Texas company plans $3.6 billion AI factory in Alexandria

Key Points:

• Applied Digital plans to build a $3.6 billion AI-focused data center campus, Delta Forge 1, in Rapides Parish, central Louisiana, expected to create 200 high-paying jobs averaging $90,000 annually and 1,000 construction jobs by summer 2027.
• The project marks a significant economic milestone for the region, with investments exceeding the total private investment in the area over the past decade and is described as a "paradigm shift" by state and local officials.
• Delta Forge 1 will feature two facilities with 300 megawatts of critical IT load on 300 acres, utilizing closed-loop waterless cooling technology to support high-density AI computing while conserving water.
• The campus benefits from direct access to energy infrastructure, with Cleco providing power, and aims to position Alexandria and central Louisiana as key players in the AI industry and digital infrastructure expansion.
• Officials celebrated the announcement as transformative for the local economy, highlighting the project's potential to lead the AI revolution in the United States.