West Feliciana Parish residents could be the beneficiaries of several major infrastructure investments made by Hut 8, the company building a nearly $3 billion data center, just north of Baton Rouge.
West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard says Hut 8 is paying for water-system upgrades and electric infrastructure tied to the company’s planned data center – an arrangement he says is designed to keep costs from landing on Louisiana ratepayers.
In an interview, Havard said the parish and Hut 8 are “working out the details” of getting water service to the project while upgrading the parish’s aging water system at the same time.
Hut 8 plans to build a substation for the facility and the parish has pushed to ensure the project’s electrical upgrades do not get shifted into utility “rate base” costs – the pool of investments utilities recover through customer bills.
Utilities “would normally try to put this back on the rate base,” Havard said. The parish has sought to prevent that outcome, he continued.
More on this story at The Center Square.
