Earthjustice Requests Investigation of Meta's $27 Billion Data Center Financing in Louisiana
Earthjustice, a U.S. environmental law group, has filed a request with the Louisiana Public Service Commission to investigate the financing of Meta's $27 billion data center project in Richland Parish. The group argues that the project's financing could burden local homes and businesses with costs.
The facility is planned to exceed 2 gigawatts in capacity. Earthjustice claims this is the first formal petition of its kind in the U.S. The Louisiana Public Service Commission had previously approved construction of gas-fired electric generating stations to support the data center.
A financial agreement with Blue Owl Capital restructured the ownership, allowing Meta to lease the data center with an option to exit the lease after four years, potentially leaving infrastructure costs to local utility customers. Separately, two individuals were arrested by U.S. immigration officers while driving dump trucks to the construction site.
