Entergy Powers Up Texas, Louisiana for Data Centers

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Written by Will Ploch, Assistant Editor-in-Chief for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Entergy is turning to Texas and Louisiana to build out some of its highest-profile power-generation and transmission projects, including several attached to data centers.

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Powering Up the Pelican State

Entergy Incorporated, a utility that serves parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, is taking a bigger role in powering up the data center market, while scrambling to reinforce a regional power grid under growing stress. Industrial Info Resources is tracking more than $33 billion worth of active and proposed projects from Entergy, nearly $16 billion of which is attributed to grassroot developments.



According to Industrial Info Resources data, more than 50% of the total investment is attributed to projects in Texas and Louisiana. In a quarterly earnings-related conference call last week, Andrew Marsh, the chief executive officer of Entergy, said his company has more than 1,000 miles of transmission lines planned, "primarily in Louisiana and Texas, 85% of which are 500-kilovolt lines. Approximately 70% of the investment is already approved."

Last month, the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) approved Entergy's Babel-to-Webre Transmission Project, a 147-mile line connecting the company's Babel Substation in South Toledo Bend, Texas, which already is under development, to the existing Webre Substation in New Orleans. The project is part of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator's (MISO) 2025 Transmission Expansion Plan (MTEP25), which comprises 432 transmission projects intended to support rapid load growth and improve system reliability.

Industrial Info Resources offers more information on the Babel-to-Webre project in its Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database, where subscribers can find details--including construction schedules, investment values and necessary equipment--in reports on the transmission line and substation.

Marsh also said the U.S. Gulf Coast was a hotspot for its power-generation business: "We also have nine plants in regulatory review in Louisiana, with schedules to support decisions later this year. We have an additional four plants that are in our supply plan, but later in the cycle. That leaves eight units that are available for new growth opportunities."

Hyperscalers are among the customers for Entergy's power-generation projects in Louisiana, Marsh said: "We have been innovative in expanding our investment by accessing less-traditional markets. For example, in October, we closed on our second build-to-suit lease" for a unit addition at its Waterford Power Station in Killona, Louisiana, which is being developed partly to service Facebook parent Meta Platforms Incorporated's Hyperion Data Center in Rayville, Louisiana, the first phase of which is under construction.

Subscribers can learn more from detailed reports on the Waterford addition and the first phase of Hyperion. Subscribers also can consult a full list of project reports for Meta's nearly $79 billion worth of data center projects in Louisiana.

By the Numbers

• More than $33 billion: Total investment value of active and proposed projects from Entergy
• More than 50%: Share of the total investment attributed to projects in Texas and Louisiana
• $940.3 million: Entergy's third-quarter net income, a 35.5% year-over-year increase

Shaking Hands with Google

Renewable energy also is in Entergy's project mix, including one project intended to serve a data center: the Cypress Solar & Battery Storage Project in Wright, Arkansas, which is designed to generate 600 megawatts (MW) from photovoltaic (PV) panels provided by Canadian Solar Incorporated and store up to 350 MW in a battery energy-storage system (BESS) unit.

The Cypress complex will serve Google parent Alphabet Incorporated's West Memphis Data Center, nicknamed "Project Pyramid," a $10 billion investment across five buildings. To ward off public criticism surrounding data center growth, Google agreed to cover all power and infrastructure costs, including $600 million in new grid enhancements.

The grid enhancements include a 250-MW BESS unit at the Driver Solar Plant in Osceola, Arkansas, and the 100-MW, standalone Jones Mill BESS unit in Malvern, Arkansas. Both projects are owned by Entergy.

Subscribers can learn more from detailed project reports on Cypress, Driver and Jones Mill. Subscribers also can consult a list of reports for projects related to the West Memphis Data Center.

Entergy reported consolidated operating revenues of $4.37 billion for third-quarter 2026, a 14.7% increase from the same period last year. Net income stood at $940.3 million, a 35.5% increase.

The Industrial Info Resources GMI Project and Plant databases offer a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and a full list of related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources also offers a full list of reports for active and proposed projects from Entergy.

Key Takeaways

• Entergy is turning to Texas and Louisiana to build some of its highest-profile projects.
• The company also has a string of developments attached to planned data centers.
• Google has agreed to cover a significant portion of the costs associated with one such project.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news, and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing, and energy-related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified, and verified plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).