Meta expands Louisiana data center to 5GW

• Meta announced an expansion of its Richland Parish, Louisiana data center to 5 gigawatts of computing capacity.
• The project represents an investment of more than $50 billion in the region, according to Meta.
• Meta said the expansion will support its artificial intelligence infrastructure and include more than $1 billion in local infrastructure upgrades.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) announced that its data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana will expand to 5 gigawatts of computing capacity as the company increases infrastructure supporting its artificial intelligence development.

The expansion follows Meta’s December 2024 groundbreaking for the site, with the company reporting that local Louisiana businesses have received more than $1.6 billion in contracts related to the project.

Meta said the project will include more than $1 billion in local infrastructure improvements, including upgrades to roads, water systems and wastewater systems, while the company continues developing the site’s computing capacity.

The company said the expanded facility will support its AI infrastructure strategy.

Meta has been investing billions of dollars into data centers and computing infrastructure as demand for artificial intelligence systems increases across the technology sector.

The company has also announced plans to invest $600 billion in U.S. infrastructure and jobs over three years, with spending focused on data centers and other technology infrastructure supporting AI development.