Meta to Finance Louisiana Data Center Power Grid, Including Gas Plants Meta has agreed to directly fund the massive energy infrastructure required for its new 27 billion dollar data center project in Louisiana. This move means the tech giant will essentially cover the power bill for the facility itself. According to reports, Meta struck a deal with utility Entergy Louisiana. The agreement will see Meta fund the construction of seven new natural gas power plants, 240 miles of high voltage transmission lines, and battery energy storage systems at three sites. The gas plants will have a total power output of 5,200 megawatts, with the transmission lines operating at 500 kilovolts. Beyond fossil fuel infrastructure, Meta will also help finance up to 2,500 megawatts of new renewable energy resources. The company additionally signed a memorandum of understanding for future nuclear power development in the region. The data center, located in Richland Parish, Louisiana, will span 4 million square feet, making it Meta’s largest such facility to date. Construction is currently underway. This energy deal follows a recent pledge by several major tech companies, including Meta, to address public concerns that their power hungry AI data centers would drive up electricity costs for local residents. The pledge stated that companies would build, bring, or buy the new generation resources needed to meet their own demands, paying the full cost. However, that commitment was not a binding agreement and lacks any enforcement mechanism. The shift in approach responds to growing frustration in communities across the country regarding the expansion of energy intensive and environmentally taxing AI data centers. A poll from December found that 60 percent of Americans, including majorities across the political spectrum, support increased regulation of artificial intelligence. Political pressure is also mounting. Just this week, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez introduced legislation that would force a moratorium on new data center construction until meaningful regulations are established. Observers may view Meta’s funding deal in Louisiana as the latest effort by big tech companies to persuade voters and officials that they can be trusted to self regulate without enforceable laws. Similar promises on other fronts, such as AI safety commitments, have often preceded calls for stricter oversight.
