Meta said on July 13, 2026 that it is expanding its data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana, to 5 GW of compute capacity. In its announcement, Meta describes the expansion as an investment of more than $50 billion in the Richland Parish region, covering infrastructure projects, workforce programs and a new energy agreement with Entergy Louisiana.

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The project at a glance

Item As stated by Meta
Owner Meta
Location Richland Parish, Louisiana
Capacity after expansion 5 GW of compute capacity
Investment in the region More than $50 billion
Ground broken December 2024
Jobs once operational More than 1,000
Contracts with Louisiana businesses More than $1.6 billion since groundbreaking
Local infrastructure Over $1 billion (roads, water, wastewater)

Power: a second Entergy agreement

Meta says its recent agreement with Entergy will fund “seven new natural gas-fueled generating plants, three grid-scale batteries, nuclear uprates, and other purchased power.” According to Meta, the energy agreement is expected to save Entergy Louisiana customers more than $2 billion over 20 years, on top of $650 million in customer savings from the first agreement.

Meta also states that it “pays the full costs of the energy, water, and related infrastructure the data center uses so consumers aren’t paying the cost.”

Local spending and jobs

Meta says local Louisiana businesses have received more than $1.6 billion in contracts from Meta since it broke ground in December 2024. With the expansion, it plans to invest over $1 billion in local infrastructure, including roads, water and wastewater systems. In a community of 20,000 people, Meta expects the data center to provide more than 1,000 roles once operational.

The company also points to effects on local public finances. It says teachers in Richland Parish recently received annual bonuses of up to $50,000, which it attributes to increased tax revenues from the project, and that Louisiana Delta Community College is receiving a $5 million donation from Meta to fund scholarships that train local residents for data-center jobs.

What changes

The expansion sets the Richland Parish campus at 5 GW of compute capacity, backed by more than $50 billion of regional investment as Meta states it. On the power side, the second Entergy agreement brings new gas-fired generation, grid-scale batteries and nuclear uprates into the supply plan for the site, with Meta saying it carries the full cost of the energy and related infrastructure the data center uses. For Entergy Louisiana customers, Meta’s stated expectation is net savings across the two agreements rather than higher bills.

The Model Press tracks the campus and its capacity changes in its AI data-center project tracker.

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