The largest Meta data center yet brings big impact to Louisiana

Rendering of Meta's Richland Parish Data Center

Meta data centers are part of the global infrastructure that brings our technologies and programs to life.

In December 2024, Meta announced that we are building our largest data center to date in Richland Parish, Louisiana. The Richland Parish Data Center will be part of Meta’s global infrastructure that brings our technologies and programs to life, and it will play a vital role in accelerating our AI progress, delivering over two gigawatts of compute capacity to train future open-source large language models.

The 4 million-square-foot Richland Parish Data Center will also bring big benefits to northeast Louisiana. Like all Meta data centers, our Richland Parish site will support the development of strong, sustainable communities by sourcing materials and hiring locally, investing in the local economy, and providing community grants to local schools and nonprofits.

“Meta’s investment establishes the region as an anchor in Louisiana’s rapidly expanding tech sector, revitalizes one of our state’s beautiful rural areas and creates opportunities for Louisiana workers to fill high-paying jobs of the future. I thank Meta for their commitment to our state.” —Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry

$10B+

Data center investment in Louisiana

5,000+

Skilled trade workers onsite at peak construction

500+

Operational jobs supported, once completed

Partnering with Richland Parish

Meta is committed to investing in the long-term vitality of our data center communities. We are proud to bring programs that support local schools, nonprofits and small businesses to
the Richland Parish community.

Supporting schools and nonprofits

Meta is investing in local schools and organizations with recent donations to Richland Parish Public Schools, the Richland Voluntary Council on Aging, and Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery. Once the data center is operational, Meta will launch our annual Community Action Grants program. These grants put technology to use for community benefit and improve STEAM education. We will also offer programs, like our no-cost digital skills training, that help local small businesses and nonprofits grow their reach.

Prioritizing energy efficiency, water stewardship

Meta approaches sustainability from the ground up — from design and construction to operations — by prioritizing energy efficiency and clean and renewable energy, water stewardship, and responsibly managing the end of life of our equipment. Together with our Louisiana energy partner, Entergy, we’re proud to be adding enough clean and renewable energy to the grid to match the total electricity use of our Richland Parish Data Center.

We are also partnering on a water restoration project that will improve water quality in the local watershed and investing in a community organization that will work to address shared water challenges in the Mississippi River basin.

Our goal is restoring more water than we consume globally in 2030

Water is a finite resource — every drop matters. That’s why our water stewardship program focuses on minimizing data center water use, restoring water to local watersheds and being transparent with our water data. In Louisiana, Meta is partnering with Resource Environmental Solutions (RES) to improve water quality in the Bayou Pierre-Red River watershed through the restoration of a 316-acre cattle pasture to native forested upland and wetland habitats. Meta is also providing seed funding for the establishment of the Mississippi River Water Action Collaborative, an organization that will bring together community, government, NGO, and private sector stakeholders to address shared water challenges in the Mississippi River basin. This collaborative is being led by the Pacific Institute, America’s Watershed Initiative, and LimnoTech.

Job opportunities in Richland Parish

Hiring is open for our Richland Parish Data Center! Construction of our data centers requires hundreds of skilled trade jobs. These include construction managers, health and safety specialists, electricians, carpenters and others. Check out current job openings with Mortenson, DPR Construction and Turner Construction Company, the three general contractors on the project.

Enabling the future of AI

The Richland Parish Data Center will play a vital role in accelerating our AI progress and enabling future generations of AI infrastructure. The data center will deliver over two gigawatts of compute capacity to train future open-source large language models — helping Meta unlock historic innovation and expand American technology leadership.

Minimizing water use

Meta is proud to build some of the most sustainable data centers in the world. This includes making sure that our data centers prioritize onsite water efficiency. Our Richland Parish Data Center will feature an efficient cooling design and will be landscaped with native and drought-resistant vegetation; capture and infiltrate rainwater onsite; and incorporate water-saving fixtures and technologies.

Supporting a strong community

We’re proud to support schools and local organizations that make Richland Parish a strong, sustainable community. Meta’s contributions include a donation to support workforce development programs in Richland Parish Public Schools that focus on critical job training using cutting-edge AR/VR technology; support for the Richland Voluntary Council on Aging and their core services, including meal deliveries to homebound senior citizens and a community center; and enabling Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery to make long-planned improvements to the grounds and facility at its Rayville location.

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