Ouachita Parish, Louisiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Monroe, West Monroe and Richwood
Ouachita Parish hosts some of the generating capacity Louisiana runs on. Construction employs 4,816, up 53.5% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Ouachita Parish is home to Monroe, West Monroe, Richwood and Sterlington. Next door, Richland Parish has 2 data centers and 4,682 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 2,020 MW of capacity, 90% of it natural gas, the 6th largest fleet in Louisiana. Electrical contractors employ 846, up 26.1% since 2019 against down 2.9% statewide, at an average $60,960 a year.
Cities and towns in Ouachita Parish
Ouachita Parish is home to Monroe, West Monroe, Richwood and Sterlington.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bawcomville, Brownsville, Calhoun, Claiborne, Lakeshore, Swartz.
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 Ouachita Parish
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Louisiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 160,106 | 158,542 | ▼ 1.0% | 8th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 69,812 | 69,886 | ▲ 0.1% | 29th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,799 | $51,972 | ▲ 27.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,137 | 4,816 | ▲ 53.5% | 6th of 43 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 671 | 846 | ▲ 26.1% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 205 | 230 | ▲ 12.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.2% | 3.7% | ▼ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 149 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 274 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 5.2% in 2019. 274 MW has retired here since 2019, including NRG Sterlington Power (natural gas, 208 MW, 2020). 149 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Entergy Louisiana LLC is the largest utility serving Ouachita 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. Employers here counted 69,886 jobs in 2025, up 0.1% from 2019. 158,542 people live here, down 1.0% since 2020, 8th of 64 Louisiana counties by population.
Who powers Ouachita Parish
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −126 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Ouachita 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% |
| 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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,826 MW | 90% |
| Solar | 149 MW | 7% |
| Other technologies | 45 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ouachita | Entergy Louisiana LLC | Natural gas | 904 MW | 2002 |
| Perryville Power Station | Entergy Louisiana LLC | Natural gas | 824 MW | 2001 |
| Lafitte Solar, LLC | RWE Clean Energy | Solar | 100 MW | 2025 |
| Plant 31 Paper Mill | Graphic Packaging International | Other technologies | 84 MW | 1964 |
| Sterlington | Entergy Louisiana LLC | Natural gas | 59 MW | 1973 |
| Sterlington Solar | Entergy Louisiana LLC | Solar | 49 MW | 2026 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRG Sterlington Power | Natural gas | 208 MW | 2020 |
| Sterlington | Natural gas | 66 MW | 2019 |
The Ouachita Parish labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 69,886 | $51,972 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,816 | $69,455 | 1.30 |
| Electrical contractors | 846 | $60,960 | 1.68 |
| Data processing and hosting | 230 | $97,265 | 1.06 |
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 Ouachita Parish
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ouachita Parish. Louisiana has 3 local measures on record statewide.
Ouachita Parish and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Ouachita Parish, Richland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ouachita Parish | 158,542 | ▲ 0.1% | 2,020 MW | — | — | — |
| Caldwell Parish | 9,344 | ▼ 2.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson Parish | 15,834 | ▲ 16.1% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln Parish | 48,360 | ▼ 1.0% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Morehouse Parish | 23,705 | ▼ 4.0% | 98 MW | 212 MW | — | — |
| Richland Parish | 19,582 | ▼ 1.8% | 200 MW | 4,682 MW | 2 | — |
| Union Parish | 20,561 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Louisiana
Ouachita Parish, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana?
2 utilities have service territory in Ouachita Parish in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Louisiana LLC, Claiborne Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Entergy Louisiana LLC, charged residential customers 11.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Monroe, LA in?
Monroe is in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. About 46,860 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is West Monroe, LA in?
West Monroe is in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. About 12,478 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Ouachita Parish?
6 operating plants with 2,020 MW of capacity. The largest is Ouachita (904 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Ouachita Parish?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ouachita Parish. The nearest activity on record is next door in Richland Parish.
Is Ouachita Parish adding jobs?
Employers counted 69,886 jobs in 2025 against 69,812 in 2019 (+0.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,137 to 4,816.
Does Ouachita Parish have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ouachita Parish. Louisiana has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.