Being built
Applied Digital Delta Forge 1 AI campus (Boyce)
Also called: Delta Forge 1
Applied Digital is building a $3.6 billion AI data center campus near Boyce in Rapides Parish. It could use up to 430 megawatts, the biggest single customer Cleco has ever had. Cleco wants to build a new gas plant partly to serve it.
Where things stand: Site work began January 2026; first operations expected mid-2027.
🕒 Latest update (May 26, 2026): The state announced the $3.6 billion Delta Forge 1 campus.
What we know
- 📍 WhereAlong Interstate 49 near Boyce, Boyce, Rapides Parish
- 🏢 CompanyApplied Digital
- 🌳 Size300 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs430 megawatts (about as much as 344,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromCleco Power, up to 430 megawatts. Cleco proposed a new 756-megawatt gas plant and a power deal from Texas; Applied Digital pays for new substations and lines.
- 🗼 New power linesYes
- ❄️ Coolingclosed-loop cooling
- 💵 Cost$3.6 billion
- 💸 Tax breaksState and local sales tax break on data center equipment (Act 730 of 2024).
- 👷 Jobs promised200
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Who will be the tenant? 🙋 I'll find out
- How much water will it use per day? 🙋 I'll find out
- Has the state utility commission approved Cleco's new gas plant? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- Jan 2026Site development began.
- May 26, 2026The state announced the $3.6 billion Delta Forge 1 campus.
🛰️ See it from above
An aerial photo of the area.
We only know the town, so this shows the town center, not the exact site. Photos: USGS The National Map.
Where this comes from
- Central Louisiana Secures $3.6 Billion Applied Digital AI Factory Campus · Louisiana Economic Development · May 26, 2026
- New Cleco power plant could support $3.6B data center in Rapides Parish · 10/12 Industry Report · 2026
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