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Building On The Bayou’s Energy

July 16, 2026

Need to know

 

RealClear

Common Sense

DATA CENTER PLANS: Meta is expanding its massive data center project in Richland Parish, Louisiana, to 5 gigawatts of compute capacity, making it one of the largest data centers in history, the company announced this week.
Why it matters: This $50 billion investment is yet another major project secured thanks to the policies of Gov. Jeff Landry, state legislators and other forward thinking leaders there. We aren’t surprised by this most recent example of innovation.
Last summer, Louisiana delivered one of the strongest examples and greatest victories for ARC-ES legislation in the states when it became the first in the nation to codify into law a guarantee of affordable, reliable and clean energy for homes and businesses statewide, positioning the state as a powerhouse of economic growth and innovation.
The bill strengthened Louisiana’s economic momentum and global competitiveness by attracting continued investment from leading corporations and prioritized domestically produced fuel sources to reduce dependence on foreign nations.
Consider: 
Meta expects its pair of Entergy deals, which include some clean energy commitments, to save Louisiana ratepayers more than $2 billion over the next 20 years.
“When [Meta] came to Louisiana and we sat down with Entergy, we did it in a way that ensured that our citizens don’t pay for this build-up,” Gov. Landry said. “In fact, our citizens are paid. In other words, they are going to recognize electrical generation savings in their utility bills and a build-out in Louisiana’s electrical infrastructure.”
  • The tech giant also plans to spend more than $1 billion on local infrastructure upgrades, including roads, water and wastewater systems.
  • Meta said the expansion includes an energy agreement expected to save Entergy Louisiana customers more than $2 billion over 20 years.
  • The company plans to cover the data center’s energy, water and infrastructure costs.

It is no coincidence that Louisiana is experiencing one of the largest waves of industrial investment in the United States. Energy projects dominate, but AI, manufacturing, ports and infrastructure are also attracting tens of billions of dollars in capital and good-paying jobs.

Bottom line: Louisiana is building the future because it has the energy to power it — and a leader with the bold vision to make it happen.

Nonsense

THE COST OF GREEN POLICIES: As temperatures hit 100 degrees last week, New York City’s unconventional mayor did something pretty conventional: He urged people to use less electricity. If New York State hadn’t blocked so many natural gas pipelines and retired reliable power plants, this wouldn’t be happening.
Thanks to Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul and her predecessor, Andrew Cuomo.
Why it matters: But, as this New York Post opinion piece, spells out, when Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to set their air conditioners to 78 degrees (a past practice of both Democrats and Republicans alike), he revealed something far more harmful than the heat index: how much Albany’s policies have driven New York City’s power grid to the point of collapse.
Consider:
  • So a socialist leader of our largest city is proposing that common folks, working class people and business owners, turn up the ol’ thermostat.
  • Recall that the city nearly had rolling blackouts a year ago, as temperatures spiked and older plants broke down in the heat.
  • Others, including former NYC Republican Mayor Rudy Guliani, asked the same thing.

But here’s the kicker.

And, as The Post reported, Mamdani’s City Hall didn’t exactly lead by example. Fifteen out of 20 spots in municipal office buildings were found to be maintaining much cooler, and much more bearable, temperatures.
So once again, we witness an example of “Rules for thee, but not for me.” Mandami is the latest hypocrite to be sure, telling residents to sacrifice their own comfort while he and his staff literally chilled out.
The state’s energy policy went off the rails last decade, when Albany set unreachable climate goals, then forced electric utilities to implement them. Yep, it’s more green-at-any-cost policies that do little for the environment and drive up consumer costs.
Mamdani’s critics should be talking about how to put New York’s energy focus back on cost and reliability. That means building new power plants posthaste, and peeling back the various climate policies that helped make electric bills jump by almost 50% in the city (and almost double in parts of Upstate) since 2019.
Bottom line: This likely won’t happen, but a state law that mandates Affordable, Reliable, Clean Energy certainly would be a good start.

Midterm spotlight

A look ahead

  • Hearing On FERC: On Wednesday, July 22, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will have an oversight hearing to examine the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Quote of the week

“Even left-wing studies are finding that President Trump’s energy dominance agenda has been undeniably successful in unleashing reliable, affordable, and secure energy.”
— White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital.