failing to communicate why AI data center boom is positive for Americans

Meta agreed to pay only a fraction of the parish's usual required construction permit costs for Hyperion

Humans First is conducting a cross country bus tour with 34 stops across the nation demanding stronger guardrails on data center development.

Gary Musgrove, a Save My Louisiana representative, stated that community concerns about data centers remain unanswered by politicians and local officials.

Protesters made a stop in Boyce Saturday night as part of a cross country bus tour demanding stronger guardrails on data centers

Activist group Humans First organized a stop of its AI Data Center Revolt tour in Boyce, Louisiana on September 12, 2026 with local residents and activist groups in attendance.

Humans First, conservative group, touring nation to advocate for local control over AI data center construction

Brett Geymann stated that news of the considered data center has fueled opposition to competing solar farm proposal

Residents of Moss Bluff oppose data center because houses border the proposed property and residents do not want to live that close to such facilities

Moss Bluff was planned strictly as a residential community with no heavy commercial, light industrial or heavy industrial zoning

Walter Mugdan, former EPA deputy regional administrator, said public involvement in pollution decision making matters and government should open doors not close them

Matt Hardey warns that electric bills could double if generating plants become stranded assets after 15 year data center contracts end

Dr. Lynn Goldman, former EPA assistant administrator, said data center pollution poses health risks and EPA is weakening safeguards

Project must fully fund its own power generation and grid infrastructure costs

Shreveport Police Officers Association welcomed the 6% base pay raise but criticized the use of bonuses and retention incentives.

The increases would take effect December 1, 2026.

Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux proposes a 6% pay increase for police and firefighters as part of an estimated 6.9 million dollar annual investment in public safety.

Stack Infrastructure and Amazon Web Services have announced they are proceeding with a data center in west Shreveport.

Recurring revenue would come from property tax revenue from the West Shreveport data center and electric franchise payments once it is complete and operational.

The city anticipates building permit fees, payments in lieu of sales taxes during construction and potentially increased sales tax collections from data center projects.

As of now, there are no plans for a data center in Livingston Parish

Rep. Denise Marcelle says she would have looked at data centers more carefully and did her due diligence

Rep. Edmond Jordan, chairman of Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, rejected characterization that his 2024 vote represented endorsement of data centers

Parish President Randy Delatte said he has not signed an NDA and there is no data center project that he can announce.

Cecil Reddick, president of the police jury, said the police jury faces pressure from Meta, Entergy Louisiana and Gov. Jeff Landry to not impede construction

Randy Delatte, Livingston Parish President, stated he has not signed a nondisclosure agreement regarding any business coming to Livingston Parish

Young raised concerns about data center financing nationally, arguing companies are overextended by over 10 fold their capital capacity

Commissioner John Paul Young stated the commission has approved a tax plan for one data center in Caddo Parish and that is probably enough

Ricky Goff, Council Member, stated at November 3, 2025 Zoning Committee meeting that he signed a confidentiality disclosure concerning proposed use of land off Buddy Ellis Road

Commissioner Chris Krackman said he wanted to hear the Planning and Zoning Commission's assessment before making final decisions

Gov. Jeff Landry said 'We don't need a moratorium when we can have responsible growth' regarding data centers

Davante Lewis, Louisiana Public Service Commission commissioner and only Black member, dissented from the vote to withhold data

Louisiana may be a year behind other states in experiencing data center opposition, according to Dillard University political science professor Robert Collins

David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project at University of Florida, said data center developers use NDAs to control information and gain advantage in negotiations

President Trump said data centers bring enormous jobs and enormous tax payments

Opposition to data centers stretches across political spectrum because of fears about electricity bills, water wells, air and noise pollution, and community character changes

Hut 8 River Bend project is a planned $10 billion AI data center campus at St. Francisville in West Feliciana Parish

Amazon Fulfillment Center is an $18 billion multi site program featuring three separate large campus developments in northwest Louisiana

Legislature signed off on tax breaks and nondisclosure agreements for AI data centers, keeping voters in the dark

Delta Forge 1 is a $3.6 billion AI center being developed by Applied Digital in Rapides Parish near Boyce

Louisiana gave Meta tax breaks that could be worth as much as $10 billion

Meta Hyperion data center is a massive, expanding AI campus representing an investment of up to $50 billion

A May 2026 report examined five hyperscale data center projects in Louisiana

NOLA.com editorial stated that trust in government institutions is necessary for the public to support data center projects

NOLA.com editorial stated that the Public Service Commission should demand transparency from Meta about its data center plans in Richland Parish

Turner is advancing work across the campus with interior buildout already underway

Parish Attorney Donna Y. Frazier said a moratorium cannot be enacted through a resolution and requires an ordinance and master plan

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry called the deal one that puts Louisiana at the center of America's future in artificial intelligence

Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana President and CEO, stated other customers will be protected from rate increases due to Meta paying full infrastructure costs

Administrative law judge Melanie Verzwyvelt recommended the PSC reject Meta's effort to quash subpoenas

State Rep. Brett Geymann said no project is currently moving forward through Louisiana Economic Development or the Southwest Louisiana Economic Alliance

Commissioner Davante Lewis stated the PSC voted to let Meta off the hook regarding transparency

Geymann said he does not believe there should be a data center in Moss Bluff because it is a bedroom community and nonindustrial

Commissioner Davante Lewis said utilities could split the cost of nuclear studies with their larger customers like Meta and Amazon

PSC Commissioner Davante Lewis said the practice of utilities directly authoring motions for commissioners troubles him

Paul Arbaje, senior analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists, stated that Meta backing out is a possibility regulators must consider

Larry Hand emailed the Meta motion to Commissioner Foster Campbell two days before the vote with language 'As discussed, attached is motion to consider for the Meta docket'

Letlow began buying Meta and Nvidia stock within months of signing the NDA

Kedric Payne, general counsel of the Campaign Legal Center, said it raises questions why a congressperson would need an NDA for a state, not federal, economic development project

Rep. Julia Letlow signed an NDA with Laidley LLC, Meta's shell company, on June 29, 2024

Rep. Kyle Green, chairman of House Democratic Caucus, says knowing what he knows now he would have voted differently on House Bill 827

Robert Hogan, Louisiana State University political science professor, said the timeline of events raises serious questions about what Congresswoman Letlow knew and when

Letlow did not disclose trades for more than a year, past the 45 day deadline required under the STOCK Act

Meta and Entergy have structured their deal allowing Meta to walk away before infrastructure is paid for, leaving ratepayers to cover remaining costs.

Gov. Jeff Landry said the Richland Parish area has seen a 185 percent increase in tax growth and a 30 percent wage increase since 2020

Gov. Landry said data centers are instruments that will shape the future and determine national security

Jones said Meta's presence has made a tangible difference in classrooms, from funding STEM resources and technology upgrades to workforce development initiatives

Governor Jeff Landry and Meta announced expansion of initial $10 billion investment to $50 billion

Cory Bahr, 2026 James Beard semifinalist chef, said project represented double digit growth in sales at his three Monroe restaurants

Dr. Justin Hoggard, LDCC Chancellor, noted how the gift is removing financial barriers for local students

Sheldon Jones, Richland Parish School District Superintendent, said teacher bonuses are life altering for teachers and families

Holly Ridge Elementary School teacher Sarah Morris stated she was shocked by the magnitude of the bonus

Rate payers will not be affected by the water supply costs for the data center

Mangum High School head football coach Scott Wilcher said the bonus doubled his retirement

Meta will be paying for the water supply costs

Delhi will continue supplying the Richland Parish Data Center's water even with the recent expansion announcement

Residents concerned Meta expansion could drive up utility bills

Meta pays full costs of energy, water, and related infrastructure

Residents optimistic about Meta expansion bringing jobs and economic growth

Meta says expansion would make it one of the largest data centers in history

Governor Jeff Landry discussed Meta's investment into Louisiana through data center in Richland Parish

Edward Watkins expressed strong support for the expansion, saying 'I'm 100% for it' and that the parish needs change for progress

All Richland Parish high school graduates beginning with the class of 2026 will be eligible for full scholarships for data center related trade certificate or course

Some residents declined to speak publicly but argued Meta is taking up too much property in the parish

Governor Jeff Landry signed data center tax exemption in late 2024

Sales tax collections expected to be elevated for at least three to five more years during height of construction

Scott Franklin, Richland Parish Chamber of Commerce founder, said hope is to attract top teaching talent to rural school district

Louisiana will host the first cohort

Blue Owl owned 80 percent of the Hyperion campus

Meta received 80 percent reduction in property taxes for the facility

Meta anticipates spending 200 billion dollars on AI infrastructure to support its AI ambitions

Meta retained 20 percent ownership stake in Hyperion Data Center campus

Governor Jeff Landry announced a data center project in Blanchard, Caddo Parish described as transformational