PremiumEli Tan and Maureen FarrellNew York Times·27 Jul, 2026 08:02 PM20 mins to readThe construction site of Meta’s $86.5 billion data centre in Holly Ridge, northeastern Louisiana. Photo / Annie Flanagan, The New York TimesA New York Times examination details how the Silicon Valley giant used private talks with local officials to start a project big enough to cover nearly 16 square kilometres.
A Louisiana state legislative committee was about to consider a bill in April 2024 when Richard Nelson, then the state’s revenue
