Entergy Louisiana has announced a new agreement with Meta to support the company’s upcoming hyperscale data center in Northeast Louisiana. The structure of the agreement ensures that Meta pays its full cost of service, and it is expected to generate around $2 billion in customer savings over the next 20 years. This amount is in addition to the $650 million in benefits that had already been announced earlier. Together, the agreements will deliver approximately $2.65 billion in total customer savings, further strengthening Louisiana’s position as a growing center for technology investment, energy innovation and economic development.
Entergy Louisiana’s president and CEO, Phillip May, explained that the partnership demonstrates what can be achieved when companies, regulators and state leaders work together toward long-term goals. He emphasized that targeted investments will help improve system reliability, promote economic development and continue to keep energy rates affordable for customers. These goals align with both Meta’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge and Entergy’s Fair Share Plus pledge. This project offers a major opportunity to improve grid reliability and support long-term infrastructure investments across the state. Under the Fair Share Plus pledge, Entergy Louisiana aims to deliver billions in savings while encouraging economic activity in local communities.
The agreement confirms that Meta will pay the full cost of the services it uses, ensuring that existing customers are not responsible for those expenses. The savings generated will help offset fixed costs such as system resilience upgrades and storm-related investments, which would otherwise fall on regular customers. Meta is also contributing significant community-focused investments through this agreement. These include $120 million, with matching funds, for Entergy’s The Power to Care program, which provides support for vulnerable customers. An additional $140 million will fund energy-efficiency initiatives targeted at customers who need financial assistance. Meta is also supporting new carbon-free nuclear energy options, as well as up to 2,500 megawatts of additional solar energy.
These commitments are intended to reduce energy costs for low-income households, strengthen community programs and expand access to cleaner energy resources throughout Louisiana. The development represents a major economic opportunity for Richland Parish and the surrounding region. The data center will not only create direct high-tech jobs but also support thousands of construction roles between 2026 and 2031 through Entergy Louisiana and its partner companies. Once built, the center will support permanent positions in engineering, maintenance and operational support. The increased economic activity is also expected to generate additional tax revenue that will benefit schools, public services and infrastructure projects across the region. Workforce development programs will also expand, creating pathways to high-paying technology and energy-sector careers.
Meta’s vice president of data centers, Rachel Peterson, described the Richland Parish data center as a major step toward building next-generation AI infrastructure in the United States. She noted that the facility has the potential to scale up to 5 gigawatts and emphasized Meta’s commitment to covering its own energy costs without shifting them to other Entergy customers. Peterson also highlighted that Entergy’s plans for adding new energy generation are among the key factors needed to support the expansion of the data center and reflect Louisiana’s supportive business environment.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry stated that the agreement highlights the state’s dedication to attracting investment and creating jobs. He expressed gratitude to Meta’s leadership team and Entergy for showing how major projects can move forward while keeping consumer interests at the center of decision-making. The project will also drive substantial improvements in Louisiana’s energy infrastructure. To support the data center and broader grid needs, Entergy Louisiana plans to build new generation, transmission and storage assets that will be fully funded by Meta. These include seven natural gas-fueled combined-cycle power plants with a total capacity of more than 5,200 megawatts, designed to accommodate future carbon-capture technology and potential hydrogen co-firing.
Approximately 240 miles of new 500-kilovolt transmission lines will be constructed to better connect South Louisiana, North Louisiana and Arkansas. Additional investments include battery energy storage across three locations, upgrades to nuclear power facilities, and Meta’s commitment to help fund up to 2,500 megawatts of new renewable energy resources. A memorandum of understanding has also been signed to explore future nuclear power development. Once completed, these investments are expected to improve reliability, increase system efficiency and create a more modern and resilient energy grid for all Entergy Louisiana customers.
This project will be the first to be considered under the Louisiana Public Service Commission’s new Lightning Amendment, which was created to support major economic-development projects while maintaining regulatory oversight and customer protections. Entergy will discuss this announcement in more detail, including financial impacts, during its first-quarter 2026 earnings call scheduled for April 29, 2026. More information about the regulatory filing related to this agreement is available on Entergy’s investor relations website.
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