Governor Landry Signs Order Protecting Ratepayers from Data Center Costs

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed an executive order on June 25, 2026, creating the Ratepayer and Community Protection Framework for Large Load Investments. The order directs the Louisiana Economic Development Office to establish criteria within 90 days to ensure that data center projects balance their economic contributions against their use of land, water, and electric generation.

The directive comes amid conflict over Entergy's proposal to purchase the $1.8 billion Cottonwood gas-fired power plant in Texas. A consultant for the Public Service Commission claims the plant is primarily necessary to serve a Meta data center in north Louisiana. While Entergy and Meta deny that residential customers will bear the costs, critics and Public Service Commission member Davante Lewis argue that current nondisclosure agreements hinder transparency and ratepayer protection.

Governor Landry stated that the final decision on the Cottonwood acquisition rests with the Public Service Commission. Entergy CEO Phillip May defended the purchase, asserting that the facility is required to support general customer growth and the retirement of legacy power units, regardless of Meta's status as a customer.