Meta’s Hyperion Data Centre Reaches $50bn and Splits a Louisiana Town
Meta’s Hyperion data centre in rural Louisiana has quintupled from $10bn to more than $50bn in under two years. In a parish of 20,000 people, it is handing teachers $50,000 bonuses and pushing families out of their homes at the same time.
A Town Cut in Two
Richland Parish has about 20,000 people and is one of the poorest in Louisiana. A project this size does not land quietly.
Economic Impact: Windfalls and Eviction Notices
For some locals, it has been a windfall. Meta has contracted more than $1.6bn with local firms and will fund over $1bn in infrastructure improvements. Scott Holmes, who runs a charter-bus company, saw his fleet grow from 40 coaches to 102, with drivers earning more than $80,000.
However, for others, it has felt like an eviction notice. As thousands of construction workers pour in, rents have climbed and traffic has thickened. Erika James, a mother of two, has been forced to move 30 minutes away due to rising costs.
The Tax Break that Pays Teachers
The economics behind the project are unusual. A law signed by Governor Jeff Landry in late 2024 makes data centres built before 2029 exempt from sales tax for 20 years. The money saved is funneled into school bonuses, with some Richland Parish teachers receiving cheques of more than $50,000 this year.
Powering the Monster Machine
Then there is the grid. To feed Hyperion, Meta is building a 5-gigawatt power plant, highlighting the immense energy demands of modern data centres.