Bienville Parish, Louisiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Arcadia and Ringgold
Bienville Parish is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Bienville Parish is home to Arcadia, Ringgold and Gibsland. Next door, Bossier Parish has 2 data centers. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 6.4% in 2019. 4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 4,006 jobs in 2025, down 6.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Bienville Parish
Bienville Parish is home to Arcadia, Ringgold and Gibsland.
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 Bienville Parish
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Louisiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,916 | 12,269 | ▼ 5.0% | 55th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,262 | 4,006 | ▼ 6.0% | 53rd of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,297 | $54,217 | ▲ 38.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20 | 44 | ▲ 120.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.4% | 5.0% | ▼ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Entergy Louisiana LLC is the largest utility serving Bienville Parish, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.05¢/kWh in 2024, below the 11.88¢ median for Louisiana utilities. 12,269 people live here, down 5.0% since 2020.
Who powers Bienville Parish
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bienville 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% |
| Southwestern Electric Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 207,011 | 13.46¢ | 36% |
| Claiborne Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,438 | 13.00¢ | 14% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 4 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR Arcadia | SR Arcadia South, LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2026 |
The Bienville Parish labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,006 | $54,217 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 44 | $51,439 | 0.21 |
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 Bienville Parish
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bienville Parish. Louisiana has 3 local measures on record statewide.
Bienville Parish and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Bienville Parish, Bossier 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bienville Parish | 12,269 | ▼ 6.0% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Bossier Parish | 131,867 | ▲ 1.9% | — | — | 2 | — |
| Claiborne Parish | 13,354 | ▼ 15.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson Parish | 15,834 | ▲ 16.1% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln Parish | 48,360 | ▼ 1.0% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Natchitoches Parish | 36,089 | ▲ 5.7% | 79 MW | — | — | — |
| Red River Parish | 7,165 | ● 0.0% | 21 MW | — | — | — |
| Webster Parish | 34,948 | ▼ 3.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Winn Parish | 14,961 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Louisiana
Bienville Parish, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bienville Parish, Louisiana?
3 utilities have service territory in Bienville Parish in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Louisiana LLC, Southwestern Electric Power Co, Claiborne Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Entergy Louisiana LLC, charged residential customers 11.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Bienville Parish?
1 operating plant with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is SR Arcadia (4 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Bienville Parish?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bienville Parish. The nearest activity on record is next door in Bossier Parish.
Is Bienville Parish adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,006 jobs in 2025 against 4,262 in 2019 (-6.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 20 to 44.
Does Bienville Parish have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bienville Parish. Louisiana has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.