re: Higher Entergy bills coming because of Meta Center?

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I thought it was the opposite and Entergy is going to pass the cost into current consumer base.

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Well that’s the rub. Nobody really knows because it’s a “special contract” (with details kept secret) instead of a regular publicly-established rate.

Ultimately, Entergy will make their guaranteed return on investment no matter what. If they don’t recoup their guaranteed ROI on the new infrastructure from the Meta contract, then whatever is left will be passed on to the rate-paying public.

Entergy knows this, and Meta knows this. In the absence of any oversight, it would make sense for Entergy to accept a lower price in the interest of getting the deal done.

Since the general public can’t see the contract details, we’re left to rely on the PSC to ensure Meta doesn’t get a sweetheart deal that leaves everyone else holding the bag. And in a case like this you don’t just have Entergy pressuring the PSC - you also have pressure from the state, LED, etc. who all want the project to move forward.

So we can all take Entergy’s word for it and trust the PSC to look out for us but AFAIK that’s all the assurance you’re gonna get. Personally, I remain skeptical.

These special contracts bypass much of the normal rate-setting process, and really should not be legal for a regulated utility IMO. At a minimum the contract details should become public record.

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Most data centers use 300-400K gallons per day. The St Francisville center will get its water from the MS River.

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True, but META's indirect water use from the new power plants will be around that 700 MGD number.