Applied Digital has entered a community benefit agreement that will deliver $4 million to the Town of Boyce to fund improvements, infrastructure enhancements, and economic growth. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce The company is developing the Delta Forge I AI Factory, a $3.6 billion data center located across the street from the town. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce Town officials announced the agreement on October 14, 2026, following discussions involving Louisiana Central and Applied Digital. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce The funding is intended to support local priorities identified by town leaders, including projects that strengthen community resources and promote long-term stability in the area surrounding the new facility.
Town of Boyce Mayor Kelvin McCoy stated that the project of this magnitude should create meaningful opportunities for communities closest to it and that he prioritized ensuring Boyce had a seat at the table. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce Louisiana Central CEO and President Chris Masingill noted that the deal aligned with Boyce’s geographic location, connectivity, and relationship to the project area. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce Applied Digital’s Community Engagement Coordinator Gail Adams acknowledged the mayor’s advocacy and expressed appreciation for the commitment to sharing opportunities created by the project. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce Officials described the agreement as a structured way to channel resources directly into the town, reflecting ongoing coordination between the company, local government, and regional partners. The timing of the announcement came after multiple rounds of talks that focused on how the data center development could contribute to nearby communities in tangible ways.
Power demands and regulatory questions around Meta project
Separately, Entergy Louisiana has addressed concerns about the electrical load of Meta’s data center under construction in Richland Parish. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say The facility is estimated to consume roughly four times the 1,160 megawatts that Entergy New Orleans customers used on a record single-day peak in June 2022. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say Opponents from the Take the Power Back campaign described the scale as absurd for a single project and raised issues about strain on the energy grid, water supply, and the need for additional gas-fired power plants. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say Entergy Louisiana has stated that the 20-year agreement with Meta requires the company to pay for the electrical infrastructure being built and that the project will not raise costs for other customers. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say The company has pointed to more than 1,500 jobs tied to the buildout and noted that Governor Jeff Landry has directed that data centers must pay their own way. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say A related report from Acadiananewsfirst.com carried the same summary of Entergy’s position that concerns are misguided. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say Discussions around the project have continued to focus on how large-scale developments interact with existing utility planning and local infrastructure capacity.
Public Service Commission action on disclosure
The Louisiana Public Service Commission recently voted down an administrative law judge’s order that would have required Meta to disclose how it calculated job projections and electricity needs for the Richland Parish project. ‘LaPolitics’ Q&A: Scrutinizing the costs of powering Meta Logan Burke, executive director with the Alliance for Affordable Energy, commented on whether the commission overruling an ALJ is unusual. ‘LaPolitics’ Q&A: Scrutinizing the costs of powering Meta The decision has been noted by observers tracking regulatory processes for major energy users in the state. Further review of project details remains a topic of interest among those following data center growth and its effects on public utilities.
Why it matters for Louisiana
These developments illustrate differing approaches to community-level benefits and large-scale power arrangements tied to data center projects in the state. The Boyce agreement provides direct local funding for infrastructure and growth, while the Meta project continues to face questions about electricity demand and regulatory transparency. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce [kalb.com](https://www.kalb.com/2026/10/13/massive-power-needs-meta-data-center-richland-parish-are-absurd-opponents-say/‘LaPolitics’ Q&A: Scrutinizing the costs of powering Meta) The contrast between the two cases shows how individual projects can produce distinct outcomes depending on the agreements reached with local governments and the level of scrutiny applied by regulators. In Boyce, the emphasis has been on securing dedicated resources for the town through the community benefit agreement. In Richland Parish, attention has centered on the size of the electrical load, the allocation of costs, and the availability of information used in planning. Both situations reflect broader conversations in Louisiana about how data centers are integrated into communities and utility systems. Local leaders, utility representatives, and advocacy groups have each contributed perspectives on the appropriate balance between economic activity and resource management. The presence of multiple projects at different stages of development underscores the ongoing nature of these discussions across parishes. As more facilities are proposed or built, the experiences in Boyce and Richland Parish offer examples of the varied paths such developments can take. Continued attention to the details of agreements, power arrangements, and regulatory steps is expected as the sector expands in the state.
Evidence Used
- Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce — Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce
- Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say — Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say
- Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say — Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say
- ‘LaPolitics’ Q&A: Scrutinizing the costs of powering Meta ‘LaPolitics’ Q&A: Scrutinizing the costs of powering Meta — ‘LaPolitics’ Q&A: Scrutinizing the costs of powering Meta