Meta's Louisiana data hub moves forward

Meta builds a massive data center complex in Richland Parish powered by new gas plants, prompting questions about costs and local impact.

Meta bets 10 billion on a Louisiana Hyperion data hub

In Richland Parish, Louisiana, Meta has begun a $10 billion project to raise a nine-building data center complex that will house thousands of servers and cover more than 4 million square feet. The rollout includes plans for what Meta calls a computing capacity of two gigawatts now, with the potential to grow to as much as five gigawatts to train large language models. Entergy will add three gas-fired turbines with a combined capacity of about 2.3 gigawatts, the first major expansion of gas generation in decades. Meta has promised to fund power costs for the first 15 years and to help build 1.5 gigawatts of solar and battery storage across the state. Regulators approved the deal in August, signaling a possible template for future data center energy builds.

Locals are astonished by the scale and the potential impact on the rural economy. The project’s size and the energy demand it will create have farmers and residents weighing jobs and growth against concerns about rate increases, water use, and land disruption. Nationally, hyperscale centers are multiplying, with the belief that they spur investment but also drive up energy costs for households and small businesses. Louisiana lawmakers have also widened the energy definition to include natural gas as part of green energy, a move that complicates debates over environmental goals. Experts say the full picture will depend on how the grid adapts and how much renewables and storage can offset gas usage as the project progresses toward 2030 and beyond.

The Hyperion effort highlights a broader trend where giant tech investments collide with local energy policy. Utilities become gatekeepers, and the terms of a private deal can set standards for government oversight and ratepayer risk. Critics worry that a nonpublic contract could lock in costs for years and push communities to bear the downside of expensive growth while private players reap the upshot. Proponents point to rural development, new jobs, and state revenue as reasons to welcome the project, insisting that careful regulation can keep costs in check and accelerate cleaner energy integration over time.

Highlights

The coming years will test whether such bets pay off for communities and the climate.