The Louisiana State Legislature is gaveling in the 2026 regular session while our state is only steps away from ushering in an era of prosperity and newfound competitiveness on the national stage.
Earlier this year, Gov. Landry and Louisiana Economic Development announced that Louisiana is the first state to ever receive the Business Facilities' Platinum Deal of the Year award in back-to-back years. The State received this award in 2024 for Meta's planned $10 billion AI data center in Richland Parish and in 2025 for Hyundai Steel's announced plans to build a $6 billion ultra-low-carbon steel mill in Ascension Parish. These projects are expected to create thousands of construction and permanent jobs in our state, injecting welcome economic opportunity into local communities.
Major projects like these are choosing Louisiana, in large part, because of access to low-cost energy and prospective access to CCS projects to meet the demands of international markets. Delivering these factors that draw this kind of investment will rely heavily on a healthy and robust Louisiana energy industry.
Headlines also speculate about how events in Venezuela, and the potential for increased oil exports, could lead to tremendous opportunities for Louisiana oil refineries. Our state has refineries capable of processing the kind of heavy crude found in Venezuela. So, if there is an increase in refining demand, Louisiana will have the ability to play a part.
While energy opportunities surface abroad, we once again have a federal government committed to increasing production here at home. The Trump administration has restarted energy lease sales in the GoA. By expanding access and supporting investment in the GoA, President Trump is creating jobs here in Louisiana, strengthening energy security and delivering vital funding to restore our coastline.
It is no coincidence that the greatest opportunities in front of our state are closely tied to our energy sector. The O&G industry already supports over 306,000 jobs in Louisiana and represents a quarter of our state's economy. These companies have called our state home for over a century and continue to invest in Louisiana because they do better when the communities where they work, live and raise their families are doing better.
Now, as we look forward and hope to see these new economic opportunities realized, we need to let our energy industry do what it does best. If given the chance, our energy companies will continue to power the world and provide the resources for our state to turn opportunity into reality.
Let's remember what we need for a successful economy in Louisiana. We need stability. We need predictability.
If we want Louisiana to be the preferred location for investment, whether it's related to data centers, reshoring of manufacturing, shifting global policy or something else, we need to continue to have policies in place that allow our industry to remain strong. We need to make sure we have a competitive tax policy that encourages investment and job creation. We need good legal policies that do not empower trial attorneys to drive jobs out of our state. We need to make sure that we are educating our kids who might benefit from this development ten years from now. We do that by making sure that they are prepared to enter the workforce. That is how we remain competitive in a global market.
What's good for business in Louisiana now is going to remain good for business in Louisiana in the future. Louisiana is receiving a lot of recognition for the work we have done to build our economy. However, we need to remember that success is not a stage; it's a treadmill. If we do not keep moving forward, we will be left behind.
This legislative session, Louisiana needs to focus on how we can take those important next steps to usher in an era of prosperity. There is a tremendous opportunity ahead, and we must be prepared to fully seize the moment.
For more information, visit lmoga.com or call (225) 387-3205.
