Meta says Louisiana data center cost will exceed $50 billion

July 13 (UPI) -- Meta said Monday that its Hyperion data center planned for rural Louisiana is going to cost more than $50 billion, nearly double the original estimate.

The company announced the updated figure in a blog post, calling the data center in Richland Parish, La., "one of the largest investments in AI infrastructure in the world."

"The commitment from Meta puts Louisiana at the center of America's future in artificial intelligence, positioning our nation to compete and lead globally," Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said in a statement "In just two years, we've secured more than $150 billion in new investment by creating an environment where companies can move quickly and build at scale."

Landry signed a 20-year sales tax exemption for data centers built before 2029 in 2024. Louisiana is just one of more than 30 states to offer tax incentives for data centers in an effort to attract revenue.

In October, Meta said the 5-gigawatt Richland Parish data center project would cost $27 billion. It is a joint project between Meta and Blue Owl Capital.

Meta says it will pay the "full costs of the energy, water and related infrastructure the data center uses so consumers aren't paying the cost." It added that it is investing $1 billion in local infrastructure and has awarded $1.6 billion in contracts with local companies.

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