Meta has dramatically expanded its artificial intelligence infrastructure in northern Louisiana, committing more than $50 billion to scale its Richland Parish data center campus into a 5-gigawatt facility spanning nearly 10 million square feet, according to [CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/13/meta-louisiana-data-center-investment-reaches-50-billion-amid-ai-push.html).
Meta Expands Louisiana AI Campus to Over $50 Billion
The massive project, home to the company’s Hyperion artificial intelligence training cluster, represents a significant escalation from its original $10 billion price tag announced when the site was selected in December 2024. In October, an interim joint venture with Blue Owl Capital valued the project at $27 billion as a planned 2-gigawatt facility. Under the latest timeline provided by a company spokesperson, the Hyperion project is expected to reach 2 gigawatts by 2030, with the full 5-gigawatt capacity targeted for completion around 2032.
State Incentives and Power Agreements
The rapid industrial scaling is supported by state policy and heavy utility coordination. In late 2024, Louisiana Republican Governor Jeff Landry signed into law a 20-year sales tax exemption for data centers built before 2029 to court Meta. Governor Landry noted that the state has secured more than $150 billion in new investments in two years, as reported by [Business Facilities](https://businessfacilities.com/meta-will-invest-over-50b-to-expand-north-louisiana-data-center-campus/).
To meet the site’s immense energy requirements, Meta and Entergy Louisiana reached an agreement to fund seven new natural gas-fueled generating plants, three grid-scale batteries, potential nuclear development—including an output increase at Entergy Louisiana’s Waterford 3 nuclear facility—and up to 2.5 gigawatts of clean, renewable energy. Meta has also committed $215 million to Entergy’s The Power to Care bill assistance program and residential energy efficiency initiatives. Entergy Louisiana President and CEO Phillip May stated that the agreement aligns with the Fair Share Plus pledge to ensure large customers pay their full cost of service.
The legal and regulatory path has faced local scrutiny. A Baton Rouge judge dismissed a second challenge from a group of environmental and consumer nonprofits attempting to force Meta to join state utility regulatory proceedings regarding Entergy’s power plans, according to [GovTech](https://www.govtech.com/artificial-intelligence/judge-dismisses-challenge-to-metas-louisiana-data-center). While advocacy groups and legal experts raised concerns regarding public transparency and ratepayer protections, Entergy and state officials maintained that Meta is paying for the full annual revenue of the generators and covering its full infrastructure costs.
Local Economic and Workforce Impacts
Company officials emphasize that the development is driving substantial economic activity in a historically rural area of the state. Since construction began in December 2024, local businesses have received more than $1.6 billion in contracts.
The expanded project is expected to support 7,500 construction jobs at its peak and includes over $1 billion dedicated to local infrastructure improvements for roads, water, and wastewater systems. Furthermore, Louisiana was named one of four pilot locations for Meta’s America’s Workforce Academy, establishing training partnerships with institutions such as the Louisiana Delta Community College and the University of Louisiana at Monroe to prepare residents for careers in skilled trades and data center operations.
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