Meta Hyperion AI Data Center
Under construction. July 13, 2026: Meta confirmed 5 GW / $50B+ build-out; U-37882 expansion package still under LPSC review.
Project profile →§ Parishes / louisiana / richland-parish
Parish dossier · Richland Parish
Richland Parish data center near Rayville. Northeast Louisiana.
— residents. — sq mi. Population center: Rayville. As of May 2026 the parish hosts 1 tracked AI infrastructure project under Entergy Louisiana.
Source-backed rows on this hub: Meta Hyperion AI Data Center (Under construction — Phase II power expansion remains under LPSC review). The utility of record is Entergy Louisiana. Capex, megawatts, jobs, and permit outcomes stay on the named campus pages; this parish page does not invent a local total from those rows.
Rayville is the parish seat. LED's December 4, 2024 release places Meta's 2,250-acre former Franklin Farm site between Rayville and Delhi, about 30 miles east of Monroe. LouisianAI treats Meta data center Rayville LA, Richland Parish Meta data center, and Hyperion as the same campus. Official Meta campus materials are on datacenters.atmeta.com/richland-parish-data-center.
● 1 core record$50.0B+ local disclosed-capex floor5,000 MW published site powerEntergy Louisiana
Parish · Richland Parish● 1 core records
Rayville
Parish seat
Region
Northeast Louisiana
Utility
Entergy Louisiana
Core records
1
Watch context
0
Active construction
1
Announced / pre-build
0
Investment disclosure
$50.0B+ local disclosed-capex floor
Published site power
5.00 GW
Projects · Richland Parish
Richland Parish AI and data-center tracker records.
Source-linked briefing · Richland Parish
Richland Parish projects, policy, jobs, and research — only where a source exists.
Each claim below is copied from an existing desk record and linked to that record’s source. Sections with no sourced item are left out.
Richland Parish AI and data-center projects
Richland Parish policy and dockets
Richland Parish Oppidan data-center sketch-plan recommendation
Preliminary sketch plan recommended October 5, 2026 (pending documents and engineer review); reported by local newspaper. Richland Parish Police Jury reporting says jurors approved recommendations on four preliminary sketch plans at the October 5, 2026 meeting, including a proposed Oppidan Data Center on Highway 583 north of Herring Road (25 acres), pending all required documents and parish-engineer questions. This is a preliminary sketch-plan recommendation, not a final plat, permit, or zoning approval.
Richland Parish data-center hub →LDEQ Richland Units 3 and 4 permit hearing (reported)
Proposed / reported; no final permit reported. Richland Beacon-News reported an October 1, 2026 LDEQ hearing on proposed operating, PSD, and acid-rain permits for Entergy's Richland Parish Units 3 and 4 (two combined-cycle units). This update did not independently retrieve an LDEQ notice, so the status is kept as reported/proposed only.
U-37425 — Laidley LLC
Approved. This is the first Meta Hyperion power docket. It approved the initial generation and transmission package needed to serve Meta's Richland Parish campus.
Docket record →U-37882 — Evest LLC / Project Evest
Open. This is the Meta expansion docket. Entergy describes the package as seven additional gas combined-cycle plants totaling more than 5,200 MW, roughly 240 miles of 500 kV transmission, storage, nuclear uprates, and up to 2,500 MW of Meta-funded renewables. WWL Louisiana reports October 7 hearing testimony that some end-of-term or early-exit costs could still fall to other customers, and that Entergy's projected 20-year customer savings are not guaranteed under cross-examination.
Docket record →Richland Parish jobs and training
Meta Hyperion AI Data Center jobs record
Operations: 500 — LED's December 2024 announcement frames 500+ permanent roles at full scale; Sherwood News reports the company expects roughly 300–500 operational full-time employees after construction finishes.. Construction: 5,000 — Meta frames more than 5,000 skilled-trade workers on-site at peak construction (Sherwood News).. Training: River Parishes Community College trades pipeline (desk record); LED FastStart
Parish jobs topic →Assistant Project Manager
Mortenson · Rayville, LA
Mortenson careers (official posting) →Assistant Superintendent
Mortenson · Rayville, LA
Mortenson careers (official posting) →Civil Craft Operator Foreman - Rayville
Mortenson · Rayville, LA
Mortenson careers (official posting) →Craft Foreman - Rayville Datacenter
Mortenson · Rayville, LA
Mortenson careers (official posting) →Data Center Technician (4 weeks)
Louisiana Delta Community College. Four-week entry-level program with BLS, OSHA 10, CORE, NSC Lift Truck, and Corning fiber-optic splicing certifications; cost and dates on the LDCC page.
Program source →Meta data center workforce scholarships
Louisiana Delta Community College / Meta. $5 million Meta gift for full scholarships for Richland Parish high school graduates, starting with the Class of 2026, in data center-related trade programs. LDCC says details are coming.
Program source →Construction Craft Laborer (4 weeks)
Louisiana Delta Community College. Four-week LDCC program covering NCCER Core plus Construction Craft Laborer Level 1 with OSHA 10, BLS, and lift-truck training; WWNO reports it was created for Meta-site hiring demand.
Program source →Richland Parish research
Meta's Expanded Data Center Will Generate $13.2 Billion in Economic Impact for Northeast Louisiana, Updated Study Finds
A Grow NELA release summarizing an updated Ginovus economic-impact study commissioned by the regional economic-development organization after Meta's Richland Parish expansion announcement.
Grow NELA (commissioned study prepared by Ginovus) →Northeast Louisiana Economic Trends Report 2026
An 88-page report prepared by Crenshaw Analytics for the 2026 Northeast Louisiana Economic Summit hosted by BRIP with the University of Louisiana Monroe and Grow NELA, covering 12 parishes and placing Meta's Richland Parish data-center impact in regional context.
Crenshaw Analytics (Michael Crenshaw) →Meta's Louisiana Data Center Could Leave Ratepayers Holding the Bill
A dated advocacy-oriented analysis by Synapse Energy Economics summarizing expert testimony filed on behalf of Sierra Club in Louisiana Public Service Commission Docket U-37882.
Synapse Energy Economics →Issue Brief: Water Use and Louisiana's Data Center Buildout
A September 1, 2026 issue brief examining how Louisiana's data-center buildout intersects with the state's limited water-management framework, covering on-site cooling demand, groundwater well registration, and indirect water use from power generation.
Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law & Policy →The Powering Louisiana Forum: Perspectives on How Louisiana Can Lead in a New Energy Era
A policy-convening white paper summarizing participant perspectives from the April 2026 Powering Louisiana Forum; the paper notes these views are not the author's personal opinions.
Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center; Powering Louisiana; Southeastern Wind Coalition; Greater New Orleans, Inc. →Coverage · Richland Parish
Recent briefs and features covering Richland Parish.
Nov 08Meta is bringing Muse Wonder's memory and focus to the assistants most people already useFeatureOpen →Nov 08Louisiana Tightens Data Center Tax Breaks; Entergy Updates Noted – Nov. 8, 2026BriefOpen →Nov 02Entergy's data center quarter meets Louisiana's December power testFeatureOpen →Oct 31Louisiana Data Center Scrutiny Reported in West Feliciana and Richland ParishesBriefOpen →Oct 30Louisiana Data Center Updates: Terrebonne Outage, West Feliciana Stance, Meta Project – October 30, 2026BriefOpen →Oct 27Meta Richland Parish Data Center Power and Water Needs Detailed in Oct. 26 ReportsBriefOpen →Oct 26Louisiana Data Center Roundup for October 26, 2026BriefOpen →Oct 19Louisiana Commission Overrides Order on Meta Data Center DisclosuresFeatureOpen →
Neighboring parishes
Parishes that share a boundary with Richland Parish.
Northeast region
Richland Parish in the Northeast region.
Region hub: Monroe Metro. Other parishes in the Northeast region:
Related coverage
Richland Parish links to projects, policy, and research.
Parish topic pages
Richland Parish jobs, campuses, power, water, and tax — only where the record exists.
FAQ
Richland Parish data center FAQ.
How many AI data centers are in Richland Parish?
LouisianAI currently tracks 1 announced or under-construction AI data center project in Richland Parish: Meta Hyperion AI Data Center.
Which utility serves Richland Parish data centers?
Entergy Louisiana is the utility of record for Richland Parish. Project-specific generation and transmission costs are recovered from the data center customer under tariffs filed with the LPSC.
What region of Louisiana is Richland Parish in?
Richland Parish sits in the Northeast Louisiana region, with parish seat in Rayville.
Where is the Richland Parish data center?
The sourced Richland Parish data center is Meta Hyperion near Rayville. LED places the 2,250-acre former Franklin Farm site between Rayville and Delhi, about 30 miles east of Monroe.