Louisiana energy sector expands to support AI and industrial growth

Louisiana is undergoing a significant industrial transformation driven by emerging energy-intensive sectors. Venture Global, a liquefied natural gas exporter, has announced plans to construct a 10-gigawatt off-grid power network to supply artificial intelligence data centers. Located near the company’s terminals in Plaquemines and Cameron parishes, this private “Island Mode” grid will utilize 16 natural gas turbines from GE Vernova and Baker Hughes. The network is designed to bypass the lengthy interconnection wait times for the public grid and will use a closed-loop water system for cooling, placing no additional demand on local public utilities.

Other major developments are reshaping the state’s landscape, including Meta’s $10 billion AI data center under construction in Richland Parish and a planned $100 billion investment by SpaceX in Vermilion Parish. Industry leaders, including Entergy Louisiana CEO Phillip May and Louisiana Economic Development’s Paige Carter, are examining how the state can leverage its traditional energy strengths to support these new frontiers, which include advanced nuclear power and lithium extraction from the Smackover Formation.