Meta Platforms has announced plans to expand its data centre in Richland Parish, Louisiana, to 5 gigawatts (GW) of computing capacity, significantly increasing its infrastructure to support the company’s growing artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions.
The social media giant said the expansion represents an investment of more than $50 billion in the Richland Parish region, underscoring the scale of its long-term commitment to AI infrastructure. Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump said the company’s Louisiana data centre project would cost $50 billion.
Since construction of the facility began in December 2024, Meta said local businesses across Louisiana have secured more than $1.6 billion in contracts linked to the project, providing a substantial boost to the state’s economy.
Beyond the data centre itself, the company plans to invest more than $1 billion in local infrastructure improvements. The funding will support upgrades to roads, water systems and wastewater facilities to accommodate the project’s expansion and benefit the surrounding communities.
The announcement comes as technology companies continue to invest heavily in AI infrastructure amid soaring demand for computing power. The rapid adoption of generative AI has intensified competition among major firms to build larger and more advanced data centres capable of training and operating increasingly sophisticated AI models.
Meta is among the companies leading this investment wave as it seeks to strengthen its AI capabilities. The company has committed to invest $600 billion in U.S. infrastructure and jobs over the next three years, supporting the construction of large-scale data centres designed to power Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg’s AI agent initiatives.
The expansion of the Richland Parish facility is expected to play a central role in Meta’s long-term AI strategy, providing the computing capacity needed to develop and deploy next-generation AI technologies while generating economic activity and infrastructure improvements across Louisiana.
