A controversial plan to power Meta's largest artificial intelligence data center anywhere in the world, to be built in rural northeast Louisiana, will head for a vote by state regulators next week, far ahead of the initially planned timeline.
The fast-tracked approval by the Public Service Commission is drawing concern from advocates who say average ratepayers and other industrial companies are being put at risk of covering electricity costs for the giant facility, equivalent to the size of around 70 football fields. Entergy and supporters of the plan say enough safeguards are in place and that there is no reason to further delay a project that could be transformational for the impoverished region.
It's not often that environmental groups and oil companies team up for a cause. The plan to power Meta's giant AI data center in remote Louisiana has proven to be a rare exception.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, announced its plan in December to build the $10 billion data center in rural Richland Parish. The new facility will be a centerpiece of the tech company’s race to create technology smarter than the human brain.
A coalition of the largest oil, gas and petrochemical companies operating in Louisiana have similarly argued that the request poses huge risks for them. Around 30 companies are part of the coalition, including Exxon, Shell and Dow, under the banner of the Louisiana Energy Users Group. The coalition declined to comment.
More on this story at NOLA.
