Entergy Louisiana Touts $2B in Savings from Meta Data Center Deal

Utility CEO says agreement will bring new gas-fired generation, solar, and battery projects to state.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 1:52am

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A highly detailed, photorealistic studio photograph of a sleek, metallic electrical transformer or power generator component floating on a plain white background, dramatically lit to create sharp shadows and a sense of industrial sophistication.A new power generation deal between Entergy Louisiana and Meta aims to bring billions in savings, but consumer advocates warn of long-term risks.New Orleans Today

Entergy Louisiana has reached a deal with Meta (formerly Facebook) to provide power for the tech giant's new multi-billion dollar data center in northeast Louisiana. Entergy CEO Phillip May claims the 20-year agreement will save the utility's customers $2 billion, but the consumer advocacy group Alliance for Affordable Energy has expressed skepticism about the long-term impacts on ratepayers.

Why it matters

The deal represents a major investment in Louisiana's energy infrastructure, including new gas-fired power plants, solar farms, and battery storage projects. However, the Alliance for Affordable Energy is concerned that if Meta leaves the state in the future, Entergy customers could be left shouldering the costs of the new assets.

The details

Under the agreement, Entergy will build seven new 750-megawatt gas-fired generators, 2,500 megawatts of solar power, and several battery storage projects to serve Meta's data center. May says the new generation will have hydrogen capability and carbon-capture technology. The utility claims the deal will save customers $2 billion over the 20-year contract period, as Meta will fully cover the costs of the new assets.

  • Entergy filed the deal for approval with the Louisiana Public Service Commission in March 2026.
  • May expects the commission to approve the deal by the end of 2026.

The players

Entergy Louisiana

A major electric utility serving customers across Louisiana.

Meta

The parent company of Facebook, which is building a multi-billion dollar data center in northeast Louisiana.

Phillip May

CEO of Entergy Louisiana.

Alliance for Affordable Energy

A consumer advocacy group that has expressed concerns about the long-term impacts of the Entergy-Meta deal on ratepayers.

Logan Burke

Executive director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy.

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What they’re saying

“This new agreement will require us to build seven new generators. Each of those generators will be about 750 megawatts each. So, about 5,200 megawatts of new, efficient, modern gas-fired generation.”

— Phillip May, CEO, Entergy Louisiana

“This thing is structured to save our customers over $2 billion, over the life of the 20-year contract. And Meta is fully paying for the cost associated with these assets over that 20-year period.”

— Phillip May, CEO, Entergy Louisiana

“We haven't had nearly enough time to review this most recent application, which, by the way, has a lot of redactions. So there's an awful lot of information that the public, and certainly we, have not seen yet to really be able to analyze and say, indeed, all of these savings are going to come to fruition.”

— Logan Burke, Executive Director, Alliance for Affordable Energy

“The way regulation works in the state of Louisiana is, once this infrastructure is approved to be built, is deemed prudent and in the public interest, it means that utilities will be able to recover those costs from whatever customers they have going forward. And if, in fact, Meta winds up no longer being a customer after 15 or 20 years, that's billions of dollars in costs that ratepayers will be on the hook for.”

— Logan Burke, Executive Director, Alliance for Affordable Energy

What’s next

The Louisiana Public Service Commission will review and approve the Entergy-Meta deal, which Entergy expects to happen by the end of 2026.

The takeaway

While the Entergy-Meta deal promises significant investments in Louisiana's energy infrastructure and potential savings for ratepayers, consumer advocates remain concerned about the long-term implications if Meta leaves the state and Entergy customers are left to cover the costs of the new assets.