RICHLAND PARISH, LA – What began as a $10 billion “historic investment” in north Louisiana has quietly ballooned into a $27 billion experiment in creative accounting, after state officials reportedly added a new “miscellaneous” line item that somehow cost more than the original project itself.
Entergy Louisiana, which partnered with Meta to power the new Richland Parish data center, confirmed that the increase was “expected” once the state remembered it needed electricity, land grading, and “a few dozen miles of extension cords.”
Governor Jeff Landry hailed the updated price tag as “proof that Louisiana is open for business, even if it takes three tries to find the decimal point.” He also reminded critics that the number wasn’t final, since “we still have to factor in backup air-conditioning for the backup air-conditioning.”
According to project planners, the added billions will go toward “power reliability enhancements,” “community enrichment efforts,” and “whatever we forgot in the first draft.”
Sources say the state is already preparing for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that may itself cost around $4 million, or $8 million if anyone asks questions about it.
State auditors have promised a full report once they locate the spreadsheet tab where the other $17 billion went.
