Infighting and ghost-written policy at Public Service Commission; Louisiana surgeon general’s ties to MAHA movement
Louisiana regulators are facing scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest involving Entergy executives and the approval of massive data center infrastructure. Additionally, the state's surgeon general is drawing attention for her alignment with the 'Make America Healthy Again' movement.
Why it matters
The report highlights concerns regarding corporate influence on public utility regulation and the shifting political landscape of public health leadership.
Listen 24:29 Louisiana Economic Development Electric utility Entergy has filed hundreds of pages of documents with state regulators about the development of a massive data center near, or on, this site in rural northeast Louisiana. The utility plans to build a 1,500-megawatt natural gas plant to run the data center. The company wants Entergy to build or acquire 1,500 MW of solar power elsewhere to offset its emissions in Holly Ridge. Louisiana's Public Service Commission (PSC) is overseeing one of the biggest industrial buildouts in state history. They’re considering 10 new gas plants and other infrastructure, like transmission lines, in order to power Meta's data centers in Richland Parish.
Last week, the PSC voted to overturn a judge’s ruling that Meta had to turn over information about how it calculated jobs and power usage. And the meeting got heated, as Michael McEwen reported for our Coastal Desk.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in