Louisiana Data Center Intel

Recent Louisiana data center news

• Feb 27, 2026

  Regulators say Meta data center ownership shift doesn’t warrant investigation

  The Louisiana Public Service Commission staff declined to open an investigation into Meta’s ownership transfer of the Hyperion data center.

  • Main action: The PSC staff found no evidence warranting action after Meta transferred an 80% stake in the $28 billion Hyperion data center to a Blue Owl Capital-backed entity; Entergy is building three natural gas turbines to power the campus and a 15-year power agreement is described as irrevocable and backed by milestone payments and a parent guarantee.
  • Background & details: Advocacy groups urged the PSC to review whether existing guarantees still protect ratepayers; national reporting characterized the deal as “Frankenstein financing” designed to move debt off Meta’s balance sheet; the article reports the PSC decision as a staff determination rather than a new policy change.
• Feb 26, 2026

  $12B Amazon data center build will rely on surplus water

  Amazon has announced a $12 billion multi-site data center campus across Caddo and Bossier Parishes in Louisiana.

  • Project scope & funding: Amazon will invest $12 billion to develop interconnected campuses in Caddo and Bossier Parishes, including $400 million allocated for local water infrastructure (using only verified surplus water) and a $250,000 community fund for STEM and local projects. Construction is expected to start in the coming weeks; STACK Infrastructure will lead development and Southwestern Electric Power Company will be the local utility partner with Amazon paying 100% of new energy infrastructure expenses.
  • Context & related projects: The announcement follows other multibillion-dollar data center projects in Louisiana, including Jacobs starting phase one of a $10 billion Hut 8 project (Hut 8 expects operations to begin Q2 2027) and a $10 billion Meta data center near Monroe being built by Turner, DPR and Mortenson. The article is an announcement summarizing Amazon’s commitment and situating it within recent regional data center investments.
• Feb 26, 2026

  Hut 8’s West Feliciana data center to fund its own water and power upgrades

  Hut 8 has announced plans to build a $2.8 billion data center in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana.

  • Project details: Hut 8 will build a $2.8 billion data center in West Feliciana Parish; the company will fund water system upgrades and electrical infrastructure tied to the project to avoid passing costs to Louisiana ratepayers, with operations targeted for October 2026.
  • Scope and incentives: The development is expected to generate 1,000 temporary construction jobs and 200 permanent positions; state filings outline payroll and sales tax incentives tied to the build-out, and planned upgrades include replacing aging pipes, increasing water capacity, improving pressure, and a privately financed substation and power investments.
• Feb 25, 2026

  Is America’s data center boom slowing down?

  Bloomberg reports U.S. data center construction slowed in 2025.

  • Capacity under construction fell to 5.99 gigawatts at year-end 2025 (down from 6.35 gigawatts in 2024), per CBRE; vacancy rates in primary markets hit a record low 1.4%.
  • Developers face permitting, zoning approvals and securing sufficient power delays; development is shifting to markets with more available land (including Louisiana and Texas); some states are reconsidering incentives as power costs rise; this is a Bloomberg news report citing CBRE data rather than a first-time government or corporate policy announcement.
• Feb 25, 2026

  Climate Change Solutions - February 24, 2026

  The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) released a newsletter highlighting data center impacts, policy developments on Capitol Hill, and upcoming briefings and events.

  • Main announcement: EESI highlighted rising household energy costs driven in part by data center demand, noting electricity prices have risen by up to 267% since 2020 in high-concentration data center areas and that wildfires cost the United States up to $424 billion annually. The newsletter features the article “Data Center Power Demands Are Contributing to Higher Energy Bills,” a podcast on wildfire philanthropy, and announces briefings including “Understanding Load Growth and Energy Affordability” on Thursday, February 26 (3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online).

  • Background and other details: The newsletter summaries recent legislative actions and events: Senate Energy Committee advanced the Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2025 (S.714); House Committee approved the ACERO Act (H.R.390) to authorize NASA’s ACERO project; Senate Foreign Relations agreed to the Protecting Global Fisheries Act of 2026 (S.1369); House introduced the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R.7567). Events listed with dates/times/locations:

    • Understanding Load Growth and Energy Affordability — Feb 26, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online
    • Igniting Innovation: Progress and a Path Forward for Wildfire Policy — Mar 3, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Russell Senate Office Building, Room 385 and online (Reception to follow)
    • Strategies to Lower Utility Bills Now for Households and Small Businesses — Mar 12, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online
    • 2026 Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and Policy Forum (EXPO 2026) — Jun 24, 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Rayburn House Office Building Foyer and Gold Room and online
• Feb 23, 2026

  Meta leader addresses Louisiana data center water usage concerns

  Meta expects its Richland Parish data center to consume roughly the same amount of water as the farmland it replaced.

  • Main announcement:Meta expects its Richland Parish data center to consume roughly the same amount of water as the farmland it replaced, according to reporting in Business Report. The statement is attributed to Henry Thornton (article text: “According to Henry Thornton, a regional community developm…”).
  • Background/details: Reported by Business Report (paywalled Insider piece). Article includes a rendering image of the Meta Data Center in Richland Parish and links to the original Business Report article and Insider section. No numeric water volumes, timelines, or monetary figures are provided in the available excerpt.
• Feb 20, 2026

  Urban vs. Rural: Why Data Centers Are Built Where They Are

  The article analyzes a shift in U.S. data center site selection toward greater geographic diversity, including more rural builds.

  • Main finding: The piece argues that as regions expand power capacity, extend long‑haul fiber, and streamline permitting and incentives, legacy hub advantages (e.g., Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley, greater Chicago) are weakening and site selection is diversifying toward a wider set of geographies, including rural areas.
  • Supporting details: The analysis lists core site-selection factors — infrastructure, demand proximity, economics, governance, risk and resilience, and community/social license — and cites emerging growth markets and examples such as parts of Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Utah, while noting new urban hubs like Boston and Denver; it also references multi-decade grid requirements and decades of legacy investment in hubs.
• Feb 20, 2026

  Urban vs. Rural: Why Data Centers Are Built Where They Are

  This article analyzes shifting patterns in data center site selection in the United States and is an analytical overview rather than a new corporate or government announcement.

  • Main finding: Data center site selection is diversifying as power capacity expansion, long-haul fiber, streamlined permitting, and incentives reduce legacy clustering in hubs such as Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley, and the greater Chicago area.
  • Drivers and trade-offs: The piece outlines six selection factors — Infrastructure, Demand Proximity, Economics, Governance, Risk and Resilience, and Community and Social License — and cites emerging markets in parts of Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Mississippi, alongside growing urban hubs like Boston and Denver.
• Jan 30, 2026

  The Benefits of Amazon Investments       

  Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced a major data center investment and related developments in Mississippi.

  • Main announcement: AWS announced a $10 billion Madison County project (Jan 2025) covering 1,700 acres across two sites, with 1,000 direct high-tech jobs averaging $80,000 annually, and 6,000–7,000 construction workers needed through 2027; AWS also announced a $3 billion investment in Warren County. The first building is coming online soon, with full construction completion targeted for 2027.
  • Background and additional details: Local firms have scaled rapidly (e.g., Mighty Fresh expanding from one truck to 14 trucks and adding two more within 90 days at $150,000–$200,000 per vehicle); ABB is investing $40 million to double its Senatobia facility and add 122 jobs; direct AWS suppliers must meet $5 million–$10 million insurance minimums and other requirements; primes listed include Yates Construction, Gray Construction, Haskell, Cupertino Electric, MMR Group, Faith Technologies Inc., and Edwards Electrics.
• Jan 27, 2026

  Meta Inks $6B Fiber Optic Deal with Corning for US Data Centers

  Meta Platforms has announced a $6 billion multi-year fiber-optic supply agreement with Corning to accelerate expansion of its US data center infrastructure.

  • Main announcement: Meta has agreed a $6 billion multi-year supply deal with Corning for optical fiber, cable, and connectivity solutions; Corning will ramp up manufacturing at its Hickory, North Carolina facility where Meta will serve as an anchor customer, and Corning said it will add up to 20% more workers in North Carolina (Hickory and Durham). The companies noted Meta has agreed to pay for optical fiber through 2030.
  • Background and details: Meta currently has 26 data centers planned or under construction in the US as part of its $600 billion AI strategy; the deal will supply fiber for major projects including the 1 GW Prometheus (New Albany, Ohio) and 5 GW Hyperion (Richland Parish, Louisiana) sites. Corning reported $1.65 billion in third-quarter optical communications revenue (up 33%) and said enterprise optical communications sales rose 58%.