The Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) has approved an agreement that enables Entergy Louisiana to proceed with significant infrastructure investments associated with Meta’s new data centre in Richland Parish in the US state.
This approval facilitates substantial enhancements to Louisiana’s electric grid, benefiting all Entergy Louisiana customers and preparing the system for future energy demands.
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The agreement permits Entergy Louisiana to construct three modern and efficient combined-cycle combustion turbine generation facilities.
Two of these facilities will be situated in Richland Parish, with an expected operational date in late 2028, and the third at Entergy’s existing Waterford site in St Charles Parish, to be operational by the end of 2029.
Entergy will also develop new transmission facilities to serve Meta’s data centre and bolster system reliability across its service area.
Entergy Louisiana president and CEO Phillip May stated: “Today’s decision by the commission is a critical step toward ensuring the long-term reliability and affordability of electric service for all of our customers.
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By GlobalData“These investments will help power one of the most advanced data centres in the world and will also reinforce our grid, create economic opportunity and support a more sustainable energy future across Louisiana. Importantly, Meta is paying its share of the costs for the infrastructure needed to support its operations, ensuring that other customers are protected from those expenses.”
As part of the approval, the Commission has also granted Entergy Louisiana permission to acquire 1,500MW of solar resources via an expedited certification process.
This move is a significant step in assisting large-scale customers in meeting the company’s renewable energy and sustainability commitments while advancing the state’s economic development objectives.
The Richland Parish data centre project, initially announced in 2024, is considered to be one of the largest economic development initiatives in Louisiana’s history.
Entergy has commenced construction on a vital substation to support the facility and will persist in investing in grid infrastructure that fosters growth throughout the region.
These infrastructure projects mark a significant milestone in Entergy’s continuous effort to create a smarter and more resilient energy future for all customers, including residents, small businesses and large industrial and technology companies.
In March 2025, Meta entered a power purchase agreement with RWE for the offtake from RWE’s 200MW Waterloo solar project located in Bastrop County, Texas.
