NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana’s growing electricity demand from data centers and other large industrial projects will take center stage at the second annual GSREIA Renewables Summit on Sept. 18 at Gallier Hall in New Orleans.
Energy leaders from across Louisiana and the Gulf Coast will examine the power generation and infrastructure needed to support that growth while maintaining grid reliability and limiting costs to ratepayers.
The discussion comes amid a surge in major industrial investment. Louisiana Economic Development (LED) reported Sept. 10 that the state has recorded more than $183 billion in announced capital investment in 2026, including Meta’s more than $50 billion Richland Parish data center expansion, Amazon’s $18 billion in planned Northwest Louisiana data centers and Hut 8’s planned AI data center campus in West Feliciana Parish, representing up to $10 billion in its first phase.
The Sept. 18 GSREIA summit programming, preceded by an opening reception Sept. 17, is hosted by the Gulf States Renewable Energy Industries Association and will bring together policymakers, utility executives, renewable energy developers, manufacturers, major energy users, academics, investors and community leaders.
Data centers and other energy-intensive industrial projects can create jobs and economic activity, but they also can require large amounts of electricity as well as new generation, transmission and other infrastructure.
Power Demand Tests the Grid
Meta’s expansion illustrates the scale of that demand. The company’s Richland Parish development is planned for 5 gigawatts of IT capacity. Entergy Louisiana has asked state regulators to approve seven new natural gas generating units totaling 5,278 megawatts at an estimated cost of about $12.9 billion, along with battery storage and new transmission infrastructure, in connection with an electric service agreement with a Meta subsidiary.
The Louisiana Public Service Commission is also considering broader policies for accommodating large new electricity users. An open commission proceeding is examining private electrical networks that could allow generation to serve new large loads seeking to locate in Louisiana, and guidelines related to large-load customers are on the commission’s Sept. 16 agenda.
At the regional level, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator announced Sept. 8 that 15 proposed generation and storage projects totaling about 7.3 gigawatts have entered its latest expedited review cycle. Five of the projects, totaling about 3.15 gigawatts, are in Louisiana. MISO said electricity demand across its region is rising at a historic rate.
The question of who pays for infrastructure needed to serve data centers has also reached Congress. House Republican leaders said Sept. 10 that the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act was expected to reach the House floor the following week. The legislation would require state utility regulators to consider standards for recovering the full incremental costs of generation, transmission and distribution upgrades needed to serve large electricity users.
GSREIA Summit panels will examine how utilities and regulators can accommodate growing electricity demand without shifting the cost of new infrastructure to residential and other existing customers. Discussions will include voluntary renewable energy tariffs and other approaches that could allow large commercial and industrial customers, including data centers, retailers and manufacturers, to secure additional power while addressing grid reliability and affordability.
“The energy question has become an economic development question. If the Gulf Coast wants to compete for the next generation of industry and technology, we have to be able to answer where the power comes from — and make sure the answer works for everyone,” said Monika Gerhart, Executive Director for GSREIA.
The summit will also examine battery storage, clean firm resources and strategies for increasing the capacity of the existing electric system.
Renewable Energy and Louisiana Communities
Beyond electricity demand, speakers will discuss the effects of renewable energy development on Louisiana communities and landowners as large projects continue to raise questions about land use, local economic benefits and community involvement.
Those issues are playing out across Louisiana. In Calcasieu Parish, developers of the proposed Persimmon Energy Center met with Moss Bluff residents Sept. 9 to discuss a solar project spanning nearly 5,000 acres that has drawn questions and concerns from surrounding communities.
The summit panel on landowner and community engagement will include sugar cane farmers, local officials and others involved with attracting renewable energy projects. The discussion will examine potential economic effects including property tax revenue and income for participating landowners.
Renewable energy development is also contributing to Louisiana manufacturing. First Solar opened its $1.1 billion solar-panel manufacturing facility in Iberia Parish in late 2025, and the company expects the facility to employ 826 people by the end of 2026 and produce 3.5 gigawatts of annual manufacturing capacity when fully ramped.
An Advanced Manufacturers’ Roundtable will focus on U.S.-manufactured products used by the renewable energy industry and the jobs associated with their production.
Another track will examine behind-the-meter energy resources, including solar and battery storage, and their potential role in supporting the electric grid. Louisiana already has examples of that model through the Community Lighthouse network, which uses solar generation and battery storage at churches and other community institutions to provide power during extended outages.
Energy Leaders Join GSREIA Summit
Scheduled speakers at the GSREIA Renewables Summit include Louisiana Senate Chairman Bob Hensgens; Jeff Andry of Bernhard Capital Partners; Katie Southworth of the Corporate Energy Buyers’ Association; Larry Hand of Entergy; Louisiana Senate Chair Beth Mizell; Commissioner Davante Lewis; Todd Hillman of MISO; John Kemp of Avangrid Power; Dr. Greg Upton of LSU’s Energy Institute; Neil Abramson of Liskow; Servando Esparza of Amazon Web Services; and Nathalie Jordi of Together New Orleans.
