If you think your bill is high, just wait. Louisiana is primed to get the world’s largest data center, Meta’s Hyperion in Richland Parish near Monroe, and all 1.1M Entergy Louisiana customers are going to pay for it.
The long and the short of it is the Commission is rushing consideration of an outrageously expensive project, much of it paid for by us, to benefit a trillion dollar private company. In doing so, the Commission is subverting a legal process that is intended to balance the interests of all electric ratepayers, particularly residents.
Yes, you read that right.
We’re on the hook for most of the risk at a time when the cost of electricity bills for Entergy Louisiana customers are already up 11% from July 2024. As consumer advocates, we don’t accept that there are no assurances in this agreement to protect residents. We know our commissioners have the power to write in protections that could prevent us from bearing the brunt of the cost.
For roughly the last year, The Alliance has been actively engaged in the legal proceedings at the LPSC where Entergy’s application for new generation and transmission infrastructure to serve Meta is being considered. The Alliance is partnered with the Union of Concerned Scientists and is represented by Earthjustice.
The Alliance’s main concerns with Entergy’s application center around affordability and reliability – who is bearing the risk of the new assets and how will our electricity reliability be impacted?
Last month, The Alliance participated in a key hearing to examine expert witness testimony and get more information onto the public record about the project specifics. That hearing highlighted concerns Entergy’s existing ratepayers – residential, commercial, and industrial – have with the costs being proposed by Entergy.
Even the Louisiana Energy Users Group has gone on record to say Entergy’s proposal as it stands today will result in tremendous and unprecedented risk to ratepayers, and they represent some of the biggest industrial facilities and refineries in the country.
“Entergy should not be allowed to use its monopoly structure to unreasonably impose financial risks on its existing captive ratepayers to serve the new data center load, while it reaps the return-on-equity benefits to be gained from the unprecedented billions of new infrastructure spending,” said Louisiana Energy Users Group, a coalition of industrial consumers who use significant electricity that includes Exxon and Dow Chemical.
Entergy confirmed they make ~$48M per every $1B in infrastructure investment. That means they stand to make hundreds of millions of dollars from this deal. Existing Entergy ratepayers — residential, commercial, — are covering the costs Meta is not, which is what will make Entergy’s profit possible.
The Alliance for Affordable Energy subpoenaed Meta to find out if the jobs being touted are for Louisiana residents, but Administrative Law Judge Melanie quashed our motion. Entergy also cannot confirm the jobs will be local.
At this point, two main players in the legal proceeding, The Alliance and LEUG, oppose Entergy’s application.
The cost of living is skyrocketing, and electricity bills are a significant cause. In July 2025, 1,025 people called Louisiana’s 211 hotline requesting utility assistance.
In April 2025, the Commission voted to end a statewide program that would have saved residents across the state thousands of dollars in electricity costs. Commissioners voted instead to let utility companies run a program designed to sell us less electricity. Get real. A clear conflict of interest.
In 2023, Entergy Corporation cut their funding commitment in half to Power to Care, a program that provides emergency bill payment assistance to older adults and customers with disabilities in their time of need. They were contributing “up to $1M”, and are now contributing “up to $500,000” per year. In actuality, $259,716 was contributed in 2023. Meanwhile, Entergy Corporation reported net profit of over $1.8B that same year.
Even the federal pot of money for utility assistance is being threatened by Congress’ erratic cuts. This year, Louisiana got nearly $54M in funding. Next year, we could get none depending on what Congress decides this fall. Utility assistance is being cut at a time people are becoming increasingly desperate.
Now is the time for our commissioners to take action to protect us. Their hands are not tied. They have the power to make adjustments to Entergy’s proposal to protect us. In fact, it is their job to do exactly that. Especially at a time when 1 out of 2 Louisiana households are struggling financially.
Contact your commissioner here to ask them to delay a vote on the Meta application. Not sure what to say? Use our template below.
If you are unsure who your LPSC Commissioner is you can find out using the Secretary of State Voter Portal.
Hello,
My name is [Your Full Name], and I am a resident of [District #] in Louisiana. I’m writing/calling to express my concern regarding Entergy’s proposal to build three new natural gas plants to power Meta’s data center being constructed near Monroe, docket U-37425, and to urge the Public Service Commission to prioritize ratepayers like me over big tech interests.
This process has been clouded by confidentiality agreements and is being rushed through at the expense of ratepayers like me. I want you to heavily consider the financial and environmental impact of such large and hasty natural gas expansion in order to power a data center that is projected to bring little, if any benefit to the surrounding communities and our state. There aren’t even assurances by Meta that the jobs are going to Louisiana residents.
Entergy stands to make hundreds of millions of dollars in profits off this agreement while customers like me are left without assurances that we won’t be left footing Entergy and Meta’s bills. At the very least I ask that you include a cost cap to prevent Entergy from spending more than they say they will.
As a constituent who cares deeply about the cost of living, I believe the Commission has a vital responsibility to ensure our utility systems serve the public interest instead of Entergy’s shareholders. Decisions made by the LPSC today will shape our state’s future for decades to come.
There is no reason to rush this vote other than to avoid having to answer hard questions. I urge you to delay this vote to October as originally planned.
Thank you for your service and for considering the views of constituents. I welcome the opportunity to follow up and discuss this issue.
Sincerely
[Your Full Name]
[Your Address]
