Organizations Working on These Issues
These organizations are actively involved in data center policy, ratepayer advocacy, environmental justice, and energy regulation in Louisiana. They can provide information, legal support, and ways to get involved.
Ratepayer and Consumer Advocacy
Alliance for Affordable Energy
Louisiana-based ratepayer advocacy organization. They track Entergy rate cases, LPSC decisions, and advocate for fair cost allocation. Directly involved in challenging the Meta infrastructure cost structure — in March 2025, they jointly filed with the Union of Concerned Scientists asking the LPSC to require Meta and Laidley, LLC to appear as necessary parties in Docket U-37425. The Commission declined.
Together Louisiana
Statewide civic organization working on tax policy, industrial tax exemptions, and government accountability. Tracks how incentive programs like Act 730 affect local tax revenue and whether communities see promised benefits from industrial deals.
Power Coalition for Equity and Justice
Louisiana-focused organization working on energy equity and LPSC accountability. Backed Commissioner Davante Lewis — currently the only LPSC commissioner who has consistently voted against the data center fast-track policies and the Lightning Amendment. Tracks how LPSC decisions affect low-income ratepayers and communities of color.
Environmental and Legal
Earthjustice
Public interest environmental law firm. Filed for an LPSC investigation into how Meta's infrastructure is being financed and who bears the risk. The LPSC declined to open that investigation. Earthjustice continues to push for transparency and accountability in how industrial data center deals are structured in Louisiana.
Louisiana Bucket Brigade
Environmental justice organization focused on the River Parishes industrial corridor. Tracks pollution, health impacts, and industrial facility impacts in Cancer Alley communities — including St. Charles Parish, which sits within that corridor.
Sierra Club
National environmental organization. Their Virginia chapter has published detailed research on data center impacts including toxic emissions from backup diesel generators, water consumption (Virginia data centers consumed over 2.1 billion gallons in 2023), and the absence of siting restrictions. Recommends industrial zoning away from residential neighborhoods, schools, and parks — standards relevant to St. Charles Parish's proposed ordinance.
Foundation for Louisiana
Works on climate justice and community resilience across the Gulf South. Focuses on how industrial development decisions — including energy infrastructure — affect frontline communities disproportionately exposed to environmental and economic risk.
Research and Policy
Union of Concerned Scientists
Researches the financial risk of data center infrastructure deals — including the 30-year plant / 15-year contract gap and stranded asset risk for ratepayers. Co-filed the LPSC motion with the Alliance for Affordable Energy. Their analysis of the Lightning Amendment's cost-shifting structure has been cited in legislative testimony.
Good Jobs First
National watchdog organization tracking corporate subsidies and accountability. Maintains a data center subsidy tracker and a data center shutdown tracker — documenting facilities that received public incentives and then closed or scaled back. Directly relevant to evaluating Louisiana's Act 730 structure and stranded asset risk.
Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP)
Nonpartisan tax policy research organization. Published an analysis of state data center subsidy programs — including Louisiana's Act 730 — documenting how states are extending large, long-term tax breaks with minimal job requirements and limited accountability.
Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR)
National research and advocacy organization focused on community-level economic development and environmental justice. Their Building Local Power project has documented that 9 of the top 10 counties most affected by AI data center expansion are low-income communities with predominantly Black populations. Researches how economic factors — cheap land, available tax incentives, proximity to power grids — drive data center siting into communities with limited political resources to push back.
Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI)
Nonpartisan research on data center energy and water consumption. Their reporting on national water usage trends and grid demand growth informs much of the data on this site.
Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR)
Independent, nonpartisan research organization based in Baton Rouge. The longest-standing civic watchdog in the state — researches Louisiana government, tax policy, elections, and public finance. A primary resource for anyone trying to understand how state and local government decisions actually work and who benefits.
Pelican Institute
Free-market policy think tank with a dedicated Center for Energy. Has published research specifically on data centers in Louisiana — including analysis of the Lightning Amendment, grid cost allocation, and how large industrial loads affect ratepayer rates. Their conclusions often favor industry, but the underlying data and policy analysis are substantive and worth reading.
LSU Center for Energy Studies
State-mandated academic research center at LSU. Provides energy data and analysis to the Louisiana legislature, public agencies, and the public. Tracks electricity rates, energy economics, and infrastructure trends in the state.