Meta's AI Gigaproject
Meta Expands Louisiana AI Data Center to 5GW, Investing Over $50 Billion with Local Benefits
Key Points
An official Richland Parish page historically listed the original commitment as a $10 billion project with more than 500 direct jobs and over 1,000 indirect jobs, highlighting a substantial gap between the original baseline and Meta's new expansion figures (over $50 billion and up to 5 GW).
Meta’s latest expansion includes a public framing that the project would cost about $50 billion, a figure also echoed by past statements from then-candidate/President Donald Trump about the cost.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a 20-year sales tax exemption for data centers built before 2029, part of the state incentives cited to attract Meta’s investment.
Meta plans a targeted education and workforce initiative tied to the project, including a $5 million donation to Louisiana Delta Community College to create scholarships for residents training for data center jobs.
Meta’s local infrastructure commitments under the expansion include specific projects such as roads, water and wastewater systems upgrades—part of the more than $1 billion pledged for local infrastructure improvements.
Meta is expanding its data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana, to 5 gigawatts of compute capacity — enough to rank among the largest AI infrastructure projects in the world. The total investment will exceed $50 billion, according to Reuters, up dramatically from the original $10 billion commitment announced when construction broke ground in December 2024.
The expansion is already underway, but regulators are still reviewing key pieces — including gas plants, battery storage sites, and transmission upgrades. That means Meta's build-out could outpace the approvals needed to actually power it, according to Techi.
From $10 Billion Start to $50 Billion Juggernaut
When Meta first announced the Richland Parish data center, the project was framed as a $10 billion investment with more than 500 direct jobs and over 1,000 indirect jobs. The new figures dwarf those numbers. The expanded project now targets 5 gigawatts of compute capacity — the raw power needed to run massive AI systems — and a price tag above $50 billion, Reuters reported.
Former President Donald Trump also cited the $50 billion figure in prior statements about the project. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry helped seal the deal by signing a 20-year sales tax exemption for data centers built before 2029. Meta pointed to that tax break as a key reason for choosing to expand in Louisiana.
Power Gap: 5 Gigawatts With No Firm Energy Plan
Five gigawatts is an enormous amount of electricity — roughly equal to five large nuclear power plants running at full capacity. But Meta has not yet spelled out exactly how it will source all that power, according to Techi. Regulators are still reviewing proposed gas plants, battery storage sites, and grid upgrades that would be needed to keep the data center running.
Despite the approval gap, Meta says it will cover the cost of energy and water infrastructure tied to the project. A separate energy deal with Entergy Louisiana is expected to save customers more than $2 billion over 20 years, according to Reuters. That figure gives the project a public benefit angle as regulators weigh the remaining approvals.
$1.6 Billion to Local Businesses and Classroom Scholarships
The project has already sent real money into Richland Parish. Since breaking ground in December 2024, Meta has awarded more than $1.6 billion in contracts to Louisiana businesses, according to Reuters. Local schools and the parish tax base have also seen a direct boost, though specific dollar figures for those impacts were not released.
Meta also pledged more than $1 billion in local infrastructure improvements, covering roads, water systems, and wastewater upgrades. On top of that, the company donated $5 million to Louisiana Delta Community College to fund scholarships for residents training for data center jobs — a direct pipeline from the classroom to the facility next door.
Big Tech Races to Lock In AI Infrastructure With Public Support
Meta's Louisiana push is part of a wider sprint by major tech companies to build AI infrastructure fast — and with government help. Tax breaks, workforce deals, and public-private partnerships have become standard tools for landing these projects. Louisiana's 20-year sales tax exemption is a clear example of states competing to attract billion-dollar commitments.
The scale of the Richland Parish expansion — from a $10 billion project to a $50 billion one in just months — shows how quickly AI demand is reshaping investment plans. Whether regulators can approve the needed power infrastructure fast enough to match Meta's ambitions remains the central open question, according to Techi.
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