Applied Digital Delta Forge 1
- Contracted critical IT
- 300 MW
- Updated
- Oct 28, 2026
- Utility
- Cleco Power LLC — service path subject to regulatory review
Delta Forge 1 is Applied Digital’s two-building AI campus under construction near Boyce in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Its 300 MW of contracted critical IT load is separate from approximately 430 MW of expected utility load. Applied Digital’s approximately $7.5 billion base-term contracted revenue from an unnamed high-investment-grade hyperscaler is not financing raised, and Louisiana’s $3.6 billion project estimate is not actual expenditure. October 2026 filings forecast initial readiness in H1 2027 and full capacity in early 2028. Cleco’s service path remains subject to U-38035 regulatory review; the October order is procedural, not approval. Closed-loop cooling is planned, while construction-well water use is separately reported. Footprint descriptions differ, and final permits, land title, carrier service and project-specific financing remain unresolved.
Capacity
Building capacity
Planned critical IT per building; not additive to300 MW campus150 MW each
Separate or overlapping physical boundary
SourceOperating IT capacity: Not established in published records
A missing figure does not mean zero. Planned, utility and generation figures are not operating IT capacity.
Development
Participants
Developer and operator
PILOT term sheet counterparty; no inferred land ownership
Other participants (3)
Subsidiary building lessor; not independently verified fee title
Subsidiary building lessor; not independently verified fee title
Electric utility; service approval pending
Capital & incentives
Capital claims
Lease value
Base term contracted lease revenue; not financing raisedApproximately $7,500,000,000
SourceState equipment tax exemption
Qualification, not cash award or financingLED reports qualification under Act 730 for eligible data center equipment purchases or leases; benefit realized not disclosed incentive
SourceSite & development
Site area
Original company report; later state description approximately300 acres differs500+ acres
Conflicting public evidence
SourceConstruction water use reported by operator
Cumulative construction well use reported August 12; not operating demand or daily withdrawal12 million gallons approx
SourceAPLD AEX-01 first building lease executed
Executed; day precision2026-04-20 — Executed milestone
SourceAPLD AEX-02 second building lease executed
Executed; day precision2026-04-22 — Executed milestone
SourceTechnical specifications
Cooling architecture
Project design, not measured consumptionClosed loop cooling is planned; this does not establish zero construction water use system
SourceAdditional project facts
Initial operations
Forecast, not achievedInitial RFS H1 2027; full capacity early 2028 schedule
SourceInitial footprint described by state
Reported scope differs from original more than 500 acre company description300 acres approx
Conflicting public evidence
SourceUtility load timing
Forecast utility load, not operating ITApproximately 430 MW expected by 2028; separate from 300 MW contracted critical IT scope
SourceDelivery outlook
Forecast, not achievedInitial ready for service H1 2027; full capacity early 2028 schedule
SourceUtility regulatory status
No service, generation or transmission approval establishedU-38035: substantive application remains under review; October 15 order is procedural and directs Commission consideration by March 2027 regulatory record
SourceAir operating permit review
Proposed permit; issuance unverifiedProposed initial synthetic minor air permit 2360-00175-00, AI250709/PER20260002; July 29 notice, September 3 hearing scheduled; no issue date shown in reviewed register regulatory record
SourcePILOT process
Term sheet authorization, not effective final PILOTEEIDD authorized execution of a PILOT term sheet on April 23; final Cooperative Endeavor Agreement approval remains separately required incentive
SourceWell 40-0252 notified pumping rate
Industrial well notification, not metered actual use144,000 gallons/day
SourceWell 40-0253 notified pumping rate
Industrial well notification, not metered actual use450,000 gallons/day
SourceGroundbreaking announced
Announced achieved; day precision2026-01-22 — Announced achieved milestone
SourceUtility application filed as U-38035
Filed not approved; day precision2026-07-01 — Filed not approved milestone
SourceU-38035 evidentiary hearing
Scheduled not occurred; day range precisionJanuary 26–27, 2027 — scheduled not occurred milestone
SourceInfrastructure & permits
Technical details (7)
Planned gross utility service; not operating IT
430 MW
Contracted service subject to regulatory approval
Cleco Power LLC
Forecast utility load, not operating IT
Approximately 430 MW expected by 2028; separate from 300 MW contracted critical IT
Project design, not measured consumption
Closed-loop cooling is planned; this does not establish zero construction water use
No service, generation or transmission approval established
U-38035: substantive application remains under review; October 15 order is procedural and directs Commission consideration by March 2027
Cumulative construction well use reported August 12; not operating demand or daily withdrawal
12 million gallons approx
Filed not approved; day precision
2026-07-01 — filed not approved
Project map
Utility regulatory status · U-38035: substantive application remains under review; October 15 order is procedural and directs Commission consideration by March 2027
Applied Digital Delta Forge 1
Oct 15, 2026
Air operating permit review · Proposed initial synthetic minor air permit 2360-00175-00, AI250709/PER20260002; July 29 notice, September 3 hearing scheduled; no issue date shown in reviewed register
Applied Digital Delta Forge 1
Jul 29, 2026
Public-source research. Plans may change. See Evidence for sources and qualifications.
Related projects (1)
Under construction · Louisiana, United States
Shared participant: Applied Digital · Same market: Louisiana, United States
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