How Louisiana rushed through Meta's data center deal

A New York Times report describes how Louisiana officials used secrecy agreements, tax incentives, and public land to speed Meta's $50 billion data center through, even though local residents were already in favor.

A New York Times report examines how Meta's $50 billion Hyperion data center project moved through Louisiana government with no public meetings before its December 2024 unveiling.
A tax rebate bill written for fiber optic equipment was redirected to data center equipment, part of an incentive package that could reach $10 billion, separate from the public land involved.
Nearly everyone in the nine months of talks agreed to stay quiet, with nondisclosure agreements handed out at the governor's mansion and a threat to fire anyone who leaked.
A local elected official who knew about the negotiations sold 300 acres for the site at an estimated ten times its earlier value.
Meta can walk away if the project falters, leaving others exposed, and insurers would not fully cover a facility that size in a Louisiana flood plain.