Questions are mounting over who really bears the financial risk for Meta’s massive data center now under construction in Richland Parish—and whether Louisiana utility ratepayers could be left holding the bag, The Center Square writes.
Environmental nonprofit Earthjustice is urging the Louisiana Public Service Commission to reopen its review of the project after Meta disclosed a new financing arrangement in which Wall Street firm Blue Owl will own 80% of the campus while Meta retains 20% and leases the facility in four-year increments.
Critics say that structure could make it easier for Meta to walk away in the future, potentially saddling Entergy customers with the cost of power plants and transmission lines built largely for the project. Entergy counters that Meta remains legally on the hook regardless of ownership changes and says the deal will actually deliver $650 million in customer savings over time.
The dispute underscores a broader tension as Louisiana races to attract energy-hungry tech investments while trying to protect ordinary utility customers from long-term financial exposure.
