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Meta has announced a major expansion of its Hyperion data centre project in Richland Parish, Louisiana, increasing its planned compute capacity from more than 2 gigawatts (GW) to 5GW. The company said its investment in the artificial intelligence (AI) facility has now surpassed USD 50 billion, reflecting growing demand for computing infrastructure required to train large language models. The expansion includes more than USD 1 billion in local infrastructure upgrades covering roads, water and wastewater systems. Since construction began in late 2024, local businesses have secured contracts worth over USD 1.6 billion, while increased tax revenues have supported higher teacher bonuses in the parish. The announcement comes amid continued scrutiny from environmental groups over the energy demands and financing of large-scale AI data centres.
Meta has expanded the scope of its Hyperion data centre project in Richland Parish, Louisiana, increasing its planned compute capacity to 5GW and raising total investment in the development to more than USD 50 billion. The company announced the expansion on Monday, stating that the additional capacity will support the training of large language models, which underpin generative artificial intelligence applications including ChatGPT.
The Hyperion campus had previously been designed to deliver more than 2GW of compute capacity. The revised plans significantly increase the scale of the project as technology companies continue to invest heavily in AI infrastructure to meet rising demand for computing resources.
Construction on the Louisiana facility commenced in December 2024. Since work began, Meta said businesses across Louisiana have secured contracts valued at more than USD 1.6 billion through the project, highlighting its economic contribution to the region.
As part of the latest expansion, the company said it would invest more than USD 1 billion in public infrastructure across Richland Parish. The planned expenditure will fund improvements to road networks, water supply systems and wastewater infrastructure to support both the development and the surrounding community.
Meta also stated that increased tax revenues generated by the project had contributed to higher compensation for local educators. According to the company, teachers in Richland Parish recently received annual bonuses of up to USD 50,000, representing a 400 per cent increase compared with the previous year.
The announcement comes amid growing opposition from environmental organisations and consumer advocacy groups regarding the rapid expansion of energy-intensive AI data centres across the United States. These groups have raised concerns about the electricity requirements of such facilities and the potential impact on utility customers.
Earlier this year, US environmental law organisation Earthjustice sought an investigation into the financing arrangements for Meta's Louisiana data centre. The request was rejected. Earthjustice had argued that the financing structure could ultimately transfer project costs to utility customers if Meta were to withdraw from the project before the utility recovered its investment.
The scale of the Louisiana development had already been highlighted by US President Donald Trump, who said last year that the data centre project would cost USD 50 billion.
Meta continues to expand its AI infrastructure alongside other major technology companies, with spending on data centres and computing capacity accelerating as demand exceeds available supply. The company has committed to invest USD 600 billion in US infrastructure and job creation over the next three years.
According to Meta, it currently has 32 data centres either operational or under construction worldwide, including 28 facilities located in the United States. The expanded Hyperion campus will become one of the company's largest AI infrastructure investments as it continues to increase computing capacity for future AI development.
Source - Reuters
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