Applied Digital has reached a $4 million community benefit agreement with the Town of Boyce to support local improvements, infrastructure enhancements, and economic growth. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce The deal covers the area next to the company's Delta Forge I AI Factory, a $3.6 billion data center under development in Rapides Parish. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce Town of Boyce Mayor Kelvin McCoy stated that the agreement represents an opportunity to make improvements that will benefit residents and strengthen infrastructure. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce Louisiana Central CEO and President Chris Masingill noted that the arrangement aligns with Boyce's geographic location and connectivity to the project. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce Applied Digital Community Engagement Coordinator Gail Adams acknowledged the mayor's advocacy for ensuring the community shares in project opportunities. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce
Additional coverage of the Applied Digital project has referenced prior steps including job postings, PILOT terms, and earlier announcements of the Rapides Parish facility. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce These elements together show how the company and local partners have worked through multiple phases to establish the facility while addressing nearby community needs. The $4 million agreement builds on those earlier steps by directing resources toward tangible local benefits in Boyce. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce Discussions involving Louisiana Central and Applied Digital produced the framework for long-term local advantages that extend beyond the immediate construction period. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce
Power demands for Meta project in Richland Parish
Separate reporting on the Meta data center under construction in Richland Parish highlights estimated electricity consumption of roughly 4,500 megawatts on a continual basis. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say This figure is approximately four times the single-day record of 1,160 megawatts consumed by Entergy New Orleans customers during peak conditions 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 and raised concerns 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 The group has protested related zoning proposals and the Richland Parish project. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say The Richland Parish site has drawn parallel attention to grid impacts and local opposition. 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
Entergy Louisiana 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 utility emphasized more than 1,500 jobs tied to the buildout and alignment with state directives that data centers must pay their own way. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say These statements from the utility underscore the structure of the deal and its intended protections for existing ratepayers while the project advances. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say
Regulatory review of Meta project calculations
The Louisiana Public Service Commission 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 data center. ‘LaPolitics’ Q&A: Scrutinizing the costs of powering Meta Executive Director Logan Burke of the Alliance for Affordable Energy commented on the commission's action in a LaPolitics Q&A. ‘LaPolitics’ Q&A: Scrutinizing the costs of powering Meta The vote leaves the calculations without the additional public review that the administrative law judge had proposed. ‘LaPolitics’ Q&A: Scrutinizing the costs of powering Meta
Why it matters for Louisiana
These developments illustrate differing approaches to community benefits and power infrastructure tied to large-scale data center investments in the state. The Boyce agreement emerged from discussions involving Louisiana Central and Applied Digital to deliver long-term local advantages. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce At the same time, the Meta project continues to face questions over energy requirements and regulatory transparency. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say ‘LaPolitics’ Q&A: Scrutinizing the costs of powering Meta Entergy has maintained that its deal structure protects ratepayers while supporting economic activity. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say Officials and advocates continue to weigh project-specific agreements against broader system effects as construction proceeds. 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
The contrast between the Applied Digital arrangement in Rapides Parish and the Meta project in Richland Parish shows how different developers and utilities have addressed local concerns. In Boyce the $4 million commitment focuses on infrastructure and growth near the Delta Forge I site. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce In Richland Parish the emphasis has remained on the scale of power use and the regulatory process surrounding project details. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say ‘LaPolitics’ Q&A: Scrutinizing the costs of powering Meta Additional coverage has continued to reference the sequence of announcements, agreements, and public comments that have accompanied both projects. 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/Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say) The presence of source-backed reporting on each effort allows readers to compare the community-benefit model used near Boyce with the power and transparency questions raised about the Richland Parish development. 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) Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say
Throughout the coverage, the same core facts recur: the $4 million Boyce agreement tied to the $3.6 billion Delta Forge I facility, the 4,500-megawatt estimate for the Meta site, the Public Service Commission vote, and the statements from Entergy, local officials, and advocacy groups. 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) These elements remain central to understanding how Louisiana communities and regulators are responding to data-center growth. The repeated references to job postings, PILOT terms, zoning protests, and infrastructure payments keep the discussion grounded in the documented record for each project. 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/Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say) As construction continues, the differing paths taken in Rapides and Richland parishes highlight the range of agreements and reviews that have shaped public conversation around these investments.
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