Meta’s Louisiana AI Campus Bets on 5.2 Gigawatts of Gas

By Daniel Okafor

Entergy’s agreement with Meta Platforms calls for 5.2 gigawatts of new gas generation at the Hyperion campus in Richland Parish, Louisiana. The deal covers seven new gas-fired plants serving Meta’s most power-hungry data center.

Entergy said three plants totaling about 2.3 gigawatts were approved last year. Those approvals bring the planned fleet to ten plants and more than 7 gigawatts.

What does the agreement finance?

Entergy executives put the broader program at roughly $12.9 billion. The package includes a $1.4 billion transmission line and 200 megawatts of battery storage.

Entergy also signed firm transportation agreements for 1.325 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas. The volume is enough for ten new combined-cycle units in Louisiana.

The same agreement commits Meta to help fund up to 2.5 gigawatts of new renewable resources. It also includes a memorandum of understanding to explore future nuclear power development.

Entergy asked Louisiana regulators to approve a corporate sustainability agreement. Under that proposal, Meta, doing business as Evest LLC, would cover the cost of 2,500 megawatts of renewables and storage.

Entergy also cited an agreement to fund planned and potential nuclear uprates. The nuclear memorandum sets no capacity or deployment timeline.

What does Meta say about climate goals?

Meta declined to disclose its total spending on the gas plants and related infrastructure. A company spokesperson said Friday that the company “remains committed to its climate goals.”

Rachel Peterson, Meta’s vice president of data centers, said the Entergy filing aligns with the principles in the recently signed White House Ratepayer Protection Plans. She also cited Louisiana’s business-friendly environment.

Entergy’s filing shows that Meta’s renewable commitment of 2.5 gigawatts is less than half the 5.2-gigawatt gas addition. It also falls well below the planned fossil fleet of more than 7 gigawatts.

How does Entergy protect other customers?

Entergy says the agreement makes Meta responsible for its full cost of service and shields other customers from cost shifts. The utility projects more than $2 billion in customer savings over 20 years.

CEO Drew Marsh said Meta is “helping contribute to offset some of those costs, but not necessarily to make it go back to flat like we were in Arkansas.” He contrasted Louisiana with Arkansas, where a Google expansion achieved flat base rates.

Entergy’s savings estimate depends on the gas plants operating as planned. It also depends on gas prices across a 20-year horizon.

Entergy’s timetable gives Meta dedicated, dispatchable power for a 5-gigawatt computing campus. Entergy’s filing describes renewables and nuclear as still years from deployment at scale.

What must regulators approve?

The seven plants still need approval from the Louisiana Public Service Commission. LPSC staff reached a settlement with Entergy in October covering several gigawatts of generation and related infrastructure for Hyperion. The commission is scheduled to vote next month.

Entergy’s filing lists the Richland Parish and Pointe Coupee combined-cycle units with a 2030–31 in-service target.

Why is gas outrunning clean power?

Entergy’s Louisiana deal reflects the imbalance described in the Texas and national project data: data-center electricity demand is growing faster than renewable supply can connect.

News from the States’ Texas analysis counted at least 32 planned gas-fired plants, more than any other state. Researchers cited in that analysis project that on-site gas generation could increase nitrogen oxide emissions nearly 400% by 2031. A grid-plus-renewables scenario would produce a 35% increase.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott paused new data-center grid hookups in August. The grid operator was then auditing more than 470 gigawatts of connection requests.

The 2026 Data Center Boom by State data show private data-center construction spending at a $96.5 billion annual rate in September 2026. The pace was 90% above a year earlier.

Entergy’s pipeline shows 7–12 gigawatts of data-center interest. It also contains 3–5 gigawatts of traditional industrial load.

The LPSC vote next month is the first binary checkpoint. The larger test is whether renewable and nuclear provisions materialize on schedule. Gas plants could become stranded for Meta and Entergy if climate policy or market forces shift before 2030–31. For now, Entergy’s filing makes the investment concrete: 5.2 gigawatts of gas.