Louisiana utility regulators have reversed a ruling that would have forced Meta to turn over records showing how it calculated the jobs and electricity demand behind its massive Richland Parish data center expansion.

Background

The Louisiana Public Service Commission made this decision on Wednesday, blocking an order that would have required Meta to produce documents substantiating its projections for investment, permanent job creation, and power consumption.

The decision is a setback for the Alliance for Affordable Energy and Union of Concerned Scientists, who were seeking to examine the calculations behind Meta’s projections. These projections have become central to Entergy Louisiana’s argument that another multibillion-dollar buildout to serve Meta is in the public interest.

Implications

The commission’s decision kills, for now, an effort to look behind the numbers that have become central to Entergy Louisiana’s argument. Entergy is seeking approval to build seven company-owned natural gas generators, along with three battery-storage projects and hundreds of miles of transmission infrastructure to accommodate the additional demand.

Consumer advocates dispute whether the protections proposed by Entergy eliminate the long-term risk to ratepayers, particularly if Meta’s electricity needs fail to materialize as projected or the company eventually reduces its presence.

The commission will ultimately have to weigh these competing claims when it considers Entergy’s application in December. However, after Wednesday’s decision, the groups challenging the project will have to do so without the underlying Meta records that the administrative law judge had determined they were entitled to obtain.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.