Three groups say regulators broke the state constitution when they sped up approvals for power plants that serve data centers.
A Louisiana cattle farmer found survey stakes on his land in early August. Later he learned they marked the path of a power line running almost 80 miles to Meta’s new data center. On Monday, he and two other groups sued the state agency that created the fast-track process Entergy used for its Meta plan.
The Louisiana Landowners Coalition, the Louisiana Citizen Advocacy Group and Save My Louisiana Inc. filed suit in East Baton Rouge Parish. They argue the Public Service Commission violated the state constitution when it adopted its “Lightning Directive” on Dec. 17, 2025, without adequate public notice. The directive, passed 4-1, lets utilities skip normal competitive bidding for new power plants if they show a 15-year service agreement, a customer that needs power within five years and state economic-development backing. The commission must consider the application within eight months.
Commissioner Jean-Paul Coussan proposed it. “Speed does not replace scrutiny; it simply removes unnecessary delay,” he said. Commissioner Davante Lewis was the only no vote, saying the public saw the text minutes before the vote. Gov. Jeff Landry supports the approach.
Dustin McAnn, the Trout farmer of the landowners coalition, said members now face “forced expropriation, permanent loss of value, and damage to their family farms.” The directive itself covers power plants, not transmission lines or land. But McAnn expects Entergy to use the commission’s public-need finding if it tries to take property for the lines. Entergy has said its Meta agreements will save ratepayers more than $2 billion because the company must cover the added costs. Entergy did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, and the commission would not comment on pending litigation.
The case comes about a month before the commission’s Dec. 10 meeting, where Entergy is expected to seek approval for seven new gas plants under the same directive. A separate Cleco Power matter tied to Applied Digital’s $3.6 billion data center campus must be decided by March 2027. No ruling has been reported.
Sources
• Entergy wants their land for Meta's power lines. They're suing the regulators approving them, WWNO
• Consumer advocates sue regulators over fast-track Louisiana data center approvals, Yahoo News
Have a correction or tip? See our
corrections policy or contact the newsroom.
