Orleans County

Moratoriums and bans

1. Jan. 28, 2026 City of New Orleans: Moratorium (interim zoning district). At a special meeting the City Council approved Motion M-26-63, studying a Data Center Interim Zoning District that pauses occupational licenses and approvals for data centers citywide for one year, and Motion M-26-62, asking the City Planning Commission to define data centers in the zoning code and set standards. (New Orleans City Council, Jan. 28, 2026; Verite News New Orleans, Jan. 28, 2026)

Updates, newest first

1. Jan. 28, 2026 MS Solar Grid Data proposal, New Orleans East · The City Council adopted a one-year pause on data center licenses and approvals citywide while planners write zoning rules, after the New Orleans East proposal drew concern. (New Orleans City Council, Jan. 28, 2026; Verite News New Orleans, Jan. 28, 2026)
2. Jan. 28, 2026 City of New Orleans: Moratorium (interim zoning district) · At a special meeting the City Council approved Motion M-26-63, studying a Data Center Interim Zoning District that pauses occupational licenses and approvals for data centers citywide for one year, and Motion M-26-62, asking the City Planning Commission to define data centers in the zoning code and set standards. (New Orleans City Council, Jan. 28, 2026; Verite News New Orleans, Jan. 28, 2026)

Statewide

Act 730 of 2024 (HB 827) gives a state and local sales and use tax rebate on data center equipment and on spending to build, buy, lease, repair or expand a qualifying data center, for purchases from July 1, 2024, if the operator attests it will create at least 50 new permanent jobs and invest at least $200 million in Louisiana before July 1, 2029; Louisiana Economic Development certifies the facility and signs a 20-year agreement that may be renewed for 10 more years. (Louisiana Legislature, June 19, 2024) The Public Service Commission's Lightning Directive, adopted 3-2 at its Dec. 17, 2025 meeting, lets a utility skip the Commission's market-based competitive test for new generation serving a large load when set conditions are met (reported: a 15-year service agreement, shown need, the customer paying at least half of new infrastructure and a letter of support from Louisiana Economic Development), and aims for a Commission vote within eight months of an application; Entergy's second Meta filing (U-37882) and Cleco's Applied Digital filing (U-38035) were made under it. (WWNO, Dec. 17, 2025; Louisiana Public Service Commission, May 14, 2026; Louisiana Public Service Commission, Oct. 15, 2026) No binding large-load tariff rule was found: in May 2026 the Commission opened a repository docket (X-37921) for non-binding Large Load Additions Guidelines, which ask utilities to show that the new load pays the full cost of the generation and transmission built for it, that other customers are protected from stranded costs if the load leaves, and that the utility keeps curtailment rights. (Louisiana Public Service Commission, May 6, 2026; Louisiana Public Service Commission, 2026) Docket R-37905 (opened April 2026) is a Commission rulemaking on 'private use electrical networks' that would let generation serve new large loads directly; Staff issued an initial report and proposed rule in August 2026 and comments were filed in September and October 2026. No final rule as of Oct. 26, 2026. (Louisiana Public Service Commission, April 22, 2026) Parish incentives: the Caddo Parish Commission set up a framework for payments in lieu of taxes for data centers in unincorporated Caddo Parish (Resolution 48 of 2025, with the Northwest Louisiana Finance Authority); Meta's Richland Parish campus has a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement with the parish (reported). (Caddo Parish Commission, Aug. 2026; WRKF / WWNO (Gulf States Newsroom), July 14, 2026) Louisiana data centers →