HOLLY RIDGE — As Gov. Jeff Landry prepares to hold a press conference regarding Meta's expansion of its data center located in Richland Parish, Meta has revealed how the data center has affected the local community so far. 

According to the company, it plans to expand the data center to 5 gigawatts of compute capacity while also improving investments into the area. 

Teachers in Richland Parish recently received annual bonuses of up to $50,000 due to the increased tax revenues from the project, with public schools and youth programs in the area also receiving support through the Data Center Community Action Grants. 

Since Meta broke ground in 2024, Louisiana businesses have received more than $1.6 billion in contracts from the company, with Meta planning to invest over $1 billion in local infrastructure improvements, including roads, water and wastewater systems.

The Louisiana Delta Community College is also receiving a $5 million donation from Meta to create scholarships to train students for one of its more than 1,000 roles planned once operational.

However, while Meta is investing in the community, some residents still harbor concerns such as how the data center's water and power usage will affect those living in the area. 

The new data center, the company's largest facility worldwide, will use about 500 to 600 million gallons per year due to the water needed to cool the constantly running server network. The amount is three times higher than the company's most water-intensive data center, according to Meta's 2024 sustainability report.

Meta claimed that the Louisiana facility will have sustainable water consumption, with state officials agreeing. However, independent water researchers said that the facility's actual use should be closely monitored due to the lack of state monitoring.

Meta has said that it plans to pay the full cost of energy, water and related infrastructure the data center uses, with a recent agreement with Entergy planned to fund seven new natural gas-fueled generating plants, three grid-scale batteries and nuclear uprates. 

On Monday, Gov. Landry, joined by Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois and Meta President and Vice Chairman Dina Powell McCormick, will discuss what Meta's investment in the data center means for Louisiana workers, businesses and communities.