Acadia Parish, Louisiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Crowley, Rayne and Church Point
Acadia Parish hosts some of the generating capacity Louisiana runs on. Acadia Parish is home to Crowley, Rayne, Church Point and Iota. Construction employs 1,274, up 26.1% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 150 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC (solar), the 10th largest pipeline among Louisiana's counties. Its power plants have 1,818 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas, the 7th largest fleet in Louisiana. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Acadia Parish
Acadia Parish is home to Crowley, Rayne, Church Point and Iota.
- Eunice also extends into St. Landry Parish.
- Duson also extends into Lafayette Parish.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Branch, Egan, Midland.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Acadia Parish
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Louisiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 57,484 | 57,032 | ▼ 0.8% | 19th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,388 | 14,889 | ▲ 3.5% | 19th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,153 | $46,047 | ▲ 27.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,010 | 1,274 | ▲ 26.1% | 15th of 43 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 3.6% | ▼ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 150 MW | 8% of today's fleet | 10th of 14 by size |
5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Employers here counted 14,889 jobs in 2025, up 3.5% from 2019. Entergy Louisiana LLC is the largest utility serving Acadia Parish, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.05¢/kWh in 2024, below the 11.88¢ median for Louisiana utilities. 57,032 people live here, down 0.8% since 2020.
Who powers Acadia Parish
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Acadia Parish
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Louisiana LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 957,522 | 11.05¢ | 20% |
| Cleco Power LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 251,927 | 12.33¢ | 32% |
| Southwest Louisiana E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 108,368 | 11.55¢ | 19% |
| City of Rayne - (LA) | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,810 MW | 100% |
| Petroleum | 8 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia Energy Center | Cleco Power LLC | Natural gas | 1,389 MW | 2002 |
| Bayou Cove Peaking Power | Bayou Cove Peaking Power, LLC | Natural gas | 416 MW | 2002 |
| Rayne | Louisiana Energy & Power Authority | Petroleum | 8 MW | 1969 |
| Eunice LA Plant | EnLink Processing Services, LLC | Natural gas | 5 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mowata Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 150 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC |
The Acadia Parish labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,889 | $46,047 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,274 | $79,066 | 1.62 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Acadia Parish
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Acadia Parish. Louisiana has 3 local measures on record statewide.
Acadia Parish and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Acadia Parish, Evangeline Parish carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia Parish | 57,032 | ▲ 3.5% | 1,818 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Evangeline Parish | 31,980 | ▲ 6.1% | 923 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson Davis Parish | 31,471 | ▼ 4.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Lafayette Parish | 257,949 | ▲ 5.8% | 202 MW | — | — | — |
| St. Landry Parish | 80,765 | ▲ 0.6% | 135 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
| Vermilion Parish | 57,671 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Louisiana
Acadia Parish, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Acadia Parish, Louisiana?
4 utilities have service territory in Acadia Parish in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Louisiana LLC, Cleco Power LLC, Southwest Louisiana E M C, City of Rayne - (LA). The largest, Entergy Louisiana LLC, charged residential customers 11.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Crowley, LA in?
Crowley is in Acadia Parish, Louisiana. About 11,223 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Acadia Parish?
4 operating plants with 1,818 MW of capacity. The largest is Acadia Energy Center (1,389 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Acadia Parish?
150 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC.
Are there data centers in Acadia Parish?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Acadia Parish.
Is Acadia Parish adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,889 jobs in 2025 against 14,388 in 2019 (+3.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,010 to 1,274.
Does Acadia Parish have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Acadia Parish. Louisiana has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.