Entergy Louisiana has officially broken ground on two new combined-cycle power plants in Richland Parish, marking a major milestone in modernizing the state’s energy infrastructure and helping meet the region’s growing electricity demand. The groundbreaking took place on December 1, 2025, signaling the start of construction on facilities that will provide reliable, efficient electricity for years to come.
The project, previously approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission this year, targets the supply of dependable and efficient power to residential customers and industrial users. Among the main drivers for development is the future Meta mega-data center in Richland Parish, which is one of the largest planned in the region.
“These facilities represent the next step in Entergy Louisiana’s long-term strategy to modernize our generation fleet and deliver reliable, cost-effective power to our customers,” said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO. “By investing in efficient technologies and robust infrastructure, we’re ensuring that Louisiana remains a competitive, attractive place to live, work, and do business both today and well into the future.”
The new CCCT facilities
Advanced combined-cycle turbines, featuring higher efficiency and lower emissions, are being used in the new Richland Parish plants. These units are expected to go into service at the end of 2028. The third generation unit will be built at the existing site in St. Charles Parish and is expected to enter commercial operation by the end of 2029.
Supporting infrastructure, including high-voltage transmission lines and substations, is likewise in development to ensure that the new plants can deliver power dependably across the region. All these projects combined represent one of the largest recent energy infrastructure developments in Louisiana. With investments running into billions of dollars.
While the Meta data center is a significant anchor for the project, Entergy maintains that the upgrades will benefit all of its regional customers by enhancing grid stability while supporting future growth and providing long-term economic opportunities.
Meta’s investment will directly reduce energy costs for Louisiana residents. Over the 15-year agreement, Meta will pay Entergy’s system costs — including storm recovery — and will save customers approximately $650 million, lowering storm charges and reducing the impact of resilience upgrades by around 10% on average.
This groundbreaking comes amid a broader trend of utilities across the United States modernizing energy infrastructure to meet growing demand for data centers, industrial users, and expanding communities.
Franklin Farms Power Station Project Factsheet
Project Overview
Two new combined-cycle combustion turbine (CCCT) generation facilities located in Richland Parish, Louisiana, developed by Entergy Louisiana.
Key Specifications
Total Capacity: Approximately 1,500 megawatts
Fuel Type: Natural gas
Technology: Modern, highly efficient CCCT
Expected Completion: Late 2028
Project Drivers
Support Meta’s new data center in north Louisiana
Meet growing energy demands in the region
Modernize Entergy Louisiana’s generation fleet
Strengthen grid reliability and operational flexibility
Economic Impact
Construction Jobs: Thousands during build phase
Meta Data Center Impact: 5,000+ construction jobs, 500 operational jobs
Capital Investment: Billions of dollars
Customer Savings: Approximately $650 million over 15 years through Meta’s contributions to system costs
Customer Benefits
Lower energy costs (storm charges reduced by 10%)
Reduced bill impacts from resilience upgrades
Enhanced system reliability
No cost-shifting—Meta funds full interconnection infrastructure
Improved fuel efficiency and long-term savings
Environmental Features
Highly efficient technology using less fuel per unit of power
Lower emissions compared to older generation
Operational flexibility to integrate renewable resources
Status: Construction underway
