Gov. Jeff Landry and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois on Wednesday officially announced that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is planning to build a massive AI data center in Richland Parish.
Although media reports revealed the deal back in November, this is the first time that state officials have spoken publicly about it. In its latest issue, Business Report explores how data centers are ushering in a new era of investment in Louisiana.
Meta is investing $10 billion in the project—the largest private capital investment in state history and the largest investment the tech giant has made in its AI portfolio to date.
“As Mark [Zuckerberg] and I were discussing this project, I could hear the excitement in his voice,” Landry said at the press conference announcing the project.
The facility will be constructed on 4 million square feet of agricultural land off Highway 183. Once operational, it will become the largest of Meta’s more than 20 data centers around the globe.
The project is expected to create about 500 direct new jobs and support 5,000 construction jobs at peak construction. Meta expects construction to continue through 2030 with site work beginning this month.
AI data centers are massive facilities designed to house the powerful computing infrastructure needed to train, deploy and manage AI models.
In a statement, Meta Director of Data Center Strategy Kevin Janda explains why the company chose Richland Parish as the site for the new facility.
“Richland Parish … is an outstanding location for Meta to call home for a number of reasons,” the statement reads. “It provides great access to infrastructure, a reliable grid, a business-friendly climate and wonderful community partners that have helped us move this project forward.”
According to Landry, the project is a “game-changer” for all of Louisiana but especially so for the people of Richland Parish, where one in four lives below the poverty line. Meta says it will make a “concerted effort” to source labor and materials locally, and the company has committed to investing more than $200 million in improvements to local infrastructure like roads and water systems.
To power the facility, Entergy plans to add “clean, efficient” power plants to its system to meet growing power demands, including from the data center.
Meta is expected to take advantage of a new state incentive program that offers qualifying projects a state and local sales and use tax rebate on the purchase or lease of data center equipment. The company is also expected to participate in the state’s Quality Jobs program.
