Facebook and Instagram parent company, Meta, will build a massive 10-billion-dollar artificial intelligence data center in Rayville in Richland Parish. A project expected to create 500 or more direct jobs. So how did it happen? Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois says initial conversations with Meta began soon after Governor Landry took office and ten months later Louisiana won the project.
“If they hit a roadblock, if a challenge arises, someone in this administration, someone in our department, from the Governor to DOTD, to us, the local, we just solve the problem,” Bourgeois explained.
Bourgeois says a project of this magnitude usually takes years of negotiations before construction can begin but talks with Meta only took months to get done. She says to support both the construction and eventual operation of the data center, Louisiana Community and Technical College System has committed 250-thousand dollars in Workforce Rapid Response.
“…That matches what Meta’s needs are, but more importantly, to really take advantage of the AI opportunity in Louisiana. So, a curriculum is already being worked on. Delta Regional Community College is already prepared to start executing on that,” Bourgeois said.
Construction begins on the Meta AI facility located in Rayville, Louisiana
Bourgeois says Louisiana’s Legislature also played a major role in attracting this data center to northeast Louisiana by approving a sales tax rebate bill.
“Once we pass that legislation, our phones started ringing pretty significantly, and I will say I believe this is the just the first of many of these kinds of announcements,” Bourgeois said.
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