en.Wedoany.com Reported - Meta has announced a massive expansion of its Hyperion data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana, planning to increase capacity from 2 GW to 5 GW, with a total project investment exceeding $50 billion. The expansion, officially confirmed on July 13, 2026, will make it Meta's largest data center upon completion.
The project was initially announced in December 2024 with an investment of $10 billion, a planned building area of 4 million square feet, and a design capacity exceeding 2 GW. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg noted in July 2025 that the Hyperion data center would ultimately reach a capacity of 5 GW. This announcement formally links the expanded capacity to an investment scale of over $50 billion and updates data on employment, contracts, and public infrastructure spending.
Meta stated that since construction began, local businesses in Louisiana have secured contracts worth over $1.6 billion. Additionally, thanks to increased tax revenue from the data center, teacher bonuses in Richland Parish have risen from $10,000 last year to over $50,000 this year. To alleviate local resistance to the data center expansion, Meta plans to invest over $1 billion in infrastructure upgrades, including roads, water supply, and sewage systems.
In terms of energy support, Meta has reached a new agreement with utility company Entergy Louisiana, including the construction of a natural gas power plant providing over 5.2 GW of capacity and supporting up to 2.5 GW of new solar power projects. Entergy claims that Meta's payment agreement could save other customers approximately $2 billion in electricity costs over 20 years. The project has received policy support at both state and local levels. At the end of 2024, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a law granting a 20-year sales tax exemption for data centers built before 2029, allowing eligible data centers to apply for sales and use tax exemptions on qualified equipment. Meta is also expected to benefit from the state's "Quality Jobs" program and payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements, which could reduce property tax burdens if investment and employment targets are met.
The Hyperion data center was first announced in December 2024 as Meta's AI supercluster campus, designed to house the infrastructure needed for future training and operation of Meta's AI models. In October 2025, Meta formed a joint venture with Blue Owl Capital, with the project's buildings and infrastructure valued at approximately $27 billion. Blue Owl holds about 80% of the joint venture, while Meta retains 20% and leases the completed facilities. The July 13, 2026 announcement raises Meta's planned total investment in the region to over $50 billion but does not provide further details on the expansion's impact on the joint venture.
As AI computing demand continues to outpace supply, Meta expects capital expenditures to reach up to $145 billion in 2026, primarily for AI infrastructure. The company has also announced plans to lay off 8,000 employees to raise funds. With a capacity of 5 GW, the Hyperion data center will not only be Meta's largest but also one of the largest data centers globally. This expansion reflects Meta's strategy of sustained investment in the AI infrastructure race, despite the need to cut costs in other areas. The data center's energy demands, including natural gas power generation, have also drawn external attention to its environmental impact.
