Cleco foresees $2 billion+ from data center power sales
Cleco anticipates over $2 billion in revenue from power sales to a data center under construction near Boyce, Louisiana, over 15 years. The utility is seeking Public Service Commission approval for contracts, new generation at Hineston, and transmission lines to support the large-load customer.
Cleco, a Pineville-based utility, projects more than $2 billion in revenue over 15 years from electricity sales to a new data center being built near Boyce, Louisiana. This projection is detailed in supporting documents filed as part of Cleco's application to construct a 430-megawatt generation station near Hineston by 2028, which would be powered by a nearby solar farm, and to build an associated transmission line.
The Public Service Commission is scheduled to review Cleco's request next Wednesday. The utility is seeking authorization for specific contracts, transmission interconnections, new generation capacity, and waivers related to the large-load data center customer. Cleco's filings describe this as the largest single load the utility has ever generated.
According to Cleco, all project costs will be recovered solely through sales to the data center, which will bear all attributable expenses. An official for Cleco stated that this arrangement would provide a "net financial benefit for existing customers" by offsetting shared system costs that would otherwise fall on them.