AI compute & high-performance computing
Applied Digital Project Lightning — Rapides Parish, Louisiana
Operator: Applied Digital · Last updated
Capex range
$26.9M-$7B
MW
Verification needed
Acres
672 acres
Sq ft
Verification needed
Permanent jobs
200
Construction jobs
1,500
Why this page exists
672-acre site acquired for $26.9M near Boyce with AI/HPC positioning; local authorities advanced industrial zoning/PILOT mechanics while civil packages mobilized along I-49. Scope narratives span early-phase infrastructure spend through multi-billion-dollar headlines tied to financing packages.
Louisiana data-center economics require reading the site, power, water, tax, and utility record together. This page treats Louisiana Act 730 sales/use tax exemption diligence and local PILOT structures as separate claims, because incentive headlines are not the same as parish-level fiscal impact.
Interactive map
Site, parish, power, and water context
Public GIS layers are simplified for page performance. Use the linked primary datasets for engineering-grade geometry.
Source-linked claim table
| Claim | Value | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Capex range | $26.9M-$7B [1][2][3][4][5][6] | Applied Digital Form 8-K (Louisiana land acquisition disclosure); Construction reporting at Boyce data center site; England Authority advance on PILOT + Applied Digital project; Alexandria broadcast reporting on Boyce industrial rezoning; England Authority negotiation reporting; Rapides Parish Clerk of Court (official portal) |
| Power capacity | Verification needed [1][2][3][4][5][6] | Applied Digital Form 8-K (Louisiana land acquisition disclosure); Construction reporting at Boyce data center site; England Authority advance on PILOT + Applied Digital project; Alexandria broadcast reporting on Boyce industrial rezoning; England Authority negotiation reporting; Rapides Parish Clerk of Court (official portal) |
| Site size | 672 acres · Verification needed [1][2][3][4][5][6] | Applied Digital Form 8-K (Louisiana land acquisition disclosure); Construction reporting at Boyce data center site; England Authority advance on PILOT + Applied Digital project; Alexandria broadcast reporting on Boyce industrial rezoning; England Authority negotiation reporting; Rapides Parish Clerk of Court (official portal) |
| Jobs | 200 permanent · 1,500 construction [1][2][3][4][5][6] | Applied Digital Form 8-K (Louisiana land acquisition disclosure); Construction reporting at Boyce data center site; England Authority advance on PILOT + Applied Digital project; Alexandria broadcast reporting on Boyce industrial rezoning; England Authority negotiation reporting; Rapides Parish Clerk of Court (official portal) |
| Louisiana incentive posture | Act 730 sales/use tax exemption and local PILOT structures require document-level verification. [7] | Louisiana Legislature bill and Act search for Act 730 data-center exemptions |
| Sales/use tax and PILOT framework | Louisiana Act 730 and local PILOT structures are tracked as separate legal/economic artifacts. [7] | Louisiana Legislature bill and Act search for Act 730 data-center exemptions |
Timeline
Dec 1, 2025
Project publicly announced or entered the source-backed watch queue.
Mar 1, 2026
Groundbreaking or civil mobilization milestone recorded.
Economic impact calculator
Edit the assumptions to compare an ad-valorem proxy against a PILOT discount, construction labor hours, and peak power demand relative to an editable parish consumption baseline.
Ad-valorem proxy
$386,479,500
PILOT proxy
$212,563,725
Construction job hours
6,240,000
Demand vs parish use
0x
What to watch next
- LPSC docket activity for generation, transmission, and rate-base recovery tied to data-center load.
- Rapides Parish permit, council, police jury, and economic-development agendas.
- Operator press rooms, SEC filings, and investor presentations for delivery dates, lease economics, and tenant commitments.
- Utility substation, transformer, and transmission-procurement signals near the site.
- Workforce board, contractor, and supplier notices that usually precede peak construction demand.
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List your companyFAQ
How big is Applied Digital Project Lightning?
Applied Digital Project Lightning is tracked at Verification needed and 672 acres, with Verification needed of power capacity where public sources support the number.
How many jobs will Applied Digital Project Lightning create?
Current tracked figures show 200 permanent jobs and 1,500 construction jobs, subject to source verification.
What is the PILOT agreement for Applied Digital Project Lightning?
A PILOT is a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes structure negotiated locally; this page tracks the public artifacts needed to compare ad-valorem exposure with negotiated payments.
When will Applied Digital Project Lightning come online?
Site acquired — early development. Exact phase delivery dates remain tied to operator updates, utility milestones, parish permits, and regulatory filings.
Which parish is Applied Digital Project Lightning in?
Applied Digital Project Lightning is tracked in Rapides Parish, Louisiana.
Who is the operator of Applied Digital Project Lightning?
Applied Digital is the operator listed for Applied Digital Project Lightning.
How much water will Applied Digital Project Lightning use?
Water use is tracked as a verification item because definitive cooling and withdrawal figures usually appear in permits, utility exhibits, or operator environmental disclosures.
What incentives did Louisiana give Applied Digital?
Louisiana data-center incentives can include Act 730 sales/use tax treatment and local PILOT structures; the exact package should be verified against state, parish, and operator documents.
What power infrastructure serves Applied Digital Project Lightning?
The page tracks substations, transmission watch corridors, and utility filings as source-backed signals rather than engineering-grade interconnection maps.
Why does LouisianAI label confidence levels?
Confidence labels distinguish seed, reported, and verified claims so readers can separate early intelligence from document-backed facts.
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Cite this page or subscribe to project-specific milestone alerts.
Sources (7)
[1] Applied Digital Form 8-K (Louisiana land acquisition disclosure)
Applied Digital / SEC EDGAR · 2025-12-18
Primary securities disclosure anchoring land acquisition financing.
[2] Construction reporting at Boyce data center site
Rapides Parish Journal · 2026-03-25
Local verification of civil mobilization / staging posture.
[3] England Authority advance on PILOT + Applied Digital project
Rapides Parish Journal · 2026-04-24
Local governance artifact covering PILOT advancement.
[4] Alexandria broadcast reporting on Boyce industrial rezoning
KALB · 2026-03-02
Regional reporting tying parish rezoning actions to Boyce site.
[5] England Authority negotiation reporting
Rapides Parish Journal · 2026-01-22
Early-phase reporting naming Applied Digital pursuit.
[6] Rapides Parish Clerk of Court (official portal)
Rapides Parish Clerk of Court
Primary parish civil records portal for instrument retrieval.
[7] Louisiana Legislature bill and Act search for Act 730 data-center exemptions
Louisiana Legislature
Primary state-law lookup surface for Act 730 sales/use tax exemption and local PILOT diligence.