Entergy Plans Massive Power Expansion for Meta's Louisiana AI Data Center
Entergy Louisiana plans to build seven natural gas plants, upgrade nuclear facilities, and install 2,500 megawatts of solar capacity in Richland Parish to support Meta's expanding data center project. The announcement signals that the social media company is moving ahead with a facility significantly larger than originally announced.
The new gas plants alone will generate 5,200 megawatts-roughly five times the daily power consumption of New Orleans. Combined with three existing power plants under construction for Meta, Entergy would generate more than 7,700 megawatts at the site, equivalent to more than half of all electricity currently produced for Louisiana.
Project Scope Has Grown Substantially
Meta's Richland Parish data center, dubbed "Hyperion," started as a 4-million-square-foot facility on 2,000 acres with a $10 billion price tag when announced in late 2024. Last summer, CEO Mark Zuckerberg disclosed plans to expand it to the size of Manhattan. The company later pegged the cost at $27 billion, citing "buildings and long-lived power, cooling, and connectivity infrastructure."
Meta has not disclosed the expanded facility's final size, construction timeline, or permanent job count. The company declined to specify what additional state incentives it secured for the expansion beyond existing sales tax exemptions and local property tax breaks.
Regulatory Path and Questions
Entergy is requesting approval under the Louisiana Public Service Commission's "Lighting Amendment," which allows mega projects to be approved within eight months if they meet certain criteria. Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis said the expedited timeline makes it harder to evaluate whether the power generation is justified and whether benefits outweigh risks.
Documents filed with the PSC show Entergy plans to build four gas plants near the Meta site in Richland Parish and three others near its Big Cajun facility in Pointe Coupee Parish. The company also proposes a 150-mile transmission line extending to St. Landry Parish and nuclear upgrades at Waterford 3 and River Bend plants.
Economic Benefits and Concerns
Local officials view the project as transformative for a rural area that has lost population as farming and manufacturing declined. Since Meta broke ground 15 months ago, regional contractors have secured subcontracting work, and companies are leasing warehouse and office space.
Environmental advocates and critics raise concerns about rising utility rates at other data center sites nationwide and Meta's complex financing structure, which some argue could allow the company to exit the project after a few years if market conditions shift. The project also draws scrutiny over water consumption and the value of tax incentives worth potentially billions of dollars.
Meta committed to paying some infrastructure costs upfront and contributing millions to Entergy's low-income assistance and energy efficiency programs. Entergy claims customers will see $2 billion in savings under the arrangement, though details were not immediately provided.
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