Entergy Louisiana has received approval from the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) to proceed with significant infrastructure investments linked to Meta’s upcoming data centre in Richland Parish, Louisiana.
These developments aim to enhance the state’s electric grid, benefiting all customers while accommodating future energy demands.
The approval enables Entergy Louisiana to construct three new combined cycle combustion turbine generation facilities. Two will be situated in Richland Parish, expected to become operational by late 2028, while the third facility will be developed at Entergy’s Waterford location in St. Charles Parish by the end of 2029.
Additionally, new transmission facilities will be built to serve Meta’s data centre and improve system reliability across Entergy’s service area.
The LPSC has also sanctioned Entergy Louisiana to acquire up to 1.5GW of solar resources through an expedited certification process. This move supports large-scale customers in achieving renewable energy targets and aligns with the state’s economic development objectives.
Entergy Louisiana president and CEO Phillip May said: “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.”
To facilitate the Richland Parish data centre and broader economic growth, Entergy Louisiana will undertake several projects.
These include the construction of three combined-cycle combustion turbines with a total capacity of 2.26GW, building two company-owned substations and six customer-owned substations, and installing nearly 161km of 500kV transmission lines along with eight new 230kV transmission lines.
Existing infrastructure will also be upgraded, including a substation near Sterlington.
The new generators are designed for initial operations with 30% hydrogen co-firing capacity, with future upgrades allowing for 100% hydrogen use and incorporation of carbon capture and sequestration technology.
Meta has pledged support for carbon capture and storage technology at an Entergy power plant in Lake Charles and plans for 1.5GW of additional solar and storage resources.
Entergy Louisiana commenced construction on a pivotal substation for the Richland Parish data centre, which is touted as one of Louisiana’s largest economic development projects since its announcement in 2024.
These initiatives highlight Entergy Louisiana’s commitment to developing a robust energy infrastructure that meets future demands.
