Stay Informed
Data center policy in Louisiana is moving fast — new bills, new rate cases, new infrastructure decisions. This isn't a one-meeting issue. Here's how to keep up.
News Sources Covering This Story
The Lens (New Orleans)
Investigative nonprofit newsroom. Has published the most detailed reporting on the Lightning Amendment, ratepayer cost structures, and the Union of Concerned Scientists' analysis of the Meta infrastructure deal. Essential reading for anyone following the LPSC proceedings.
Louisiana Illuminator
Nonprofit statewide news organization. Covers the Legislature, state policy, and the economics of the Meta data center deal in depth. Their August 2025 reporting on the Entergy-Meta agreement is the primary source for many figures on this site.
NOLA.com / The Times-Picayune
Ongoing coverage of data center water usage, Meta development, and state policy. Their December 2025 investigation into data center water consumption in Louisiana documented the lack of transparency requirements and the scale of registered water withdrawals.
St. Charles Herald Guide
Local paper of record for St. Charles Parish. Covers parish council meetings, proposed ordinances, and community response to the Waterford expansion. The closest source to what's actually happening on the ground in the parish.
Utility Dive
National energy industry trade publication. Covers FERC proceedings, grid demand policy, state legislation like Texas SB 6, and the broader regulatory debate over how data centers connect to the grid. Useful for understanding what's happening in other states that Louisiana may follow.
Track What's Coming Before It's Announced
Louisiana Site Selection Center
Entergy and LED jointly operate a public database of certified industrial sites across Louisiana, marketed directly to companies and their real estate consultants. It shows which sites are "shovel-ready," what infrastructure is in place, and which parishes are actively competing for industrial investment. You can see what's being offered in your area before any public announcement is made. It won't tell you who's looking — but it tells you what the state is ready to sell.
LPSC Docket Search
New infrastructure filings, rate cases, and capacity requests appear in the LPSC docket system before any public announcement. Search by keyword ("data center," "Entergy," "AI") or docket number. The Meta gas plant docket is U-37425.
Louisiana Legislature — Bill Tracking
Track bills related to data centers, energy, water, and tax incentives as they move through committees and floor votes. Session runs April through June in odd-numbered years; fiscal sessions run in even years.
Document Your Experience
Your Observations Are Evidence
If you live near industrial facilities in St. Charles Parish, your firsthand observations matter — in council meetings, in regulatory proceedings, and in building a public record. Keep notes on noise levels, air quality concerns, and any changes you notice near the Waterford site or along the transmission corridor. Local data from residents carries weight in regulatory proceedings that national statistics don't.
Specific, dated observations — "I noticed sustained low-frequency noise beginning on [date], audible from my backyard at [address]" — are far more useful in a public comment than general concerns. Write it down when it happens.