Richland Parish, Louisiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rayville and Delhi
Richland Parish is a generation frontier for Louisiana. 4,682 MW of new generation is planned here across 12 units, led by Entergy Louisiana LLC (natural gas), the largest pipeline among Louisiana's counties. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Richland Parish, 9% of Louisiana's total. Richland Parish is home to Rayville, Delhi and Mangham. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Meta Hyperion & Evest Data Centers (Richland Parish) (5,000 MW). Construction employs 335, up 33.5% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Richland Parish
Richland Parish is home to Rayville, Delhi and Mangham.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Start.
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 Richland Parish
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Louisiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 20,029 | 19,582 | ▼ 2.2% | 44th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,495 | 6,378 | ▼ 1.8% | 40th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,406 | $46,823 | ▲ 36.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 251 | 335 | ▲ 33.5% | 12th of 43 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.1% | 4.4% | ▼ 1.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 200 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 4,682 MW | 2341% of today's fleet | 1st of 14 by size |
Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 6.1% in 2019. 200 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 200 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Employers here counted 6,378 jobs in 2025, down 1.8% from 2019. Entergy Louisiana LLC is the largest utility serving Richland 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. 19,582 people live here, down 2.2% since 2020.
Who powers Richland Parish
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +200 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Richland 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% |
| Northeast Louisiana Power Coop Inc. | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,543 | 10.66¢ | 23% |
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 | 200 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Ridge Solar | AES Clean Energy | Solar | 200 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 12
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Farms 1&2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 469 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Franklin Farms 1&2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 469 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 1&2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 469 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 1&2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 469 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 3 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 469 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 4 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 469 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Franklin Farms 1&2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 311 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Franklin Farms 1&2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 311 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 1&2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 311 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 1&2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 311 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 3 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 311 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
| Richland Parish Power Station 4 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 311 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
The Richland Parish labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,378 | $46,823 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 335 | $81,400 | 0.99 |
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 Richland Parish
2 data centers in Richland Parish are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Hyperion & Evest Data Centers (Richland Parish) | regulatory disclosure dispute | 5,000 MW |
Richland Parish and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Richland Parish, Ouachita 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland Parish | 19,582 | ▼ 1.8% | 200 MW | 4,682 MW | 2 | — |
| Caldwell Parish | 9,344 | ▼ 2.2% | — | — | — | — |
| East Carroll Parish | 6,760 | ▼ 16.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Franklin Parish | 19,002 | ▼ 3.1% | — | 5 MW | — | — |
| Madison Parish | 8,844 | ▼ 3.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Morehouse Parish | 23,705 | ▼ 4.0% | 98 MW | 212 MW | — | — |
| Ouachita Parish | 158,542 | ▲ 0.1% | 2,020 MW | — | — | — |
| West Carroll Parish | 9,156 | ▼ 3.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Louisiana
Richland Parish, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Richland Parish, Louisiana?
2 utilities have service territory in Richland Parish in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Louisiana LLC, Northeast Louisiana Power Coop Inc.. The largest, Entergy Louisiana LLC, charged residential customers 11.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Richland Parish?
1 operating plant with 200 MW of capacity. The largest is Oak Ridge Solar (200 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Richland Parish?
4,682 MW across 12 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Entergy Louisiana LLC.
Are there data centers in Richland Parish?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Richland Parish.
Is Richland Parish adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,378 jobs in 2025 against 6,495 in 2019 (-1.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 251 to 335.
Does Richland Parish have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Richland Parish. Louisiana has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.