The Richland Parish project, originally announced at $10 billion, has grown into one of the largest AI infrastructure investments in the world
Photo by Laurent Hou/Hans Lucas /AFP via Getty Images
Meta $META announced Monday that it is expanding its Hyperion data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana, to 5 gigawatts of compute capacity at a total cost of more than $50 billion, more than doubling a prior price tag of roughly $27 billion and an original design capacity of 2 gigawatts.
The expanded project will include more than $1 billion in local infrastructure improvements covering roads, water, and wastewater systems, the company said. Since breaking ground in December 2024, local Louisiana businesses have received more than $1.6 billion in contracts from Meta. Rachel Peterson, Meta's vice president of data centers, said in a statement that the project "has always been about more than building infrastructure — it's about building alongside the community."
As part of the project's energy arrangements, Meta agreed to finance power generation and transmission projects with Entergy $ETR Louisiana, including seven combined-cycle natural gas plants, grid-scale battery storage at three sites, and roughly 240 miles of high-voltage transmission infrastructure. Entergy estimated the deals would produce about $2.65 billion in combined benefits for its customer base. Meta said it pays the full costs of energy, water, and related infrastructure so those expenses are not passed to consumers.
Meta also said it is donating $5 million to Louisiana Delta Community College to fund scholarships training local residents for data center jobs. All graduates from Richland Parish high schools beginning with the class of 2026 will be eligible for full scholarships for data center-related trade certificates or courses.
When the expansion was announced, Hyperion differs from conventional data centers by concentrating graphics processing units and specialized hardware designed for AI workloads. Meta indicated the facility is on track to hit 2 gigawatts by 2030, but the company has not set a date for achieving the full 5-gigawatt capacity.
Blue Owl Capital, a private-credit firm that holds a substantial ownership stake in the project, is among its financial backers, as is BlackRock $BLK, according to the New York Times. Meta did not announce a financial partner for the expansion portion of the project.
The project has reshaped Richland Parish's economy, with sales tax collections surging dramatically after construction got underway and some teachers in the district taking home bonuses of $50,000 or more, according to the New York Times. Sheldon Jones, superintendent of the Richland Parish School District, said in a statement that the bonuses have made the parish "a destination for education as well as industry." Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry held a press event in Baton Rouge tied to Monday's announcement.
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