Louisiana Data Center Intel

Recent Louisiana data center news

• Dec 22, 2025

  It's been another banner year for Today in Energy!

  The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has compiled a list of its most popular 2025 Today in Energy articles and announced that regular publications will resume on January 5, 2026.

  • The highlighted pieces cover LNG exports, propane exports, California gasoline prices, China’s role in battery mineral trade, the Strait of Hormuz oil chokepoint, electricity use for commercial computing vs. cooling/ventilation, global nuclear generation capacity concentration, and North American LNG export capacity growth.
  • The article functions as a year-end roundup, citing original publication dates in 2025 (and one in 2024), and provides direct links to each featured analysis while noting the temporary publication pause until January 5, 2026.
• Dec 19, 2025

  Broadband Industry Likes New Non-Deployment Bill

  Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.) introduced the SUCCESS for BEAD Act to ensure states use their full BEAD allocations and to allow specified “non-deployment” infrastructure and workforce uses tied to AI.

  • Main action: The bill would allow states to spend remaining BEAD allocations on wholesale fiber lines, mobile wireless infrastructure, submarine cables and landing stations, workforce development, mapping, and permitting reform, while explicitly excluding data centers as eligible uses. The Commerce Department estimates about $21 billion of the $42.45 billion BEAD program is currently unallocated for deployment; states would be required to hold another round of bidding for wholesale or backbone projects.
  • Background and additional details: The Trump administration rescinded approval for non-deployment activities in June and the President issued an executive order directing NTIA to produce a policy notice making states ineligible for non-deployment funds if they have “onerous” AI laws; NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth said the agency was still “operating under the assumption” states could use full allocations. The bill does not permit spending on adoption, affordability, or device/plan subsidies; the administration also canceled $2.75 billion in Digital Equity Act funding. Supporters include Fiber Broadband Association, INCOMPAS, WIA, USTelecom, Connected Nation, Competitive Carriers Association.
• Dec 18, 2025

  Climate Change Solutions - December 16, 2025

  The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) issues a Climate Change Solutions newsletter summarizing recent climate, energy, and environmental policy developments, briefings, and media coverage in the United States.

  • Newsletter content highlights articles on FEMA reform (FEMA Act, H.R.4669), ghost fishing gear in Hawaiʻi, and global green building standards (LEED, BREEAM), plus an EESI briefing on how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21) changed 12 clean energy and efficiency tax incentives and how companies and consumers are adjusting.
  • Capitol Hill updates cover House passage or advancement of the Electric Supply Chain Act (H.R.3638), ePermit Act (H.R.4503), ESTUARIES Act (H.R.3962 / S.2063), and multiple PFAS bills (H.R.6668 / S.3457, H.R.6626 / S.3460, H.R.6667, S.3445, S.3446), as well as links to EESI legislative trackers, grid and industrial decarbonization briefings, and external media citations of EESI work on data centers, water use, and EERE investments.
• Dec 18, 2025

  Roundup: Inflation surprise / Louisiana Key Academy / A curious fusion / The prediction boom

  Trump Media announced a merger exceeding $6 billion with TAE Technologies to move into fusion power.

  • Merger announced: Trump Media is combining with TAE Technologies in a deal reported to exceed $6 billion, intended to move Trump Media into the fusion-power sector to help meet rising electricity demand driven by AI data centers (source: Reuters).
  • Other items in the bulletin:U.S. CPI eased to 2.7% year-on-year in November (previous month 3%; economists had forecast 3.1%), with economists warning of possible federal government shutdown distortions; Louisiana Key Academy acquired its Baton Rouge campus enabled by philanthropist Ryan D. “Jume” Jumonville (financial details undisclosed); prediction markets monthly volumes surged to more than $13 billion in November 2025 (platforms: Polymarket, Kalshi; up from under $100 million in early 2024).
• Dec 18, 2025

  Plug Power 2025: A Year of Momentum, Milestones, and Meaningful Progress

  Plug has published a year-end 2025 blog highlighting major operational milestones across its hydrogen electrolyzer, fuel cell, and production network businesses.

  • Electrolyzers & fuel cells: Plug shipped >185 MW of GenEco electrolyzers in 2025 (total >317 MW across 70+ units, operating on every continent except Antarctica) and deployed >3,100 GenDrive fuel cell units, growing the installed base to >72,000 units and completing >20 million hydrogen fuelings in 2025 and >1 billion fuelings cumulatively.
  • Hydrogen production & logistics: Its U.S. plants in Georgia, Tennessee, and Louisiana produced >4,600 metric tons of hydrogen in 2025 (Woodbine, GA >2,500 t, Charleston, TN 1,541 t, St. Gabriel, LA 561 t), with network capacity >40 tons/day, high uptimes (up to 99.7% availability) and an expanded logistics fleet of 34 liquid and 89 gas trailers, while new customer deals include 55 MW with Carlton Power (UK) and **8 GW with Allied Green Ammonia (Australia, Uzbekistan, UAE).
• Dec 17, 2025

  Hut 8 lands a massive partnership for its West Feliciana data center

  Hut 8 has announced a major partnership agreement.

  • Main announcement: Hut 8 has secured a multibillion-dollar partnership with Anthropic and Fluidstack that centers on Hut 8’s planned River Bend data center in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. The article states the deal is “multibillion-dollar” but does not disclose a specific dollar amount or implementation timeline.
  • Background/details: The report appears on Business Report and is behind a paywall; further specifics about the deal structure, operational commitments, timelines, or precise financial terms are not provided in the accessible excerpt.
• Dec 17, 2025

  Roundup: Holi Services / Data center bubble / Warner Bros.

  FTS | Flexblue Staffing announced the acquisition of Holi Services Inc., a Baton Rouge-based staffing firm founded in 1976, to expand its presence in New Orleans and Baton Rouge; financial details were not disclosed.

  • Acquisition details: FTS | Flexblue Staffing (also referenced as Flexicrew Technical Services) acquired Holi Services Inc., strengthening its Gulf South recruiting and staffing footprint in New Orleans and Baton Rouge; the deal amount was not disclosed and Holi has served the region since 1976.
  • Additional items in the report: Fernando de Leon of Leon Capital Group warned the booming data center market may be on “shaky financial ground” citing soaring valuations, limited exit history, and long-term leases tied to fast-changing AI technology (coverage: CNBC). Separately, Warner Bros. Discovery advised shareholders to reject Paramount Skydance Corp.’s takeover bid as “inferior” and “inadequate”, urging adherence to its original agreement with Netflix (coverage: Bloomberg).
• Dec 17, 2025

  Oracle at Center of Tech’s $500 Billion AI-Fueled Rent Spree

  Cloud-computing companies including Oracle, Microsoft and Meta have disclosed a combined commitment to spend $500 billion on future data center leases.

  • Main action: The companies have reported $500 billion in combined future lease obligations tied to data centers to support AI demand; Oracle disclosed $150 billion in commitments in the three months ending in November, bringing its total commitments to $248 billion, and Meta has $58 billion in uncommenced leases (about triple the prior-year figure). Leases can run up to 19 years and generally won’t appear on balance sheets until payments begin.
  • Background/details:Oracle is pursuing a historic build-out of data centers to power OpenAI work and has a reported $30 billion-a-year deal with OpenAI; investors reacted negatively to Oracle’s disclosures (DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria said Oracle may be “significantly strapped for capital”). The article also notes Google had $42.6 billion in future leases as of September and that past four-quarter capital expenditures across six companies totaled $372 billion.
• Dec 16, 2025

  ‘LaPolitics’: PSC to weigh contrasting proposals regarding big power users

  The Louisiana Public Service Commission is considering two competing proposals to accelerate regulatory approval for large power customers and hyperscaler data-center projects.

  • Primary announcement: Commissioner Jean-Paul Coussan proposed the LPSC Lightning Amendment, a fast-track regulatory pathway modeled on the Meta–Entergy arrangement that would allow utilities to expedite power for major employers if specific criteria are met: a signed long-term electric service agreement of at least 10 years, a letter from Louisiana Economic Development confirming the project’s importance and a five-year initial in-service date, and guaranteed fixed revenue covering at least 50% of associated capacity costs; projects meeting the criteria would waive standard market-comparison requirements and aim for a PSC vote within seven months (versus up to two years currently).
  • Background and meeting details: Commissioner Davante Lewis offered a separate proposal directing PSC staff to investigate a regulatory model addressing how large loads (hyperscalers) connect to the grid, procure capacity, and share costs; Lewis emphasized the uniqueness of the Meta–Entergy conditions (Meta’s agreement included a 15-year contract option) and cautioned against one-off deals.
    • Date: Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025
    • Time: 10 a.m.
    • Location: Natchitoches Events Center
    • Agenda/Document: See agenda PDF at https://www.lpsc.louisiana.gov/docs/agenda/Dec-17-2025-Agenda.pdf
• Dec 12, 2025

  Roundup: State Farm’s rates / AI bubble / Pollution regulation staffing

  Insurance commissioner Tim Temple approved State Farm’s requested rate changes for auto and homeowners policies.

  • Rate changes and scope:5.9% average decrease for more than 1,066,000 personal auto insurance policy holders and a 9.7% average increase for more than 300,000 homeowners policy holders; Effective date: Jan. 1; Source: WAFB-TV.
  • Context and background:AI infrastructure estimate: Bloomberg reports an estimated $10 trillion overall infrastructure roll-out cost to support the AI/data-center boom, raising bubble concerns amid heavy lending; Pollution staffing: Environmental Integrity Project analysis finds Louisiana sharply cut pollution regulation staffing and budgets, increasing enforcement delays and noting the state has the highest toxic air emissions per square mile; Source: Louisiana Illuminator.