Meta is expanding its Hyperion AI supercluster in Louisiana from 2 GW to 5 GW, raising total planned investment to over $50 billion and committing over $1 billion in local infrastructure improvements.
Meta has announced an expansion of its Hyperion data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana, to 5 GW of compute capacity from an initial 2 GW, pushing the company's planned investment in the region beyond $50 billion. The announcement, made on July 13, formally escalates what is already Meta's largest data center. The expansion represents a significant increase over the $10 billion, 4-million-square-foot project unveiled in December 2024 with 2 GW of capacity, though CEO Mark Zuckerberg had signaled the 5 GW target in July 2025.
The expansion announcement emphasizes local economic impact. Louisiana businesses have received more than $1.6 billion in contracts since construction began. Meta highlighted rising teacher bonuses in Richland Parish—increasing from $10,000 last year to more than $50,000 this year—funded by increased tax revenue tied to the data center. Meta also pledged to invest over $1 billion in local infrastructure improvements, including roads, water, and wastewater systems.
Energy infrastructure is central to the project's scale. Meta's recent agreement with utility Entergy Louisiana includes natural-gas plants providing more than 5.2 GW of capacity and support for up to 2.5 GW of new solar generation. Entergy projects Meta's payments could save other customers around $2 billion over 20 years—a notable consideration amid concerns over data center electricity impacts on residents' bills, though these remain projections.
The project is receiving substantial state support. In late 2024, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed into law a 20-year sales tax exemption for data centers built before 2029, allowing qualifying facilities to claim sales-and-use-tax exemptions on eligible equipment. Meta is also expected to benefit from the state's Quality Jobs program and a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement that could reduce its property-tax burden if investment and employment targets are met.
Hyperion will house the infrastructure for training and operating Meta's future AI models, with Meta linking it directly to Meta Superintelligence Labs. In October 2025, Meta and Blue Owl Capital announced a joint venture valuing the project's buildings and infrastructure at roughly $27 billion, with Blue Owl holding approximately 80% and Meta retaining 20% while leasing completed facilities. The July announcement provides no further details on how the expansion affects the joint venture.
Hyperion is part of Meta's broader AI infrastructure push. The company is forecast to spend up to $145 billion in capital expenditures in 2026, predominantly on AI infrastructure, as demand for AI compute continues to outpace supply. Meta has announced plans to cut 8,000 jobs to help fund this expansion. Monday's announcement follows what Meta describes as its strongest market week since early 2024, driven by new AI model releases.