Why We’re Going to Court Over Meta’s Louisiana Data Center

A legal fight in Louisiana could affect how much power customers pay for as tech companies build huge data centers. Meta is expanding a data center near Monroe and Rayville, and the utility Entergy says it needs seven new gas-fired power plants, plus battery storage, to supply it — on top of three plants already approved. Combined, the 10 plants would produce more electricity than New York City uses. The price tag for the new plants is estimated at over $15 billion, and regulators have approved a fast-track process that lets Entergy skip competitive bidding, which normally helps keep costs down.

The advocacy groups Union of Concerned Scientists and Alliance for Affordable Energy have filed a court appeal after Louisiana's utility regulator blocked a subpoena that would have forced Meta to disclose basic facts: how many jobs and how much investment the data center will actually bring, and how much electricity it truly needs. An administrative judge had ordered Meta to share this information, but the elected commissioners overruled that decision without explaining why. The groups argue this lack of transparency matters because ratepayers, not just Meta, could end up covering costs. Entergy estimates roughly $3.4 billion of the new plants' costs may remain unpaid after Meta's 20-year electricity contract ends, leaving other customers to pick up the tab.

This case is playing out in Louisiana, but it reflects a broader pattern happening in other states as well, where data center deals and their electricity costs are negotiated with limited public visibility. If you live in an area served by a utility building new power plants for data centers, it may be worth checking how your state's regulators handle these costs and what protections exist for ratepayers.