Data center activity in Louisiana
Louisiana remains a welcoming market, though it has softened somewhat over the past quarter as moratorium activity picked up. At least six moratoriums have been enacted, but at least seven others were rejected, showing that local pause efforts are roughly as likely to fail as succeed. Zoning outcomes favor developers, with at least 15 reported approvals against three denials and at least four projects approved despite opposition. At least ten lawsuits filed and 36 active companies suggest a market that is attracting serious investment while drawing growing scrutiny, still well ahead of neighboring Mississippi.
Louisiana remains a welcoming market, though it has softened somewhat over the past quarter as moratorium activity picked up. At least six moratoriums have been enacted, but at least seven others were rejected, showing that local pause efforts are roughly as likely to fail as succeed. Zoning outcomes favor developers, with at least 15 reported approvals against three denials and at least four projects approved despite opposition. At least ten lawsuits filed and 36 active companies suggest a market that is attracting serious investment while drawing growing scrutiny, still well ahead of neighboring Mississippi.
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Venture Global says it is buying large generators and exploring data center development near its LNG facilities in Cameron and Plaquemines parishes. Local officials, including Cameron Parish Police Juror Mark Daigle, said they were surprised by the announcement and concerned about the lack of communication.
Columnist Bob Marshall argues that Louisiana's incentives and secrecy agreements for SpaceX and data centers could expose residents to significant environmental and public-health risks. He highlights SpaceX tax exemptions, limits on public disclosure and lawsuits, wastewater violations, and potential impacts from large data centers on public water supplies.
Earthjustice, representing the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Alliance for Affordable Energy, has appealed a Louisiana Public Service Commission decision allowing Meta to withhold information about its data center near Monroe and Rayville in Richland Parish. The case concerns Entergy Louisiana's proposal to build seven additional gas plants and related infrastructure, with billions of dollars in potential costs shifted to ratepayers.
Crowley officials have shifted their positions on data centers and now support a moratorium on data center development. The article provides no further details on the moratorium’s scope or whether it has been formally enacted.
Candidates for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District shared differing views on data center development in a WWNO/WRKF election questionnaire. Most candidates supported development if companies pay infrastructure costs and address power and water impacts, while Austin Magee opposed additional construction and emphasized local control.
The Alliance for Affordable Energy and Union of Concerned Scientists, represented by Earthjustice, appealed a Louisiana Public Service Commission decision that blocked access to Meta records related to its planned Richland Parish data center. The records concern the facility’s electricity demand, economic benefits and the justification for Entergy Louisiana’s proposed $14 billion power infrastructure expansion.
A Louisiana video podcast will examine the state’s growing energy demands, including those created by artificial intelligence data centers. The discussion will feature Entergy Louisiana CEO Phillip May and Louisiana Economic Development executive Paige Carter, with Meta’s $10 billion data center in Richland Parish cited as a major project under construction.
Candidates for the Louisiana Public Service Commission’s District 5 seat debated the impact of data centers on electricity demand, grid reliability and utility rates. Shreveport City Councilman Rev. James Green called for halting new data center projects in North Louisiana until safety and cost concerns are addressed, citing Meta’s planned 4,500-megawatt facility in Richland Parish.
A Louisiana community college is training local students for jobs at Meta's planned AI data center, described as the company's largest-ever facility. The workforce program is intended to help residents prepare for employment connected to the project in Richland Parish.
An editorial in The Advocate discusses a Louisiana economic forecast projecting 55,000 new jobs over two years, driven partly by construction of data centers, LNG plants and other facilities. It notes that employment in the Monroe area could fall sharply after Meta completes its large data center and questions whether tax incentives will produce lasting economic benefits.
Candidates competing in Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District are debating how to manage artificial intelligence growth and major data center investments in northeastern Louisiana. Their positions differ on oversight of data center water and electricity use, infrastructure costs for ratepayers, and expanding nuclear power to meet rising demand.
Construction is underway on Hut 8's multibillion-dollar River Bend data center in West Feliciana Parish, with completion expected by the end of 2027. Campaign finance records show Hut 8 CEO Asher Genoot and US Data Mining Group donated to Gov. Jeff Landry's reelection campaign and an affiliated political action committee, raising questions about corporate influence and access to state government.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved or announced a $3.3 billion loan for a power plant project. The article says the investment could benefit data centers by increasing available electricity, but provides no specific data center project or operator details.
Louisiana Senate candidates Jamie Davis and Julia Letlow have taken sharply different positions on regulating AI and data centers. Davis supports a moratorium on new data centers, while Letlow backs economic development but says data centers should cover their own power costs. Their positions are shaped in part by controversy surrounding Meta's Hyperion project in Richland Parish.
Livingston Parish President Randy Delatte met with NextEra as the company seeks permits for a 500-megawatt battery storage facility. The project’s potential customer has not been disclosed, fueling speculation that it could support a future data center, although no data center proposal has been confirmed.
West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard describes the parish’s River Bend data center partnership with Hut 8, emphasizing transparency and the absence of a nondisclosure agreement. He says Hut 8 has committed about $16 million to expand the local water system and will use closed-loop cooling to conserve water.
New Orleans planning commissioners urged the City Council to extend the city’s ban on data center development. The commissioners deferred consideration of new zoning rules, while residents expressed opposition to allowing data centers anywhere in the city.
New Orleans planners urged the City Council to extend the city’s data center ban while postponing the creation of permanent rules governing where data centers may be located. Residents questioned whether data centers belong anywhere in the city.
New Orleans resident Lizzy Pitts spoke against data centers before the New Orleans City Planning Commission. She was among 14 members of the public who addressed the commission, but no specific company or project outcome is identified.
Amazon is progressing with data center construction in Caddo and Bossier parishes, including a site in Shreveport expected to break ground soon. The company is also developing workforce programs, paid apprenticeships and an education fund to prepare local students for data center jobs, although some residents remain skeptical.