Project Overview

Meta's Hyperion data center campus in Richland Parish, Louisiana, is the company's largest AI infrastructure project globally. It is one of the largest private capital investments ever made in a US state.

Announced on 4 December 2024 by Meta and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, the USD 10 billion facility will span more than 4 million square feet across 2,250 acres of the former Franklin Farm megasite. Construction began in December 2024 and is planned to continue through 2030.

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The campus is designed as an AI-optimized hyperscale data center, built specifically to support Meta's large-scale AI training and inference workloads. The campus is expected to comprise up to nine data center buildings.

Meta has announced that the facility has the potential to scale up to 5 GW of power capacity, a figure it disclosed in March 2026 as part of a new energy agreement with Entergy Louisiana.

The project comprises three general contractors: Turner Construction (New York), DPR Construction (Redwood City, California), and Mortenson Construction (Minneapolis, Minnesota).

Entergy Louisiana, the regional utility and a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, is the power partner and is building new gas-fired generation, transmission, and renewable capacity to serve the facility, with total energy infrastructure costs exceeding USD 5–6 billion.

Hyperion AI Data Center Project Location

The Hyperion AI Data Center Project is located on the 2,250-acre former Franklin Farm megasite in Northeast Louisiana, in Richland Parish. It is situated approximately 30 miles east of Monroe between the municipalities of Rayville, Holly Ridge, and Delhi.

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Project Background

The Hyperion Data Center project originated in 2006, when the state of Louisiana acquired much of the Franklin Farms megasite to attract a major automotive manufacturing plant (such as a Toyota facility).

In January 2024, Meta executives contacted Entergy Louisiana (the regional utility) searching for a location capable of supporting gigawatt-scale power demand for a massive AI data center. This meeting sparked urgent, behind-the-scenes efforts by Louisiana state officials under Governor Jeff Landry.

Local leaders in Richland Parish approved financing terms in July 2024 without full public disclosure of Meta's involvement. To make the deal competitive, Louisiana fast-tracked incentives, including a 20-year sales tax exemption on data center equipment for projects built before 2029.

Meta publicly announced the project on 4 December 2024, selecting northeast Louisiana as the site for its largest data center campus. Site work and groundbreaking began immediately, with Meta entering a long-term lease on the state-owned land.

Initial construction work focused on site preparation, grading, fencing, utility setup, road development, and early infrastructure. The project was awarded to a joint construction team including Mortenson, DPR Construction, and Turner Construction Company.

Meta is committed to investing over USD 300 million in local infrastructure upgrades (roads, water, wastewater systems) and community investments, including grants for schools, nonprofits, parks, and digital skills training.

Stakeholders Details

Hyperion AI Data Center Project Current Status

Hyperion AI Data Center remains under active construction as of April 2026, with no phases operational yet. Phase 1 targets an initial 1.5 GW capacity by late 2027, with full 5 GW scaling phased through 2030.

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A Blue Owl Capital joint venture funds the $27 billion project, covering development and infrastructure, including USD 300 million for local upgrades. Entergy supports power through three new approved natural gas plants and long-term nuclear deals supplying 6.6 GW of carbon-free energy.

Meta Joint Ventures With Blue Owl to fund the Data Center Facility

Meta signed a USD 27 billion joint venture with Blue Owl to fund the data center campus in Louisiana. The facility will be owned & developed by Meta, and Blue Owl Capital will fund the project. Blue Owl secures 80% interest, and Meta secures the remaining 20%.

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The companies have committed to fund their share of the approximately USD 27bn in total development costs for the buildings and power, cooling, and connectivity infrastructure at the campus.

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Blue Owl Capital has made a cash contribution of approximately USD 7bn to the joint venture, and Meta has received a one-time distribution of approximately USD 3bn from it.

Hyperion AI Data Center Project Cost Details

Project Scope

The following is the project scope of the Hyperion AI Data Center:

• Compute Capacity: Targets a total IT load of 5 GW, with Phase 1 at 1.5 GW by late 2027 and 5 GW by 2030, housing 1.3+ million GPUs, including NVIDIA Blackwell.
  

• Optimized as “Titan Cluster”: The facility is optimized as a "Titan Cluster" AI factory for open-source Llama models and Meta Superintelligence Labs.
  

• Infrastructure components: Powered by 7.5+ GW natural gas plants, 2.5 GW renewables, battery storage, nuclear baseload, and behind-the-meter grid ties.
  

• Technology Usage: Employs direct liquid cooling, low-PUE design aiming for LEED Gold, water recycling, and co-packaged optics to handle 140 kW/rack densities.
  

Project Timeline

Hyperion AI Data Center Project Latest News

On 27 March 2026, Entergy Louisiana signed a new agreement with Meta, promising an additional USD 2 billion in customer savings over 20 years tied to the Hyperion AI Data Center. It ensures that Meta covers the full infrastructure costs for the data center facility, building on a prior USD 650 million in savings commitment.

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According to the agreement, Meta will build & finance seven new natural gas plants (expanding to 10 total with prior approvals), adding over 7.5 GW of capacity. It spotlights an increase in Louisiana’s entire grid capacity by more than 30%. Furthermore, it would add up to 2.5 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, including battery storage, that Meta also agreed to help fund.

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Meta's contributions include USD 120 million (with matching funds) for Entergy's Power to Care program and USD 140 million for energy-efficiency initiatives that support vulnerable customers.

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Benefits

The following are the benefits of the project:

• Effective computing facility: The facilities plan to expand capacity up to 5 GW, making the campus one of the most powerful computing facilities ever built.
  

• Enrich underdeveloped communities: The project demonstrates the direct link between AI infrastructure investment and rural economic revitalization. Richland Parish, one of the poorest communities in the United States, is experiencing its most significant private investment in decades.
  

• Generate Multiple Job Opportunities: Generates 500+ high-wage permanent jobs, 1,000+ indirect jobs, and peaks at 5,000 construction roles, revitalizing a high-poverty area.
  

• Economic benefits: Meta funds USD 200+ million in community upgrades, including roads and water systems, and USD 140 million for energy efficiency programs that aid vulnerable residents.
  

• Tech benefits: The facility powers 5 GW of AI compute for training open-source Llama models, advancing U.S. leadership in machine learning and Meta's Superintelligence Labs.

Conclusion

The Hyperion AI Data Center Project stands as Meta's bold flagship in the AI infrastructure race, transforming rural Richland Parish into a global compute powerhouse. It positions Meta as a leader in open-source AI via Llama models and Superintelligence Labs, outpacing rivals amid surging demand for training massive models.

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Its phased delivery through 2030 ensures sustained innovation, integrating cutting-edge cooling, optics, and sustainability features for efficient, high-density operations. The USD 27 billion joint venture ensures enduring economic uplift through multiple job creation and grid monetization.  

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Overall, the project’s success depends on overcoming power scalability, regulatory hurdles, and community integration as it approaches full operations by 2030. Ultimately, Hyperion not only accelerates Meta's AI dominance but redefines rural America's role in the digital economy, blending hyperscale ambition with tangible regional prosperity.

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