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Meta Platforms Inc. has significantly ramped up its investment in the Hyperion data center project in Louisiana. The project’s cost now surpasses a whopping $50 billion.

The company’s Monday blog post revealed that the Richland Parish-based data center, set to be its largest, will be a 5 GW facility. This is a considerable jump from the initial investment and 2GW plan announced in October when Meta and Blue Owl Capital partnered for the project’s construction and management.

Meta stated that it would cover all costs related to the data center’s energy, water, and infrastructure, ensuring consumers do not bear any additional financial burden, citing its agreement with Entergy Louisiana. Since the project began in December 2024, the company has awarded more than $1.6 billion in contracts to local businesses.

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Furthermore, the tech giant aims to invest over $1 billion in local infrastructure improvements, including roads, water, and wastewater systems. However, Meta has not yet revealed a financial partner for this expansion. The company expects the Hyperion project to reach 2GW by 2030, but no timeline has been provided for the completion of the full 5GW project.

Why Louisiana Backed Meta

As Meta ramps up its multibillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion, it and other hyperscalers, including Microsoft Corp., Alphabet Inc., and Amazon.com Inc., are leveraging tax incentives and energy agreements offered by states competing to attract data center investments.

In Louisiana, Governor Jeff Landry signed a law in late 2024 granting a 20-year sales tax exemption for eligible data centers built before 2029 to help lure Meta. Defending the incentives, Landry said the overall economic package would generate a net benefit for both the state and local governments.

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Hyperion Powers AI Growth

In August, President Donald Trump had said that Meta plans to invest $50 billion in its Louisiana Hyperion data center, though Meta has officially confirmed spending of more than $10 billion. The company has also reportedly secured $29 billion in financing led by Pacific Investment Management, besides Blue Owl Capital, to support the project.

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CEO Mark Zuckerberg had said Meta’s Hyperion AI supercluster would scale to 5 gigawatts over several years, providing industry-leading computing power and the highest compute capacity per researcher to support the company’s AI ambitions.

Meta is expanding its AI infrastructure to meet rising demand as investors look for returns on its heavy AI spending. The expansion follows the company’s strongest stock market week since early 2024, driven by the launch of two major AI models under Meta Superintelligence Labs chief Alexandr Wang.

Image via Shutterstock

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