Side-by-side
Meta Hyperion AI Data Center vs Applied Digital Project Lightning
Two Louisiana AI data center projects, compared on operator, parish, status, focus, and what to watch next. Click into either project for full detail and source citations.
| Attribute | Meta Hyperion AI Data Center | Applied Digital Project Lightning |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | Meta | Applied Digital |
| Parent | Meta Platforms, Inc. | Applied Digital Corporation |
| Parish | Richland Parish | Rapides Parish (near Boyce) |
| Status | Under construction — Phase II power expansion remains under LPSC review | Under construction — Delta Forge 1 broke ground in January 2026 |
| Category | Hyperscale AI/data-center campus | AI compute & high-performance computing |
| Summary | Meta's Richland Parish campus is a $10B-class AI-optimized data center build with roughly 4 million square feet across 2,250 acres. Phase I power is approved, while Entergy's March 2026 Phase II expansion package remains under review at the LPSC. | Applied Digital's Delta Forge 1 / Project Lightning campus is a $3.6 billion Rapides Parish AI factory build. Official materials describe 430 MW of utility power, up to 300 MW of critical IT load, and initial operations targeted for mid-2027. |
| Why it matters | Watch U-37425 and U-37882, Entergy substation and transmission work, groundwater reporting, and the ratepayer-cost debate around the larger Hyperion buildout. Labor, civil, and support-service demand remains one of northeast Louisiana's clearest supplier signals. | Watch Cleco delivery work, Act 730 documentation, and whether the next public record uses the company's 500-plus-acre campus framing or the state's 300-acre initial-build framing. Delta Forge 1 is central Louisiana's clearest hyperscale vendor signal. |
LouisianAI comparison pages cross-link source-backed project detail. For any commercial or regulatory decision, consult the primary filings linked from the project detail pages.