East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Baton Rouge, St. George and Central
East Baton Rouge Parish is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 6 data centers in East Baton Rouge Parish, 27% of Louisiana's total. East Baton Rouge Parish is home to Baton Rouge, St. George, Central and Zachary. Construction employs 25,575, down 13.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.8 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 128 MW has retired here since 2019, including Georgia-Pacific Port Hudson (other technologies, 68 MW, 2019). Its power plants have 832 MW of capacity, 82% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in East Baton Rouge Parish
East Baton Rouge Parish is home to Baton Rouge, St. George, Central and Zachary.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Brownfields, Gardere, Inniswold, Merrydale, Monticello, Oak Hills Place, Old Jefferson, Shenandoah, Village St. George, Westminster.
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 East Baton Rouge Parish
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Louisiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 455,907 | 456,180 | ▲ 0.1% | 1st of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 265,287 | 270,640 | ▲ 2.0% | 23rd of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $54,066 | $67,999 | ▲ 25.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 29,648 | 25,575 | ▼ 13.7% | 39th of 43 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,001 | 2,918 | ▼ 51.4% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 407 | 580 | ▲ 42.5% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 479 | 737 | ▲ 53.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 774 | 876 | ▲ 13.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 3.7% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 128 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. Employers here counted 270,640 jobs in 2025, up 2.0% from 2019. Entergy Louisiana LLC is the largest utility serving East Baton Rouge Parish, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.05¢/kWh in 2024, below the 11.88¢ median for Louisiana utilities. 456,180 people live here, up 0.1% since 2020, 1st of 64 Louisiana counties by population. Electrical contractors employ 2,918, down 51.4% since 2019 against down 2.9% statewide, at an average $93,148 a year.
Who powers East Baton Rouge Parish
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −128 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in East Baton Rouge 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% |
| Dixie Electric Membership Corp - (LA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 110,675 | 11.91¢ | 10% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 683 MW | 82% |
| Other technologies | 148 MW | 18% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana 1 | Entergy Louisiana LLC | Other technologies | 451 MW | 1951 |
| Louisiana 2 | Entergy Louisiana LLC | Natural gas | 175 MW | 1950 |
| Formosa Plastics | Formosa Plastics Corp | Natural gas | 101 MW | 1985 |
| ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Turbine Generator | Exxon Mobil Corp | Natural gas | 85 MW | 1990 |
| LSU Cogen | LSU and A&M College | Natural gas | 20 MW | 2004 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia-Pacific Port Hudson | Other technologies | 68 MW | 2019 |
| Georgia-Pacific Port Hudson | Natural gas | 60 MW | 2021 |
The East Baton Rouge Parish labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 270,640 | $67,999 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 25,575 | $96,879 | 1.78 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,918 | $93,148 | 1.50 |
| Power and communication line construction | 580 | $92,454 | 1.33 |
| Electric utilities | 737 | $138,318 | 1.01 |
| Data processing and hosting | 876 | $107,851 | 1.04 |
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 East Baton Rouge Parish
6 data centers in East Baton Rouge Parish are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
East Baton Rouge Parish and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border East Baton Rouge Parish, Iberville 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Baton Rouge Parish | 456,180 | ▲ 2.0% | 832 MW | — | 6 | — |
| Ascension Parish | 135,105 | ▲ 7.4% | 248 MW | — | — | — |
| East Feliciana Parish | 18,911 | ▲ 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Iberville Parish | 29,579 | ▲ 6.6% | 2,683 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Livingston Parish | 155,036 | ▲ 6.4% | — | — | — | — |
| St. Helena Parish | 10,758 | ▲ 1.2% | — | — | — | — |
| West Baton Rouge Parish | 28,756 | ▲ 8.1% | 58 MW | — | — | — |
More of Louisiana
East Baton Rouge Parish, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana?
2 utilities have service territory in East Baton Rouge Parish in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Louisiana LLC, Dixie Electric Membership Corp - (LA). The largest, Entergy Louisiana LLC, charged residential customers 11.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Baton Rouge, LA in?
Baton Rouge is in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. About 222,795 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is St. George, LA in?
St. George is in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. About 78,536 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Central, LA in?
Central is in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. About 30,313 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in East Baton Rouge Parish?
5 operating plants with 832 MW of capacity. The largest is Louisiana 1 (451 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in East Baton Rouge Parish?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 6 data centers in East Baton Rouge Parish.
Is East Baton Rouge Parish adding jobs?
Employers counted 270,640 jobs in 2025 against 265,287 in 2019 (+2.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 29,648 to 25,575.
Does East Baton Rouge Parish have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for East Baton Rouge Parish. Louisiana has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.