The Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) has given the go-ahead for the installation of three natural gas turbines set to power Meta’s planned 2GW data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana.

US utility Entergy received approval from the Commission yesterday (20 August) to construct the three combined-cycle combustion turbine generation facilities. The three turbines are expected to have a combined capacity of 2.26GW.

Two of the units are expected to come online in 2028, with the third facility, built at Entergy Louisiana's existing Waterford site in St. Charles Parish, expected to commence operations in late 2029.

"Today's decision by the Commission is a critical step toward ensuring the long-term reliability and affordability of electric service for all of our customers," said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO.

To serve the data center, Entergy will build several new transmission lines, including a recently announced $1.2 billion 100-mile 500kV project, slated for completion in December 2026. In addition, the utility will construct two substations, six customer-owned substations, and eight new 230kV transmission lines.

In June, the utility broke ground on the first substation. The Smalling Substation is being constructed in Richland Parish and will be entirely funded by Meta. When completed, it will span 55 acres and connect to high-voltage power lines that bring energy from across the region and deliver it to the Meta site.

Additionally, the LPSC authorized the utility to procure up to 1.5GW of solar power through an expedited certification process.

Consumer groups, such as the Alliance for Affordable Energy, had urged the LPSC to delay the vote, arguing that the public needed more time to assess the project's impact on ratepayer bills. However, Entergy officials responded, stating that they had carefully reviewed the costs and estimated the project would increase the average customer’s bill by about $1.

Meta has offered to offset most of the costs for Entergy's customers, with the company set to pay the full annual revenue for the plants for 15 years. However, environmental groups have argued that Entergy did not follow the correct procedure when proposing the new gas-fired plants, which could result in significant costs for ratepayers.

"These investments will help power one of the most advanced data centers in the world and will also reinforce our grid, create economic opportunity, and support a more sustainable energy future across Louisiana. Importantly, Meta is paying its share of the costs for the infrastructure needed to support its operations, ensuring that other customers are protected from those expenses,” said May.

News on the data center - known as Hyperion - first broke back in December, with Meta announcing its intention to construct the mega campus on 2,250 acres between the municipalities of Rayville and Delhi, about 30 miles east of Monroe. Renderings of the campus suggest up to nine buildings are being planned, with construction expected to be completed in phases through 2030.