St. James Parish, Louisiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lutcher and Gramercy
St. James 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. Construction employs 701, up 192.1% since 2019, and construction is 1.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. St. James Parish is home to Lutcher and Gramercy. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 5.5% in 2019. 20 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 7,791 jobs in 2025, down 5.1% from 2019.
Cities and towns in St. James Parish
St. James Parish is home to Lutcher and Gramercy.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Convent, Grand Point, Hester, Lemannville, Moonshine, North Vacherie, Paulina, Romeville, South Vacherie, St. James, Union, Welcome.
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 St. James Parish
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Louisiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 20,117 | 18,938 | ▼ 5.9% | 47th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,206 | 7,791 | ▼ 5.1% | 51st of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $73,399 | $80,712 | ▲ 10.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 240 | 701 | ▲ 192.1% | 3rd of 43 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 50 | 47 | ▼ 6.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.5% | 4.4% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 20 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 138 MW of capacity, 67% of it natural gas. Entergy Louisiana LLC is the largest utility serving St. James Parish. Its residential customers paid an average 11.05¢/kWh in 2024, below the 11.88¢ median for Louisiana utilities. Electrical contractors employ 47, down 6.0% since 2019 against down 2.9% statewide, at an average $80,157 a year. 18,938 people live here, down 5.9% since 2020.
Who powers St. James Parish
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in St. James 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% |
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 | 92 MW | 67% |
| Other technologies | 26 MW | 19% |
| Solar | 20 MW | 14% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Alumina, Gramercy Operations | Atalco Gramercy LLC | Natural gas | 85 MW | 1958 |
| Mosaic Phosphates Uncle Sam | Mosaic Phosphates Co. | Other technologies | 26 MW | 1968 |
| St. James Solar (LA) | St. James Solar, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2023 |
| Louisiana Sugar Refining | Louisiana Sugar Refining LLC | Natural gas | 7 MW | 1957 |
The St. James Parish labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,791 | $80,712 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 701 | $76,519 | 1.70 |
| Electrical contractors | 47 | $80,157 | 0.84 |
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 St. James Parish
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in St. James Parish. Louisiana has 3 local measures on record statewide.
St. James Parish and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border St. James Parish, Ascension 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. James Parish | 18,938 | ▼ 5.1% | 138 MW | — | — | — |
| Ascension Parish | 135,105 | ▲ 7.4% | 248 MW | — | — | — |
| Assumption Parish | 19,720 | ▲ 2.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Lafourche Parish | 95,505 | ▲ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| St. John the Baptist Parish | 39,875 | ▼ 7.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Louisiana
St. James Parish, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in St. James Parish, Louisiana?
1 utility has service territory in St. James Parish in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Louisiana LLC. The largest, Entergy Louisiana LLC, charged residential customers 11.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in St. James Parish?
4 operating plants with 138 MW of capacity. The largest is Atlantic Alumina, Gramercy Operations (85 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in St. James Parish?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in St. James Parish.
Is St. James Parish adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,791 jobs in 2025 against 8,206 in 2019 (-5.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 240 to 701.
Does St. James Parish have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for St. James Parish. Louisiana has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.