Applied Digital (Rapides Parish)
No project stage is auto-generated. What follows is the
timeline of record — every entry dated, cited and linked to its source.
Timeline of record
- Oct 21NEWS·Rapides Parish, LAApplied Digital will pay Boyce $4 million under a community benefit agreement for its Delta Forge 1 AI data center project, exceeding the town's annual revenue of approximately $3 million. The company will also make separate payments starting at $27.4 million annually over 25 years instead of traditional property taxes.New Orleans CityBusiness · Rapides Parish, LA
- Oct 21NEWS·Rapides Parish, LAThe town of Boyce, Louisiana will receive a $4 million one-time payment from Applied Digital, which is building a $3.6 billion AI data center nearby. The payment, announced Oct. 14, exceeds the town's entire annual revenue and is intended to support infrastructure improvements and community projects.The Center Square · Rapides Parish, LA · also at The Black Chronicle, The Hayride, The Black Chronicle
- Oct 5VOTE·Richland Parish, LAAbout 100 landowners gathered to oppose Entergy's proposed 500kV transmission line crossing five parishes to power Meta's $50 billion Richland Parish data center, with construction set to begin in 2028. The Louisiana Public Service Commission will vote on the project in December.New Orleans CityBusiness · Richland Parish, LA
- Oct 5VOTE·AlabamaApplied Digital has installed sound-measuring equipment at Brookwood Middle School to establish baseline noise levels before construction begins on its $3.2 billion "Delta Forge Two" AI data center campus. The city also purchased monitoring equipment to track sound levels during construction and ensure compliance with noise standards.WBRC 6 News · Alabama
- Oct 3UTILITIES·Richland Parish, LA
- Oct 2UTILITIES·Richland Parish, LAAbout 100 people gathered at a public meeting to oppose Entergy's proposed transmission line through five parishes to power Meta's data center in Richland Parish. The Louisiana Landowners Coalition has petitioned the Public Service Commission to require the company to use existing utility corridors instead of condemning residential properties and family farms.San Luis Obispo Tribune · Richland Parish, LA · also at Merced Sun-Star
- Oct 2VOTE·AlabamaTexas-based data center company Applied Digital is hiring for construction and site management roles for its $3.2 billion AI factory project in Brookwood, Alabama, with construction expected to start next year and the facility anticipated to employ over 100 full-time workers once operational.AL.com · Alabama
- Oct 1PERMIT·Richland Parish, LALouisiana has approved multiple large artificial intelligence data center projects, including Meta's expansion in Richland Parish to 5 gigawatts of capacity. The developments raise concerns about water resource management, utility regulation, and environmental oversight, with critics noting gaps in regulatory frameworks and the use of nondisclosure agreements limiting public input.Tulane Law School · Richland Parish, LA
- Sep 17HEARING·LouisianaLouisiana is competing for a new U.S. Space Force academy following a presidential executive order, with state leaders and regional development groups coordinating the bid to complement SpaceX's planned facility. Louisiana Innovation secured $15 million in total funding to expand labs connecting manufacturers with advanced technologies in energy, aerospace, agribusiness and other sectors. State regulators agreed to expedite review of Cleco Power's plan to supply electricity to Applied Digital's $3.6 billion data center project in Rapides Parish, potentially reaching 430 megawatts by 2028.Baton Rouge Business Report · Louisiana
- Sep 17LAWSUIT·Rapides Parish, LALouisiana utility regulators have approved an expedited review of Cleco Power's plan to supply electricity to Applied Digital's $3.6 billion data center in Rapides Parish, bypassing the administrative law judge recommendation stage while still requiring an evidentiary hearing before commissioners decide the application's merits.The Center Square · Rapides Parish, LA · also at New Orleans CityBusiness, KTBS 3, blackchronicle.com
- Sep 14NEWS·Rapides Parish, LAProtesters with the activist group "Humans First" stopped in Boyce on September 12 as part of a 34-stop national bus tour opposing data center expansion, demanding stronger regulations, taxpayer inclusion in negotiations, and accountability from tech companies and lawmakers.KALB | News Channel 5 · Rapides Parish, LA
- Aug 28MORATORIUM·Tuscaloosa Co., ALApplied Digital Corporation, a Dallas-based data center company tied to a potential Tuscaloosa County project, donated $25,000 to U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville's campaign for governor on Aug. 7. Tuberville has promoted data center development in Alabama for its potential tax revenue and job creation benefits.AL.com · Tuscaloosa Co., AL
- Aug 28NEWS·Richland Parish, LALouisiana is experiencing economic development including SpaceX's announced $100 billion commercial spaceport in Vermilion Parish, Meta's data center expansion in Richland Parish, and Applied Digital's data center project in Rapides Parish. Two microcap stocks with Louisiana exposure are Catalyst Bancorp, a regional bank, and Expion Energy, a lithium battery manufacturer that recently acquired oil and gas assets in Eastern Louisiana.TradingView · Richland Parish, LA
- Aug 27MORATORIUM·Richland Parish, LAWhile politicians nationwide increasingly oppose data centers, Louisiana Republican Gov. Jeff Landry actively courts them, rejecting a moratorium approach and offering tax breaks and fast-tracked approvals. Political scientists warn that Louisiana officials may reverse course if national backlash reaches the state, with signs of emerging voter unease beginning to appear at town halls and regulatory meetings.NOLA.com · Richland Parish, LA
- Aug 27NEWS·Rapides Parish, LAA data center developer in Louisiana negotiated a $3.6 billion project using nondisclosure agreements that shielded details from residents, sparking opposition and complaints about lack of transparency. The practice of using NDAs for data center projects is common nationwide, though some states have introduced bills to ban them and nearby parishes have completed similar projects without such restrictions.NPR · Rapides Parish, LA · also at NPR
- Aug 26NEWS·Rapides Parish, LAUtah Public Radio · Rapides Parish, LA
- Aug 25NEWS·LouisianaLouisiana has attracted $160 billion in new capital investment over the past two and a half years, with over $81.6 billion from four major AI data centers including Meta's $50 billion Richland Parish project. However, data centers face opposition across the political spectrum due to concerns about elevated electricity bills, water depletion, pollution, and community changes, along with questions about the secrecy surrounding tax incentives worth potentially billions.American Press · Louisiana
- Aug 20NEWS·LouisianaMajor technology companies including Meta, Amazon, and others are investing over $100 billion in Louisiana data centers. These facilities power services used statewide by hospitals, banks, businesses, and individual consumers relying on cloud computing infrastructure.Pelican Institute · Louisiana
- Aug 14NEWS·Rapides Parish, LARapides Parish Journal · Rapides Parish, LA
- Aug 13LAWSUIT·Richland Parish, LAThe Louisiana Public Service Commission voted to block an order requiring Meta to disclose records about its job creation and electricity demand projections for a Richland Parish data center expansion, reversing a prior ruling and handing the tech company a procedural victory in the case.Rapides Parish Journal · Richland Parish, LA
- Jul 30UTILITIES·Rapides Parish, LACleco submitted an application to the Louisiana Public Service Commission seeking approval to build a natural gas-powered substation to provide approximately 430 megawatts of electricity to the Applied Digital Delta Forge 1 data center in Rapides Parish. The utility company argues the data center customer will cover most project costs, reducing expenses for existing residential customers.KALB | News Channel 5 · Rapides Parish, LA
- Jul 22NEWS·Rapides Parish, LACleco will build a 756MW natural gas power plant to supply Applied Digital's 430MW data center under construction in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Applied will fund the plant, infrastructure, and a ten-year power supply agreement, with Cleco purchasing 370MW of capacity from a Texas natural gas facility.Data Center Dynamics · Rapides Parish, LA
- Jul 20UTILITIES·Rapides Parish, LACleco plans to build a 756-megawatt natural gas power plant to supply electricity to Applied Digital's $3.6 billion data center in Rapides Parish, which could require up to 430 megawatts. Applied Digital will fund grid connection infrastructure and transmission improvements, with Cleco projecting the agreement will provide over $700 million in net benefits to existing customers over 15 years.Baton Rouge Business Report · Rapides Parish, LA
- Jul 20UTILITIES·Rapides Parish, LACleco plans to build a 756-megawatt natural gas power plant to help supply electricity to Applied Digital's $3.6 billion data center in Rapides Parish, which will consume up to 430 megawatts. Applied Digital will pay nearly $3 billion in charges over 15 years, with Cleco estimating the arrangement could reduce costs for existing customers and generate over $700 million in net financial benefits.The Center Square · Rapides Parish, LA
- Jul 20NEWS·Rapides Parish, LAHeadline onlyThe Town Talk · Rapides Parish, LA
- Jul 20NEWS·LouisianaHeadline onlyThe Town Talk · Louisiana · also at AOL.com
- Jul 19NEWS·Rapides Parish, LAResidents and Save My Louisiana representatives protested Applied Digital's data center project in Boyce, citing concerns about rising utility bills, environmental impact, and non-disclosure agreements signed by local officials. Protesters called for greater government transparency and accountability.KALB | News Channel 5 · Rapides Parish, LA