Meta Agrees to Fund Natural Gas Plants to Power Its Louisiana Data Center

Meta has agreed to underwrite the energy infrastructure costs for its newest and largest data center, located in northeast Louisiana, funding local natural gas plant construction to secure power for the facility. The Wall Street Journal, cited by Mashable, reports Meta is directly subsidizing energy production. The arrangement reflects a broader pattern among hyperscalers: as AI compute demand outpaces available grid capacity, major tech companies are increasingly funding their own power infrastructure rather than waiting for utility buildout. Meta's Louisiana facility is among the largest AI data center investments in the US, and the decision to tie it to fossil fuel generation will likely draw scrutiny from climate advocates tracking the sector's growing carbon footprint.