# Applied Digital Reaches $4 Million Deal With Boyce for Data Center Project
The Town of Boyce reached a community benefit agreement with Applied Digital that will provide $4 million to support improvements, infrastructure enhancements and economic growth within the town. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce Officials announced the agreement on October 14, 2026. Applied Digital is building the $3.6 billion Delta Forge I AI Factory data center just across the street from Boyce. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce The arrangement reflects ongoing efforts by local leaders to secure tangible returns from large-scale digital infrastructure projects that locate nearby. Town leaders have emphasized that such agreements help align project benefits with community priorities over the long term. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say
Town of Boyce Mayor Kelvin McCoy stated that the agreement represents an opportunity to make improvements that will benefit residents, strengthen infrastructure and help build a better future. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce The deal emerged through discussions with Louisiana Central and Applied Digital to ensure the town saw real and long-term benefits from the data center. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce Louisiana Central CEO and President Chris Masingill noted that the agreement made sense given 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 commended the mayor’s advocacy. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce These statements underscore the collaborative process that shaped the final terms and highlight how local officials worked to position the town for sustained advantages from the adjacent development.
Power Demands Draw Scrutiny for Meta Project
Entergy Louisiana has addressed concerns about the Meta 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 4,500 megawatts of power on a continual basis. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say This amount is approximately four times the single-day record of 1,160 megawatts consumed by Entergy New Orleans customers during peak demand in June 2022. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say The scale of the projected load has prompted detailed reviews of grid capacity and long-term planning by utility officials and state regulators.
Opponents from the Take the Power Back campaign described the power needs as absurd for a single project. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say They gathered at New Orleans City Hall on October 13, 2026, to protest related zoning changes and raised concerns about strain on the energy grid, water supply and the need for new gas-fired power plants. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say Entergy Louisiana stated that the 20-year deal with Meta includes the company paying for the electrical infrastructure 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 noted more than 1,500 jobs attached to the buildout and emphasized that data centers must pay their own way under state policy. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say These positions illustrate the competing perspectives that have emerged around the project’s energy requirements and economic contributions.
PSC Decision on Disclosure Requirements
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 project. ‘LaPolitics’ Q&A: Scrutinizing the costs of powering Meta Logan Burke, executive director with the Alliance for Affordable Energy, commented on the commission’s action. ‘LaPolitics’ Q&A: Scrutinizing the costs of powering Meta The decision leaves in place existing review processes while limiting additional disclosure mandates at this stage of project evaluation.
Why it matters for Louisiana
These agreements illustrate how data center projects intersect with local communities and state energy planning. The Boyce community benefit agreement provides direct funding for town improvements tied to the nearby Delta Forge I facility. Applied Digital agrees to $4 million community benefit deal for Boyce At the same time, the Meta project involves large-scale power arrangements that have prompted both support for economic benefits and questions about infrastructure impacts. Massive power needs of Meta data center in Richland Parish are ‘absurd,’ opponents say The PSC’s recent vote affects transparency requirements around project calculations. ‘LaPolitics’ Q&A: Scrutinizing the costs of powering Meta Developments in Rapides and Richland parishes reflect ongoing negotiations over costs, benefits and oversight for major digital infrastructure investments in the state.
Local officials in Boyce have described the funding as a practical mechanism to address immediate needs while preparing for future growth associated with the data center. The proximity of the Delta Forge I site has made coordination between the company, Louisiana Central and town leadership a central element of the planning process. Discussions focused on ensuring that connectivity advantages and geographic factors translated into measurable community gains rather than remaining abstract promises.
In Richland Parish, the Meta facility’s power profile continues to draw attention from both supporters and critics. Entergy Louisiana has stressed that infrastructure costs fall to the company under the terms of the agreement, a point intended to reassure ratepayers about financial protections. The protest activity at New Orleans City Hall showed how concerns about grid reliability and resource use can extend beyond the immediate project area and involve broader coalitions.
The Public Service Commission’s ruling on disclosure maintains the current framework for evaluating large-load projects. By declining to impose the additional reporting requirements recommended by the administrative law judge, the commission preserved existing standards while signaling limits on further mandates in this instance. Observers have noted that the outcome shapes how future projects may be scrutinized during permitting and rate proceedings.
Across both parishes, the pattern of agreements, utility commitments and regulatory actions demonstrates the layered decision-making that accompanies major data center investments. Community benefit packages, power supply contracts and oversight votes each play distinct roles in determining how costs and advantages are distributed. These elements together form the practical context in which Louisiana continues to evaluate and accommodate digital infrastructure growth.
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