RICHLAND PARISH, Louisiana (October 28, 2026) – An updated economic impact study commissioned by Grow NELA projects that Meta’s recently expanded $50 Billion data center investment, together with Entergy Louisiana’s supporting energy infrastructure, will generate $13.2 billion in total economic output for Northeast Louisiana between 2025 and 2050. The report, prepared by Ginovus, nearly triples the impact measured in Grow NELA’s original 2025 study. It projects 1,145 permanent jobs, $2.8 billion in net property tax revenue, and nearly $2.7 billion in construction and operational wages paid to residents of the 10-parish region.
“Meta’s historic investments in Northeast Louisiana have been transformative. When Meta’s investment grew fivefold, our original study no longer told the whole story,” said Rob Cleveland, President & CEO of Grow NELA. “We owed our communities, our taxing bodies and our partners, an accurate picture of what this project means for Northeast Louisiana. The updated numbers are staggering, and they are grounded in the same transparent, independent methodology as the first study.”
“Meta’s investment is expanding economic opportunity across Northeast Louisiana at an extraordinary scale,” LED Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said. “It is helping Louisiana companies grow, opening new career paths for our people and giving communities new resources to invest in their future. These are the results that matter — turning historic investment into lasting impact and progress for Louisiana.”
“Numbers like these matter because of what they mean for families in Richland Parish — teachers staying in the district, students seeing a career path close to home, and ballfields and community centers getting the investment they’ve needed for years,” said Sharon Gilmore, Community Engagement Manager for Meta’s Richland Parish data center. “We’re neighbors, and we plan to be good ones for a long time.”
From $10 Billion to More Than $50 Billion
On December 4, 2024, Meta announced it had selected the 2,250-acre Franklin Farm mega site in Richland Parish for a $10 billion, 4 million-square-foot AI data center expected to create 500 direct jobs. Grow NELA commissioned Ginovus to measure that investment, and the June 2025 study quantified the jobs, wages and tax revenue the project would create across Northeast Louisiana.
The project has since grown dramatically. In March 2026, Entergy Louisiana announced a new agreement with Meta to build seven natural gas power plants totaling more than 5,200 megawatts, along with new transmission and battery storage, all paid for by Meta. On July 13, 2026, Meta announced it would commit more than $50 billion to the Richland Parish campus, expanding it to nearly 10 million square feet and 5 gigawatts of IT capacity. Home to Hyperion, Meta’s largest AI training cluster, the campus will be the largest in Meta’s global fleet and one of the largest data centers ever built.
An investment five times larger than the original announcement required a new analysis. The updated study models more than $50 billion in Meta investment, approximately $10 billion in Entergy investment, and roughly 1,000 Meta operational jobs, double the original estimate.
Jobs and Wages: Deep, Immediate and Lasting
The study estimates that construction wages for the Meta and Entergy projects will total $2.31 billion, with approximately 10,000 skilled-trade professionals on site at peak construction. Of that total, $599 Million is projected to be earned by Northeast Louisiana residents, including $377 million by workers from Richland and Ouachita Parishes, and $222 million by residents of the region’s other eight parishes.
Once operational, the projects will create 1,145 direct full-time jobs: approximately 1,000 at Meta and 145 at Entergy. Meta’s average salary is projected at more than 50 percent above the regional average wage. The study expects the project will generate $2.1 billion in operational wages for Northeast Louisiana residents and $3.8 billion in consumer spending over the analysis period.
$2.8 Billion for Local Schools, Public Safety and Health Care
Over the 25-year analysis window, the projects are expected to generate $2.8 billion in net property tax revenue for Richland Parish taxing bodies. At peak assessment, the projects will generate approximately $150 million in net property taxes in a single year.
Richland Parish schools are the largest beneficiary, with nearly $1.26 billion across three school millages, including $607 million for School District #3. Law enforcement is projected to receive $403 million, and Hospital District 1-B $370 million.
The study also projects $1.8 billion in state and local sales tax revenue and $138.6 million in state income tax revenue.
The Impact Is Already Here
The benefits are not waiting for the data center to open. Meta reports more than $1.6 billion in contracts awarded to Louisiana businesses since construction began, and more than $1 billion invested or committed in local roads, water and wastewater infrastructure.
In Richland Parish, construction-driven sales tax growth has transformed school pay. Eligible certified school employees received supplemental payments of $50,935 in 2026, up from $10,200 in 2025. Classified employees received $17,472, up from $3,323.
Meta has also invested directly in the region’s workforce and communities. In July 2026, the company gave $5 million to Louisiana Delta Community College, the largest gift in the school’s history, funding full scholarships for Richland Parish graduates pursuing data center-related trades. Meta has awarded more than $1 million in Community Action Grants to local schools, including grants to every school in the Richland Parish system in 2026, and committed $300,000 to the Richland Revitalization Board for parks, ballfields and community centers in Delhi, Mangham and Rayville.
Entergy’s expanded infrastructure plan, paid for by Meta, includes seven new natural gas plants, three grid-scale battery storage facilities and approximately 240 miles of new 500 kV transmission lines. Entergy and Meta estimate the agreements will deliver about $2.65 billion in customer savings over 20 years, and Meta has committed $215 million to Entergy’s Power to Care and residential energy efficiency programs.
NELA Growth: Measuring the Impact in Real Time
The Ginovus study projects what lies ahead. www.NELAGrowth.com shows what has already happened. Launched by Grow NELA in July 2026 in partnership with Crenshaw Analytics, NELA Growth is a free public platform that tracks publicly reported sales tax collections for all ten parishes in Northeast Louisiana. Grow NELA updates it every quarter.
The latest data shows the region collected $239.7 million in sales tax in the first half of 2026, up $69.9 million, or 41 percent, from the first half of 2024, before Meta’s announcement. All ten parishes collected more than they did before Meta, led by Richland Parish at 396 percent. Regional collections in the second quarter of 2026 reached $112.9 million, up 20.3 percent from a year earlier. Full-year 2026 collections are projected at $467 million, a 37.2 percent increase over 2024.
“The economic impact study tells us where we are headed. NELA Growth shows us where we already are,” said Cleveland. “Every parish in our region is collecting more sales tax today than before Meta arrived. That is money for schools, law enforcement and local services, and anyone can see it for themselves.”
About Grow NELA
Grow NELA is the regional economic development authority representing a 10-parish region in Northeast Louisiana. Grow NELA is a non-profit, investor-governed, economic development organization that accelerates regional opportunities that create new and better jobs, expands the tax base, and generates more wealth for nearly 300,000 people throughout Northeast Louisiana. Grow NELA provides economic development leadership in the parishes of: Caldwell, East Carroll, Franklin, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland, Tensas, Union, West Carroll, and the City of Ruston. For more information, visit www.GrowNELA.com.
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