Power Supply Chain and Demand in Louisiana
MISO runs most of Louisiana's grid. 11,349 MW of new generation is planned in Louisiana, 676 MW of it under construction or built and awaiting operation, against 1,657 MW of planned retirements through 2030. 22 data centers are identified in the state. Residential electricity averaged 13.35¢/kWh in 2026 through July, +5.9% from a year earlier. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, and construction employment is +10.2% against August 2019. The SAVRN trackers hold 3 local moratoria or restrictions for Louisiana across all statuses (1 in force) and 1 named projects on the Delay Watchlist.
What the build-out changed in Louisiana
Louisiana is at the center of the build-out: the demand is here and the construction economy has moved with it. Planned generation equals 39% of the power plants Louisiana runs today, one of the steepest build-outs in the country (4th). Developers have announced $101.8B of data center capital in Louisiana, 4th among the 31 states with a disclosed figure. Power and communication line construction jobs grew 55.6% from 2019 to 2025 (8th of 44). The weak spot: electrical contractor jobs, 2019 to 2025 ranks 47th of 48 at -2.9%.
Then and now
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction jobs (Aug 2019 → Aug 2026) | 138.7k | 152.9k | ▲ 10.2% | 34th of 48 |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,433 | 16,928 | ▼ 2.9% | 47th of 48 |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,219 | 5,010 | ▲ 55.6% | 8th of 44 |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,400 | 3,166 | ▲ 31.9% | 28th of 46 |
| Unemployment rate (Feb 2020 → Aug 2026) | 4.7% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Residential price, ¢/kWh (YTD Jul 2025 → 2026) | 12.61¢ | 13.35¢ | ▲ 5.9% | 31st of 51 |
| Generation fleet → planned additions | 29.4 GW operating | 11.3 GW planned | 39% of fleet | 4th of 51 |
Where Louisiana ranks among 51
1st = the most. Ranks cover every state and DC that publishes the figure.
Regionally, Texas leads on planned generation vs. today's fleet at 46%; Louisiana is 2nd of 4 in its neighborhood at 39%.
County spotlight
East Baton Rouge Parish holds the most data centers on record in Louisiana (6), and its electrical contractor workforce changed -51.4% since 2019 to 2,918 jobs. The largest share of planned generation sits in Richland Parish: 4,682 MW, led by Entergy Louisiana LLC (natural gas). The fastest-growing electrical trade market is Plaquemines Parish, where contractor jobs grew 1860.6% to 647.
Where Louisiana sits in the power system
- Grid operator
- MISO
- Operating capacity
- 29.4 GW
- Planned generation
- 11,349 MW
- Under construction or built
- 676 MW
- Data centers identified
- 22
- Data center load in queues
- —
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 4.2%
- Residential price change
- +5.9%
Neighboring states are shaded. Select one to open its page.
Louisiana, county by county
64 parishes in Louisiana. Planned generation sits in 14 of them, data centers stand in 7, and local measures are on record in 2. Pick a layer, then select a county for its full record.
County leaders
Counties on record 32
| County | Data centers | Planned MW | Building MW | Lead developer | Electrical contractor jobs | Change 2019–25 | Local measures | Watchlist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Baton Rouge Parish | 6 | — | — | — | 2,918 | ▼ 51.4% | — | — | |
| Orleans Parish | 4 | 8 MW | — | Entergy New Orleans, LLC | 615 | ▲ 22.3% | — | — | |
| Caddo Parish | 3 | — | — | — | 777 | ▲ 21.0% | 1 (0 in force) | — | |
| Richland Parish | 2 | 4,682 MW | — | Entergy Louisiana LLC | — | — | — | 1 | |
| St. Tammany Parish | 2 | — | — | — | 614 | ▲ 6.0% | — | — | |
| Bossier Parish | 2 | — | — | — | 298 | — | — | — | |
| Jefferson Parish | 1 | — | — | — | 1,591 | ▼ 26.0% | — | — | |
| Pointe Coupee Parish | — | 2,341 MW | — | Entergy Louisiana LLC | 16 | ● 0.0% | — | — | |
| St. Charles Parish | — | 1,640 MW | — | Entergy Louisiana LLC | — | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | |
| Calcasieu Parish | — | 819 MW | — | Entergy Louisiana LLC | 864 | ▼ 61.8% | — | — | |
| Iberville Parish | — | 400 MW | — | Entergy Louisiana LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Beauregard Parish | — | 300 MW | — | Singer Solar, LLC | 43 | ▲ 95.5% | — | — | |
| Sabine Parish | — | 220 MW | 220 MW | Hollis Creek PV I, LLC | 24 | ▼ 7.7% | — | — | |
| Morehouse Parish | — | 212 MW | 212 MW | Beekman PV I, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Washington Parish | — | 200 MW | — | Entergy Louisiana LLC | 57 | ▲ 50.0% | — | — | |
| Acadia Parish | — | 150 MW | — | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Rapides Parish | — | 49 MW | — | Rye Development | 264 | — | — | — | |
| Franklin Parish | — | 5 MW | 5 MW | SR Winnsboro, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| St. Landry Parish | — | 4 MW | — | SR Sunset, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Lafayette Parish | — | — | — | — | 932 | ▲ 12.3% | — | — | |
| Ouachita Parish | — | — | — | — | 846 | ▲ 26.1% | — | — | |
| Ascension Parish | — | — | — | — | 742 | ▲ 165.0% | — | — | |
| Plaquemines Parish | — | — | — | — | 647 | ▲ 1860.6% | — | — | |
| Iberia Parish | — | — | — | — | 585 | ▲ 11.2% | — | — | |
| West Baton Rouge Parish | — | — | — | — | 253 | ▼ 24.7% | — | — | |
| Livingston Parish | — | — | — | — | 240 | — | — | — | |
| Lincoln Parish | — | — | — | — | 197 | ▲ 30.5% | — | — | |
| St. Mary Parish | — | — | — | — | 160 | ▲ 42.9% | — | — | |
| LaSalle Parish | — | — | — | — | 50 | — | — | — | |
| St. James Parish | — | — | — | — | 47 | ▼ 6.0% | — | — | |
| Jackson Parish | — | — | — | — | 43 | — | — | — | |
| Avoyelles Parish | — | — | — | — | 38 | ▲ 46.2% | — | — |
Every county in Louisiana 64
Each county has its own page: power plants, utilities and prices, jobs since 2019, data centers, local rules and its neighbors.
Cities and towns on record 5
| City or town | County | Data centers | Local measures | Watchlist | Latest record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | East Baton Rouge Parish | 6 | — | — | — | |
| New Orleans | Orleans Parish | 4 | 1 (1 in force) | — | One-year data center moratorium In force | |
| Shreveport | Caddo Parish + Bossier Parish | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Slidell | St. Tammany Parish | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Terrytown | Jefferson Parish | 1 | — | — | — |
Data center counts come from every facility on the SAVRN Data Center Map, counted in the county and the city or community where each building physically stands (Census boundaries), not its mailing address. Jurisdictions appear as the Moratorium Tracker records them.
Louisiana, from generation to the household bill
1Grid operator
- Peak load 2025
- 121 GW
- Peak load forecast 2035
- 163 GW
2Generation pipeline
- Operating capacity
- 29.4 GW
- Planned, all types
- 11,349 MW
- Under construction or built
- 676 MW
- Planned gas
- 9,482 MW
- Planned retirements 2026–30
- 1,657 MW
- Net firm additions derived
- -981 MW
3Data center demand
- Data centers identified
- 22
- Operators
- 10
- Load in tracked queues
- —
- Utility large-load projects
- 5
- Commercial sales, YTD change
- -0.4%
- Industry share of state GDP
- 1.1%
4Jobs and pay
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 4.2% (+0.0 pts y/y)
- Construction jobs vs 2019
- +10.2%
- Manufacturing jobs vs 2019
- +4.3%
- Electrical contractor jobs 2019–25
- -2.9%
- Electrician median pay
- $61,540
- Electrician ÷ cashier pay
- 2.30×
5Household bill
- Residential price, YTD Jul 2026
- 13.35¢/kWh
- Change vs YTD 2025
- +5.9%
- All-sector price change
- +4.0%
- Total retail sales change
- +0.8%
6Policy friction
- State measures on record
- 3
- Local measures (in force)
- 3 (1)
- Watchlist projects
- 1
- Lawsuits tracked
- 0
- Announced capital, disclosed
- $101.8B
- Dedicated tax incentive
- Yes
Planned power plants in Louisiana
Every planned generator in Louisiana in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, by technology, then the 15 largest units. Under construction or built covers status codes U, V and TS.
| Technology | Units | Planned MW | Under construction or built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 24 | 9,482 MW | — |
| Solar | 11 | 1,611 MW | 676 MW |
| Battery storage | 2 | 208 MW | — |
| Other | 6 | 49 MW | — |
Largest planned generators
| Plant | County | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterford 6 | St Charles | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 478 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Waterford 5 | St Charles | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 478 MW | Approvals received | 2029 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Westlake Power Station | Calcasieu | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 478 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 3 | Richland | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 469 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Pointe Coupee Power Station | Pointe Coupee | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 469 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2031 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 1&2 | Richland | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 469 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Franklin Farms 1&2 | Richland | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 469 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Franklin Farms 1&2 | Richland | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 469 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 4 | Richland | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 469 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 1&2 | Richland | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 469 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Pointe Coupee Power Station | Pointe Coupee | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 469 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2031 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Pointe Coupee Power Station | Pointe Coupee | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 469 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2031 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Waterford 5 | St Charles | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 342 MW | Approvals received | 2029 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Waterford 6 | St Charles | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 342 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Westlake Power Station | Calcasieu | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 342 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
What the Louisiana build-out runs on
Who is building generation in Louisiana, which manufacturers and contractors have a plant, expansion or contract recorded here, and how long the critical equipment takes to arrive.
Developers and owners with planned generation
| Developer or owner | Units | Planned MW | Building MW | Main technology | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Louisiana LLC | 27 | 10,082 MW | — | Natural gas | 6 |
| Singer Solar, LLC | 1 | 300 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Dolet Hills Solar | 1 | 240 MW | 240 MW | Solar | 1 |
| Hollis Creek PV I, LLC | 1 | 220 MW | 220 MW | Solar | 1 |
| Beekman PV I, LLC | 1 | 207 MW | 207 MW | Solar | 1 |
| Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC | 1 | 150 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Entergy Mississippi LLC | 1 | 80 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Rye Development | 6 | 49 MW | — | Other | 1 |
| Entergy New Orleans, LLC | 1 | 8 MW | — | Battery storage | 1 |
| SR South Bastrop, LLC | 1 | 5 MW | 5 MW | Solar | 1 |
| SR Winnsboro, LLC | 1 | 5 MW | 5 MW | Solar | 1 |
| SR Sunset, LLC | 1 | 4 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
Manufacturers and contractors with a recorded Louisiana footprint 1
| Tier | Company | Segment | What the record says | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generation OEM | First Solar | Thin-film PV modules | Five U.S. factories (OH x3, AL, LA) with 17+ GW/yr collective capacity when fully operational |
Order-by check derived
26 of the 30 planned units of 50 MW or more in Louisiana that are not yet under construction (9,052 of 10,612 MW) are past the date their step-up transformer had to be ordered to meet the planned in-service date, and 20 gas units are (7,922 MW) past the turbine order date as well. These units hold their schedules only if the equipment is already on order.
| Plant | Technology | MW | Planned in service | Transformer order-by | Turbine order-by | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterford 6 | Natural gas | 478 MW | Jun 2030 | May 2027 | Jun 2025 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Waterford 5 | Natural gas | 478 MW | Jun 2029 | May 2026 | Jun 2024 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Westlake Power Station | Natural gas | 478 MW | Oct 2030 | Sep 2027 | Oct 2025 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Pointe Coupee Power Station | Natural gas | 469 MW | Oct 2031 | Sep 2028 | Oct 2026 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Franklin Farms 1&2 | Natural gas | 469 MW | Dec 2028 | Nov 2025 | Dec 2023 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 4 | Natural gas | 469 MW | Oct 2030 | Sep 2027 | Oct 2025 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Franklin Farms 1&2 | Natural gas | 469 MW | Dec 2028 | Nov 2025 | Dec 2023 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 3 | Natural gas | 469 MW | Oct 2030 | Sep 2027 | Oct 2025 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 1&2 | Natural gas | 469 MW | Mar 2030 | Feb 2027 | Mar 2025 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 1&2 | Natural gas | 469 MW | Mar 2030 | Feb 2027 | Mar 2025 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Waterford 5 | Natural gas | 342 MW | Jun 2029 | May 2026 | Jun 2024 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Waterford 6 | Natural gas | 342 MW | Jun 2030 | May 2027 | Jun 2025 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
Lead times, OEM backlogs and the national generation and grid contractors are on the national supply chain section.
Data center and large-load demand in Louisiana
22 data centers run by 10 operators are identified in Louisiana. The full list by city is on the Louisiana Data Center Map page. Utilities report 5 large customer projects here to EEI.
| Utility | Customer or type | MW stated | Investment stated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleco | Applied Digital | 210 MW | $3.6 billion | |
| Entergy Louisiana | Meta | 5 GW | $50 billion | |
| Entergy Louisiana | Hyundai Steel | — | $5.8 billion | |
| Entergy Louisiana | Hut 8 | 330 MW | $10 billion | |
| Southwestern Electric Power Company (AEP) | AWS, Stack Infrastructure | — | $12 billion |
The Louisiana jobs report, and who the build-out employs
Payroll employment, August 2026 (preliminary)
| Industry | Jobs | Change vs Aug 2025 | Change vs Aug 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 2,022.0k | ▲ 1.6% | ▲ 1.4% (+28.8k) |
| Construction | 152.9k | ▲ 12.7% | ▲ 10.2% (+14.2k) |
| Manufacturing | 143.9k | ▲ 2.4% | ▲ 4.3% (+6.0k) |
| Mining and logging | 27.4k | ▼ 2.8% | ▼ 25.9% (-9.6k) |
| Retail trade | 211.7k | ▼ 0.6% | ▼ 4.9% (-11.0k) |
Power and data industries, 2019 to 2025
| Industry | Jobs 2019 | Jobs 2025 | Change | Average pay 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data processing and hosting | 2,400 | 3,166 | ▲ 31.9% | $89,486 |
| Electrical contractors | 17,433 | 16,928 | ▼ 2.9% | $83,402 |
| Power and communication line construction | 3,219 | 5,010 | ▲ 55.6% | $95,881 |
| Electric power generation, transmission, distribution | — | 5,647 | — | $132,049 |
| Transformer manufacturing | — | 932 | — | $75,726 |
Pay ladder, May 2025
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual pay | Multiple of cashier pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 46,350 | $26,750 | 1.00× |
| Fast food and counter workers | 45,720 | $22,800 | 0.85× |
| Retail salespersons | 49,570 | $29,490 | 1.10× |
| All occupations | 1,934,900 | $45,520 | 1.70× |
| Construction laborers | 22,100 | $38,230 | 1.43× |
| Welders | 13,690 | $62,250 | 2.33× |
| HVAC mechanics | 5,380 | $58,650 | 2.19× |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 8,360 | $63,680 | 2.38× |
| Electricians | 10,550 | $61,540 | 2.30× |
| Power plant operators | 370 | $101,170 | 3.78× |
| Power-line installers | 2,520 | $76,410 | 2.86× |
| Construction supervisors | 14,070 | $75,360 | 2.82× |
| Electrical engineers | 990 | $123,710 | 4.62× |
County-level contractor jobs and pay are in the county record above.
What the data center industry adds to Louisiana
PwC figures are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
The rules and the pipeline in Louisiana
State measures 3
| Bill | Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Order 26-058 | Ratepayer and Community Protection Initiative | In force | 2026-06 | |
| Louisiana (LPSC Lightning Amendment) | Louisiana's LPSC adopted the 'Lightning Amendment,' which shortens the review process for large-load electricity connections to 8 months. | In force | 2025-12 | |
| HB827 | Louisiana Legislature passed HB827 (Act 730 of the 2024 Regular Session), authored to attract data centers like Meta's Hyperion. | In force | 2024-06 |
Delay Watchlist projects 1
| Project | Location | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Hyperion & Evest Data Centers (Richland Parish) | Richland Parish | regulatory disclosure dispute | 5,000 MW |
Local moratoria and restrictions (3) appear by county and city in the county-by-county section. Counts include every status in the weekly tracker feeds as of October 5, 2026. The Louisiana Data Center Map page counts only active local pauses and delayed or blocked projects as of its September 2 rebuild, so its figures are lower. The difference is one of definition and date.
Louisiana's neighbors
Louisiana power, answered from the record
How much new power generation is planned in Louisiana?
EIA's August 2026 inventory lists 11,349 MW of planned generators in Louisiana, 676 MW of it under construction or built. By capacity the pipeline is natural gas 84%, solar 14%, battery storage 2%. The largest single unit is Waterford 6 (478 MW, Entergy Louisiana LLC). Owners plan to retire 1,657 MW from 2026 to 2030.
Who runs the power grid in Louisiana?
MISO serves most of Louisiana as the regional wholesale market and grid operator. No data center load is tracked in its queues yet.
Is planned generation in Louisiana on schedule?
26 of 30 planned units of 50 MW or more not yet under construction are past the latest date to order a step-up transformer (more than 160 weeks) for their planned in-service date, and 20 gas units are past the turbine order date (about five years). They hold schedule only if equipment is already on order.
What do electricians earn in Louisiana?
The median electrician in Louisiana earned $61,540 in May 2025, 2.30 times the median cashier, and power-line installers earned $76,410 (BLS OEWS).
Which counties in Louisiana have the most planned generation?
By planned nameplate capacity: Richland Parish (4,682 MW), Pointe Coupee Parish (2,341 MW), St. Charles Parish (1,640 MW).
Are electricity prices rising in Louisiana?
Residential electricity averaged 13.35¢/kWh from January to July 2026, +5.9% on a year earlier, the 31st fastest increase of 51. Commercial sales, the class that includes data centers, changed -0.4%.
Which utilities report large-load projects in Louisiana?
Utilities report 5 large customer projects in Louisiana to EEI, including Cleco, Entergy Louisiana, Southwestern Electric Power Company (AEP).
Does Louisiana have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 3 state-level measures (3 enacted) and 3 local moratoria or restrictions in Louisiana, 1 of them in force, 45th most in the country.
Louisiana across the SAVRN trackers
Sources for this page
- BEA state GDP via FRED
- BLS LAUS
- BLS OEWS
- BLS QCEW
- BLS State Employment (CES)
- EEI large customer projects
- EIA Electric Power Monthly
- EIA-860M (Aug 2026)
- NCSL
- PwC for the Data Center Coalition
- SAVRN Capital Atlas
- SAVRN Data Center Map
- SAVRN Delay Watchlist
- SAVRN Grid Operator Watchlist
- SAVRN Moratorium Tracker
- U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (via us-atlas)
Every figure links to its original source through the Sources buttons. Values marked derived are calculated from reported figures.