Tech Giant's Unrevealed Power Needs Exposed in Utility Meeting

2026-10-08 companies

Baton Rouge, Thursday, 8 October 2026.
Entergy Louisiana’s CEO accidentally disclosed that Meta’s new data center requires 4,500 megawatts of electricity—four times the peak power demand of the entire city of New Orleans.

Meta’s Louisiana Data Center Power Demand Disclosed

Entergy Louisiana CEO Phillip May inadvertently revealed during a meeting on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, that Meta’s planned data center facility in Richland Parish is expected to draw approximately 4,500 megawatts of electricity [1]. This massive power requirement underscores the staggering energy footprint of next-generation artificial intelligence infrastructure and highlights the severe load capacity challenges facing regional utility providers like Entergy (NYSE: ETR) [1]. For perspective, 4,500 MW is about four times the peak electricity demand of the entire city of New Orleans, illustrating the unprecedented scale of the project’s power demand [1]. May realized immediately what he had done when an attorney for the Union of Concerned Scientists responded, noting that Meta and Entergy had previously treated the data center’s projected electrical demand as confidential information [1].

Meta’s Louisiana Data Center Power Demand Disclosed

The disclosure occurred as May defended billions of dollars in new generation and transmission infrastructure Entergy plans to build largely to serve Meta’s Richland Parish data center [1]. Meta’s Hyperion data center project in Louisiana targets a total capacity of 5 GW for computing power, with additional gigawatts required to power the broader campus infrastructure [3]. The facility represents a $50 billion investment requiring significant grid upgrades, highlighting the critical business implications for energy pricing and infrastructure investment across the United States [6]. May testified that Meta’s payments are designed to exceed the actual revenue requirements associated with infrastructure needed to serve the company, ensuring other ratepayers are not left paying for them [1].

Infrastructure Expansion and Capital Commitments

To meet this demand, Meta Platforms Inc. is paying for the construction of seven new natural gas-fired plants to fuel its most power-hungry data center, increasing its reliance on fossil fuels amid a fast-moving artificial intelligence race [3]. Prior to the October 2, 2026 agreement, three natural gas plants were already planned for the site, totaling 2.3 gigawatts of power, meaning the new agreement brings the total to ten plants providing over 7 gigawatts 10 [3]. Entergy Louisiana filed application Docket U-37882 on March 25, 2026, seeking certification for a $12.9 billion power expansion project to support the facility [7]. Following the announcement on October 2, 2026, Entergy shares rose 7.2%, reaching a record high in New York [3].

Infrastructure Expansion and Capital Commitments

The project includes 5,278 MW of combined-cycle natural gas capacity across seven units, three battery-storage projects, and over 250 miles of new high-voltage transmission lines [7]. Meta is funding the construction of 386.24 kilometers (240 miles) of transmission lines connecting South Louisiana to North Louisiana and Arkansas, alongside battery energy storage and nuclear power uprates [3]. The deal is structured to ensure Meta covers its full cost of service, with Entergy projecting over $2 billion in customer savings over a 20-year period [3]. Meta holds a 20-year contract for the project, and Entergy asserts Louisiana customers will not pay for the line during this period [6].

Regulatory Hearings and Approval Timelines

The Louisiana Public Service Commission began a three-day evidentiary hearing regarding Entergy’s expansion proposal on October 7, 2026, scheduled to conclude on October 9, 2026 [7]. As of Thursday, October 8, 2026, the hearing is currently in progress, with the Louisiana Public Service Commission expected to consider the request at its December 16, 2026, Business and Executive Session [7]. The application was filed under Louisiana’s “Lightning Directive,” an expedited framework for large generation additions, with the commission directing its Administrative Hearings Division to compile an evidentiary record without issuing a formal recommendation [7]. An administrative law judge previously issued a subpoena for Meta documents related to the data center, but the LPSC vacated that subpoena in an order dated September 17, 2026 [7].

Community Opposition and Environmental Impact

Louisiana landowners are fighting Entergy’s proposed 500kV transmission line for Meta’s Hyperion data center, citing Catahoula Lake and tribal land concerns [6]. During the week of October 1, 2026, roughly 100 people attended a community meeting in Jena, LA, to confront Entergy regarding the proposed power line route, which remains unfinalized despite established substation connection points [6]. The proposed route spans approximately 2.5 miles and 76 acres of Catahoula Lake, a Ramsar wetland of international importance, with construction slated to begin in 2028 and a planned in-service date in late 2031 [6]. Entergy intends to send initial offer letters to landowners in November 2026, with negotiations continuing through June 2027, and potential expropriation proceedings starting between December 2027 and June 2028 [6].

Sources

AI infrastructure Power grid demand