Breaking News | Meta Quintuples Louisiana Data Center Investment to $50 Billion

Meta announced Monday that its Hyperion data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana has expanded from the original 2-gigawatt, $27 billion plan disclosed in October 2024 to a 5-gigawatt facility costing more than $50 billion. The project cost has quintupled from the initial $10 billion estimate when construction began in December 2024. One person familiar with Meta's plans told Bloomberg the total cost may reach $250 billion.

The 10-million-square-foot facility will consume as much power as New York City uses on a winter day. Meta has contracted $1.6 billion with local Louisiana businesses and committed $215 million to Entergy's low-income energy assistance programs. The company secured a 20-year sales tax exemption from Governor Jeff Landry in exchange for creating 7,500 construction jobs and 1,000 operational jobs.

Local teacher bonuses in Richland Parish increased from $10,000 last year to over $50,000 this year due to increased tax revenues from the project. However, the expansion has brought heavier traffic, rising rents, and displacement concerns in the parish of 20,000 residents.

• Any updates to Meta's full-year capital expenditure guidance beyond current projections, particularly if the $250 billion figure gains traction

• Timing of when the 5-gigawatt facility reaches operational capacity and begins contributing to AI product capabilities

• Zuckerberg's next earnings call commentary on Agentic AI progress, given recent Reuters reports that the technology is advancing more slowly than expected

• Potential regulatory or community opposition that could delay construction timelines