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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
T h u r s d ay, a p r i l 16, 2026
Meta seeks power for data center expansion
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2026 LEGISLATURE
State could dismantle DCFS amid criticism Bill would divide department among different agencies
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
As construction continues on the sprawling Meta data center site in Holly Ridge, plans for a huge expansion are already underway.
Entergy gets OK to speed up approval process to build seven more gas-fired plants for project BY JOSIE ABUGOV
watts in total for the tech company with its 10 gas-fired plants, the equivalent of over half of all power Plans for a huge expansion of it currently produces statewide. It is Meta’s Louisiana data center took also requesting 2,500 megawatts of their first steps before Louisiana solar and wind energy, as well as an upgrade to existing electricity regulators nuclear sites. on Wednesday, with 20 Monroe Four out of the five Entergy granted an 20 elected regulators initial green light for an expedited approvHolly Ridge: 61 voted in favor of Entergy’s proposal al process to build Site of 165 for an advanced seven more gas-fired Meta AI timeline, agreeing power plants for the data center 49 Alexandria to cast a final vote on project. the new power plan The expansion adds LA. MISS. in December, roughto what was already Miss. River expected to be Meta’s ly eight months aflargest AI data center the utility filed Baton 49 Rouge the application. The ter worldwide, being commissioners also built in northeastern Staff map 10 sided with Entergy Louisiana at a cost of to forego a formal some $27 billion. The seven new power plants would be in recommendation from an adminisaddition to three already approved trative judge, a typical procedure, for the project. but one that is not binding on the Approval from the state’s Public commission. Service Commission would enable “Only in government is eight Entergy to generate 7,400 mega- months rushed to make a decision,” Staff writer
said Commissioner Jean-Paul Coussan, who voted in favor of Entergy’s requests. The utility said it met requirements for the commission’s “lightning initiative,” a fasttracked approval process for large projects like data centers designed to reduce red tape. Approved in Decem- Coussan ber, the measure exempts utilities seeking to build new infrastructure from going to the market to prove that the new generation is the cheapest and most reliable option available. Entergy says in its filings that “the ability to deliver speed-to-power and execute on the economic-driven power needs” is a key consideration for companies deciding where to locate their massive projects. Requirements for the lightning process include a letter from the
ä See META, page 4A
After years of frustration about child deaths from abuse and neglect in Louisiana, a state lawmaker wants to dismantle the Department of Children and Family Services, moving some of its functions into the health department and others into law enforcement agencies. Sen. Patrick McMath, R-Covington, unveiled the plan in Senate Bill 462 during a Wednesday meeting of the Senate health committee, which he chairs. Louisiana faces problems with “child welfare and, in particular, child deaths,” McMath said, and the state’s child welfare apparatus needs “significant, foundational” change. “There is a unique opportunity here and a true desire to fix what is a broken system,” he said. “If we don’t, children will continue to die at an unacceptable pace in Louisiana.” But hours after McMath unveiled the plan, Gov. Jeff Landry gave it a frosty reception. “It’s hard for me to know if I support it or not. Nobody talked to me about it,” Landry said in a
ä See DCFS, page 7A
Baton Rouge DA, public defender seek funding from Legislature BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer
Louisiana guarantees the right to an attorney — but not the funding to pay for one. But in Baton Rouge, a bill has a chance to change that. A bill advancing at the Capitol would require cities across East Baton Rouge Parish to provide funding for the local Public Defender’s Office — a first-of-its-kind mandate for an agency long plagued by budget shortfalls. At the same time, Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore is making his own case for more state funds, asking state lawmakers to fund 25
ä See FUNDING, page 5A
Woman’s Hospital program begins gifting books to newborns Wednesday the launch of hospitals across the country that ‘Reading opens doors nounced this early learning initiative. The have joined forces with Durham, has not set a start date for North Carolina-based Book Harto endless positives,’ hospital the giveaways but said it will start vest to provide newborns and their leader says soon. families with starter home librar-
First to receive them will be children in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit — about 1,200 Staff writer children a year. Over a three-year Mothers who give birth at Wom- period, the plan is to expand hospian’s Hospital will start receiving a tal-wide. Woman’s Hospital delivset of books soon that they can take ers about 8,000 children annually home. The hope is that the books and has had more than 400,000 bawill spark a lifetime love of read- bies born in its care since it opened in 1968. ing. Woman’s is one of a handful of The Baton Rouge hospital an-
BY CHARLES LUSSIER
WEATHER HIGH 86 LOW 65 PAGE 6B
ies. “We cannot hesitate. Reading opens doors to endless positives,” said Rene Ragas, president and chief executive officer at Woman’s, at a news conference Wednesday. “The impact of these library starter kids will be profound,” Ragas continued.
Books from a starter home library kit are displayed during a news conference on Wednesday. STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
ä See BOOKS, page 7A
Business ......................6A Commentary ................5B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................6D Deaths .........................3B Opinion ........................4B Comics-Puzzles .....3D-5D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
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