The Largest Data Center in History Expands to Twice Airport Size in Rural Louisiana
March 2nd, 2026: Louisiana Regulators Reject Ownership Transfer InvestigationNew here? Follow stories to track developments over time. Create a free account to get updates when stories you care about change.
Meta's Hyperion data center -- a $27 billion AI campus rising in rural Richland Parish, Louisiana -- is on track to become the largest facility of its kind in history, and Meta has quietly bought enough land to more than double it. The initial 2,250-acre, 4-million-square- foot build will deliver 2 to 5 gigawatts of computing power, enough to train the next generations of Llama. The financing is the biggest private-credit deal ever executed and the single largest private investment in Louisiana history. In February 2026, Fortune revealed Meta's quiet purchase of another 1,400 adjacent acres, setting up a Phase 2 that would roughly double the campus footprint.
The project exemplifies a broader transformation: Big Tech is racing to build unprecedented AI infrastructure in rural America, promising jobs and tax revenue to communities that desperately need both. But Holly Ridge, the town of 2,000 where Hyperion is rising, is already experiencing the friction. Traffic crashes spiked 600% in late 2025, the elementary school shut down its playground over safety concerns, and residents described construction truck drivers as 'dangerous and reckless.' In March 2026, Louisiana utility regulators rejected calls to investigate Meta's complex ownership restructuring with Blue Owl Capital, determining that Entergy Louisiana's contractual protections adequately shield ratepayers. Whether the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term chaos—and how communities adapt to even larger expansions—will help determine how dozens of similar projects unfold across the country.
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Fictional AI pastiche — not real quote.
"A man of productive ambition transforms 2,250 acres of Louisiana into a monument to reason and computing power, and the neighbors complain about traffic — as though the engine of civilization owes them a quieter commute."
Fictional AI pastiche — not real quote.
"I confess a certain satisfaction in witnessing the erection of such a temple to Reason in the American hinterland, yet I cannot suppress my alarm that this new Colossus—dedicated though it be to the expansion of human knowledge—visits upon modest yeomen the very tyrannies of disruption and disregard we once associated with standing armies quartered among a peaceful population. The philosophes spoke much of Progress, but rarely did they reckon with its baggage trains thundering through schoolyards."
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Parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp; developing open-source Llama AI models.
Alternative asset manager that financed the largest private-credit deal in history.
Regional utility approved to build three natural gas plants and transmission infrastructure to power Hyperion.
Louisiana Public Service Commission declined to investigate Meta's transfer of 80% ownership to Blue Owl Capital, determining Entergy Louisiana's contractual guarantees adequately protect ratepayers from cost shifts.
Meta quietly purchased 1,400 acres adjacent to the original Hyperion site from George B. Franklin & Sons, enabling Phase 2 expansion that would more than double the campus size. Fortune observed early site preparation including utility markings and heavy equipment.
Meta announces nuclear energy deals with TerraPower and Vistra, securing up to 6.6 gigawatts of baseload power by 2030-2035 to support Hyperion and other data centers, marking the largest nuclear commitment by a tech company.
One year after groundbreaking, Meta announces it has contracted $875 million with Louisiana businesses, supporting 3,700 construction workers with a peak of 5,000 expected by mid-2026.
Louisiana Illuminator reports that crashes in Holly Ridge have surged 600% since construction began, with multiple serious incidents near the elementary school.
Meta and Blue Owl Capital finalize the largest private-credit transaction ever executed. Blue Owl takes 80% ownership; Meta retains 20% and will lease the facilities.
Louisiana Public Service Commission votes 4-1 to approve Entergy's construction of three gas-fired plants totaling 2,262 megawatts to power Hyperion, with Meta covering all costs.
A dump truck hauling dirt crashes into a tree near the Hyperion site, killing the driver. It is one of several serious crashes since construction began.
Governor Landry meets with the Richland Parish Sheriff's Office after residents report dangerous driving by construction trucks. New stop signs are installed at key intersections.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry announces Meta's selection of Richland Parish, calling it the largest private investment in state history and projecting 500+ permanent jobs.
Meta breaks ground on the Hyperion AI data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana, on a 2,250-acre former farm site between Rayville and Delhi.
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Construction proceeds through 2030 with Hyperion delivering its planned 2+ gigawatts of capacity. The facility employs 500+ workers at 150% of state average wages, generates over $160 million in sales tax revenue, and attracts additional data center investment to northeast Louisiana. Traffic and safety issues subside as permanent roads and infrastructure are completed. The project becomes a model for rural AI infrastructure development.
Entergy's new gas plants face construction delays or regulatory challenges, while the 1,500 megawatts of promised solar cannot be connected due to transmission backlogs. Hyperion opens with reduced capacity, forcing Meta to scale back AI training plans or seek supplementary power from other regions. The gap between data center demand and grid supply becomes a national policy issue.
Continued accidents and infrastructure strain lead to lawsuits or stricter state oversight. Meta agrees to relocate Holly Ridge Elementary, fund additional road improvements, or slow construction to reduce traffic. The controversy influences how other rural communities negotiate data center deals, with more demanding terms for infrastructure mitigation upfront.
If AI revenue growth fails to match infrastructure spending, Meta or its creditors may reduce Hyperion's scope. Blue Owl's bondholders face losses if Meta cannot maintain lease payments. The project becomes a cautionary tale about over-investment in AI infrastructure, though the facility's partial completion still transforms the local economy.
Microsoft built its first major rural data center in Quincy, Washington, population 6,220, attracted by cheap Columbia River hydropower. The agricultural community was initially skeptical but agreed to host the facility. Multiple tech companies followed.
Data centers now pay 75% of Quincy's property taxes, funding a new hospital and high school.
Quincy became a model for rural data center development, demonstrating how tech infrastructure can revitalize small towns when managed well.
Quincy shows Hyperion's potential upside: sustained tax revenue, improved public services, and a transformed local economy. The key difference is scale—Hyperion is orders of magnitude larger than anything Quincy has hosted.
Amazon built a regional data center hub in northeast Oregon, near a town once known primarily for a chemical weapons depot and a state prison. Thousands of construction workers descended on the area, straining RV parks and hotels.
Local budgets ballooned with Amazon-linked revenues. Businesses supplying concrete, fencing, and services saw record demand.
Some construction workers put down permanent roots. However, Morrow County voters attempted to recall commissioners over tax breaks that let Amazon avoid $84 million in taxes while paying $14.5 million in fees.
Umatilla illustrates both the economic benefits and the governance tensions Richland Parish may face: rapid growth, dependence on a single employer, and community debates over whether tax incentives are worth the cost.
America Online built the region's first data center in the early 1990s, beginning a transformation that made Northern Virginia the world's largest data center market. What were once rural horse farms became industrial computing facilities.
The region captured 70% of global internet traffic at its peak, becoming essential infrastructure for the digital economy.
Residents now live next to diesel generators and gray walls where farmland once stood. Historic sites like Tippet's Hill Cemetery are surrounded on three sides by data centers. Residential electricity bills have risen as utilities build transmission capacity.
Northern Virginia shows what happens when data center growth outpaces planning. Louisiana officials are trying to avoid similar outcomes by requiring Meta to fund infrastructure improvements upfront.