A Winning Playbook: How Louisiana can Continue to Attract the Tech Industry
Anyone following the drama of football season can attest to the fact that recruiting never stops. Savvy coaches and general managers understand that every game, press conference, and handshake is helping potential players answer the question of “which team do I want to play for?” In Louisiana, a state known for championship football teams and an unbeatable sports culture, strategic recruiting extends beyond the field. Our leaders and businesses have demonstrated an understanding of how essential technology is to the modern economy-and responded accordingly, but work remains if Louisiana wants to keep its playbook sharp.
Last month, New Orleans City Business News reported that several companies have shown interest in locating their data centers in Louisiana. This interest follows the announcement last year of a Meta data center in Richland Parish, the largest deal in North Louisiana’s history. Louisiana attracted the Meta deal, along with other data centers, by offering abundant energy, minimal regulations, and a pro-business environment. The state is projected to reap the rewards in areas of job growth. Economic forecasts indicate the continuation of a five-year increase in jobs, with over 74,500 jobs in the next two years attributed to the expanding gas industry and the Meta data center.
As any good coach will tell you, in-season wins and interest are only part of the path to lasting success, and sustained victories need a reliable infrastructure. For technology, that infrastructure consists largely of the legislative climate and the practical resources available, like energy and internet. If Louisiana wants to continue recruiting and retaining tech industry, pro-innovation policies and strong broadband should continue to be priorities.
On the policy front, lawmakers are at a crossroads: either preemptively regulate and make it impossible for innovation to thrive or create a fertile ground for progress, where inventors and consumers alike can test products against the needs of the market and the standards of existing laws. Already, state legislation on artificial intelligence (AI) has created a patchwork system that is both unworkable and expensive. Larger states with more tech jobs and companies, like California, set the tone for other states as companies scramble to comply. With every new state law regulating AI, the web of red tape becomes more confusing. Some lawmakers have grown tired of the race to write policy that can keep pace with an ever developing and changing technology, and have instead begun to call for a federal standard. Louisiana can opt for the latter option, and call for federal leadership when the opportunity arises, thus avoiding the pitfalls of overregulation and the associated recruiting slump.
If the regulatory posture is what attracts tech jobs and business, the ability to power and expand with fast and strong broadband will help keep them. Data centers and AI both require broadband to function. Louisiana has confronted its digital divide with grit and determination, navigating the twists and turns of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program with efficiency and expertise. The latest development on BEAD in Louisiana is a tale of savings, wherein the state’s broadband office (ConnectLA) saved nearly $250 million in its revised plan. As the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) and ConnectLA continue to coordinate final approval measures, a strengthened and resilient internet ecosystem is on the horizon. State officials can take steps to ensure that the citizens and companies of Louisiana reap the rewards of years of strategy by prioritizing communication between local, state, and federal administrations. As projects unfold, feedback about how they are meeting the needs of the community will be vital to ensuring their long-term success. Leveraging BEAD dollars to their maximum potential will signal to tech companies around the world that Louisiana has the backbone to accommodate fast internet and fast progress.
In sports and business alike, success builds upon itself. The growth of the last two years is a strong motivator to continue recruiting the businesses and innovators that can offer jobs and stability to our state. Creating a compelling legislative climate, where innovation and progress are celebrated instead of regulated, and promising a resilient infrastructure, ready to support the needs of new business, is a recipe for victory.
Links to Learn More
Louisiana active with companies shopping for data center locations | New Orleans CityBusiness
Digital Foundations: The Essential Guide to Data Centers and Their Growth|James Madison Institute
