Louisiana regulators have given the green light to Entergy Corp. to build three new natural gas power plants. These plants will supply electricity to Meta’s largest data center, a massive project located in rural Louisiana. The data center, called Hyperion, is a huge facility designed to support Meta’s most advanced artificial intelligence work. It covers about four million square feet—almost as big as Manhattan—and could use up to 5 gigawatts of power when fully running.
This new data center is part of a growing trend where AI technology is driving up electricity demand across the U.S. This surge has led to higher utility bills and put pressure on the power grid. Entergy Louisiana’s CEO, Phillip May, said Meta will cover its share of the costs for the power plants, which are expected to generate about 2.3 gigawatts of capacity. The company also plans to build new transmission lines to connect the data center and aims to bring up to 1.5 gigawatts of solar energy onto the grid.
Meta said it is working closely with Entergy to make sure these investments don’t increase costs for other electric customers. The tech firm is also committed to adding enough clean and renewable energy to balance out the power used by its Richland Parish data center. So far, Meta has started several renewable projects in Louisiana, with solar energy being a key part of these efforts.
The Louisiana Public Service Commission fast-tracked the approval of this plan. Entergy had warned that delays might push Meta to build the data center in another state. However, not everyone is happy with this decision. Some people worry that building new gas plants will mean higher energy bills for regular residents and could harm health and the environment. Logan Burke, who leads the Alliance for Affordable Energy, criticized the move, saying it puts the interests of big companies ahead of local communities.
Shares of Entergy rose by nearly 2% following the news. This deal highlights how the rise of AI and data centers is reshaping energy needs and local economies, sparking both opportunities and concerns across the country.