Louisiana officials say the state is experiencing a surge of interest from companies looking to build data centers, spurred by Meta’s $10 billion project in Richland Parish, The Center Square writes.
That landmark deal, negotiated with Entergy Louisiana, includes three new natural gas plants and grid upgrades—costs Entergy insists won’t significantly raise customer bills. Regulators hailed it as a “once-in-a-generation investment opportunity.”
Now, with more than 200 projects in the pipeline, power reliability has emerged as the top concern for economic growth. Lawmakers and utilities are working through the new Task Force on Energy Infrastructure and Modernization to plan long-term capacity, weighing solutions from natural gas to nuclear energy and battery storage.
Officials stress the stakes are high: Data centers and other industrial users need massive amounts of electricity and water, putting pressure on Louisiana’s grid and resources. Aligning state agencies, utilities and local governments will be critical to meeting rising demand.
