An Exclusive Tour Inside Meta’s Massive Louisiana Data Center | SWI | 10/23/26

Louisiana is at the center of the race to build the infrastructure powering artificial intelligence. In Part One of LPB’s three-part series, Louisiana’s Data Center Boom, Christina Jensen gets exclusive access to Meta’s massive Hyperion data center project in Richland Parish — one of only two news organizations, alongside The New York Times, granted access to tour the site. Jensen goes inside the sprawling construction site with Meta representatives for a closer look at the buildings, cooling systems and water-treatment infrastructure being built to support the growing demands of AI. She speaks with Meta Community Engagement Manager Henry Thornton about the company’s plans, while Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis raises questions about the long-term costs of the electricity infrastructure needed to power data centers. Richland Parish Police Jury member and local farmer Elliot Colvin discusses the project’s potential economic benefits, as well as the challenges it brings to a rural, agricultural community. As data centers are proposed across Louisiana and the country, this report examines what the AI boom could mean—good and bad—for electricity costs, water resources and the communities hosting these projects. Louisiana: The State We're In (SWI) SWI is Louisiana's only statewide news magazine. The program airs Fridays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 4:30 p.m. on the six-station LPB network that includes stations in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, and Shreveport. This award-winning show combines in-depth coverage about the important issues in the state along with expert analysis. https://www.lpb.org/swi #Meta #Hyperion #DataCenter #Louisiana #RichlandParish #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #TechInfrastructure #MetaAI #DataCenterConstruction #EconomicDevelopment #LouisianaEconomy #Technology #EnergyInfrastructure #PowerGrid #WaterUsage #FutureOfAI #LouisianaPublicBroadcasting #LPB #TechNews