Wave of investment in Louisiana is ‘historic’

In a Tuesday morning press conference, Gov. Jeff Landry formally announced Woodside Energy Group’s $17.5 billion final investment decision on its liquefied natural gas production and export facility in Lake Charles.

The news comes on the heels of several other major project announcements in Louisiana, including Meta’s $10 billion AI data center in Richland Parish and Hyundai’s $5.8 billion steel plant in Ascension Parish.

According to state officials, Louisiana has attracted more than $60 billion in capital investment since Landry assumed office in January 2024.

“That is historic,” Landry said. “That has never happened in this state.”

The governor emphasized that projects of this magnitude have the capacity to transform the economies of entire regions of the state.

“Every time these projects come to Louisiana—every time we announce these numbers—it gives the people of our state the ability to have their incomes raised,” he said. “We are raising the quality of life. … And what’s great about this is I think I’ve now announced a project in just about every corner of the state.”

In the same press conference, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois credited state officials’ “whole-of-government approach” for securing the Woodside project and other projects of its size.

“The importance of our local government partners cannot be overstated,” she said. “State and local government entities once again came together to deliver results.”

Both Landry and Bourgeois pointed to a newly published Reuters piece on the recent wave of investment in Louisiana as evidence of the state’s rising reputation on the global stage. That piece, penned by Gavin Maguire, characterizes Louisiana as a “crafty” state that’s emerging as a standout example of how to thrive under President Donald Trump, even when compared to Texas, its “more showy neighbor.”

“The Bayou State is staging a revival that could see it emerge as the more dynamic and influential Gulf Coast hub over the coming decades thanks to a development blueprint that could be described as being all things to all people,” Maguire writes.

Woodside’s facility, called Louisiana LNG, is expected to support thousands of jobs during the construction phase and thousands more once up and running. Read more about the project here.

Louisiana is already a major player in LNG. The state currently has four operational LNG export terminals—more than any other state—and is responsible for 61% of the nation’s LNG exports.

Dustin Meyer, senior vice president of policy, economics and regulatory affairs for the American Petroleum Institute, described the opportunity in Louisiana’s energy sector as “enormous” while speaking at the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry’s Annual Meeting in February. Of particular significance to Louisiana, according to Meyer, is Trump’s repeal of former President Joe Biden’s LNG permitting pause.