Richland Parish

The Louisiana Public Service Commission plans to vote next month on a revised rule that requires intervening parties, including corporations and environmental groups, to disclose all out-of-state funding. Commissioner Eric Skrmetta originally proposed the rule, citing concerns about potential foreign interference in energy regulation. However, opponents worry the measure could curb participation in critical regulatory debates after pushing for the proposal to be significantly reworked.

The Louisiana Public Service Commission voted 3-1 to allow Meta to keep detailed records for its $50 billion data center project secret, overturning a judge's order for public disclosure. The ruling pertains to the calculation of job projections and electricity needs for Meta’s Hyperion campus in Richland Parish. This decision was reached despite opposition from groups like the Sierra Club, who had requested the figures from the commission.

The Sierra Club claims Louisiana officials underestimated emissions from Meta’s Richland Parish data center by approving a minor source pollution permit instead of a major source permit. The permit excludes emissions from Entergy Corp.’s natural gas turbines and undercounts diesel generator emissions, according to the group.

Louisiana is considering its first statewide property valuation standards for data centers to address billions in technology investments. The proposal, led by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, would assign three- and eight-year economic lives to computing equipment and infrastructure, respectively, to reflect obsolescence rates. It would not impact existing payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements like Meta’s Richland Parish AI data center but could influence future projects.

Hydro Extrusion USA will shut down its aluminum manufacturing plant in Richland Parish, Louisiana, next year, resulting in 226 job losses. The company notified the Louisiana Workforce Commission of the layoffs in June.

Meta is expanding its Hyperion artificial intelligence data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana, increasing the company’s planned investment in the state to more than $50 billion.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry announced a major data center expansion by Meta in Richland Parish, increasing investment to up to $50 billion and creating thousands of jobs. The project, part of Louisiana's strategy to lead in AI infrastructure, includes tax incentives for Meta and other companies like Amazon and Hut 8, with projects in historically underserved areas.

Governor Jeff Landry and Meta are promoting a $40 billion expansion of Meta's Richland Parish data center as a significant economic development milestone for Louisiana. The project is framed as evidence of the state's growing appeal for major tech investments.

Meta is expanding its Louisiana AI data center, Hyperion, to 5 gigawatts of compute capacity at a cost exceeding $50 billion. The project includes $50,000 year-end bonuses for Richland Parish teachers, infrastructure investments, and over $1.6 billion in contracts for local businesses.

Meta is expanding its Richland Parish, Louisiana data center to five gigawatts of IT capacity with over one billion dollars in local infrastructure upgrades and a new energy agreement projected to save customers two billion dollars over 20 years. The expansion will create 7,500 construction jobs and 1,000 operations roles, along with a five-million-dollar grant to Louisiana Delta Community College for workforce training.

Meta’s AI data center in rural Louisiana expanded to a $50 billion project, quintupling its initial cost in under two years, with mixed local reactions. While some businesses and workers report economic gains, residents highlight rising costs, displacement, and a lack of community consultation.

Meta is expanding its Richland Parish, Louisiana data center to five gigawatts of IT capacity with a $1 billion infrastructure investment and a $2 billion energy savings agreement over 20 years. The project will create 7,500 construction jobs, 1,000 operations roles, and a $5 million grant for workforce training at Louisiana Delta Community College.

Meta is expanding its Louisiana data center with an additional $40B investment, increasing the total commitment to $50B and aiming for 5 gigawatts of computing power. The project, part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's AI infrastructure push, will create 1,000 jobs and involve partnerships with Blue Owl Capital and Entergy Louisiana for financing and energy.

Meta plans to invest over $50 billion in a 5GW data center supercluster called Hyperion in Richland Parish, Louisiana, supported by tax incentives. The facility will be one of the largest data centers in the world.

The AI boom has increased teacher pay in a rural county, with Meta constructing a data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana.

Meta is investing $115 million in a free five-week training program for data center technicians through a partnership with CBRE, the National Urban League, and others. The initiative aims to address the skilled-trades shortage impacting Meta's AI infrastructure, offering guaranteed jobs and industry-recognized credentials to participants with no prior experience required.

Louisiana state senator John 'Jay' Morris, who helped secure Meta’s Hyperion datacenter in Richland Parish, sold adjacent land, drawing claims of ethics violations. Morris denies these allegations.