A session on water demand from artificial-intelligence infrastructure was part of the 12th annual NOLA River Fest’s program. Journalist Drew Hawkins was scheduled to discuss Louisiana’s water resources and AI data centers in “Beaucoup Water!,” according to Where Y’at Magazine.
The discussion came as Meta develops its Hyperion campus in Richland Parish. The project is registered for withdrawals of as much as 8.4 billion gallons annually from the Mississippi River Alluvial Aquifer, while Meta has said its expected use will be between 500 million and 600 million gallons a year, WBRZ reported. WBRZ also cited water researchers’ concerns about monitoring and the possible effects of maximum withdrawals. Meta says the facility will use a closed-loop cooling system and says it is helping establish the Mississippi River Water Action Collaborative with the Pacific Institute, America’s Watershed Initiative, and LimnoTech, according to the company’s account.
The festival’s program
Music and cultural programming formed the festival’s public-facing component. The schedule named Greyhawk Perkins, Yusa, and Kinfolk Brass Band as performers and listed an opening procession featuring the N’awlins D’awlins Baby Dolls, the Treme-Lafitte Brass Band, and members of the Original Wild Tchoupitoulas, Where Y’at reported. It also included an oral history by Debbie Fagnano, the calliope player aboard the Steamboat Natchez.
The free, all-ages event took place at the New Orleans Jazz Museum and Goldring Woldenberg Riverfront Park, with music, food, walking tours, children’s activities, and educational programming, according to WDSU. The station reported that Casey McHugh, the museum’s programs and development coordinator, linked the educational sessions to Meta’s Richland Parish project and urged local political participation. WDSU also reported that Big Queen Mary Kay Stevenson, a festival founder and member of the Original Wild Tchoupitoulas, spoke about the river’s personal significance.
The broader data-center demand
The discussion is part of a broader national increase in computing-related energy demand. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, data centers consumed about 4.4% of total U.S. electricity in 2023 and are expected to consume approximately 6.7% to 12% by 2028.
Why organizers emphasize the river
The festival’s programming addressed seafood, coastal restoration, and sustainability, WDSU reported. Greg Lambousy, director of the New Orleans Jazz Museum, told the outlet that the waterways connecting Lake Pontchartrain, the Mississippi River, and the bayous are central to New Orleans’ identity.
That relationship also carries economic significance. A 2024 Port NOLA study estimated that cargo activity associated with the port supports more than $101 billion in economic value nationwide and nearly 350,000 jobs, including more than 122,000 in Louisiana, according to WDSU, which cited the Port of New Orleans report.
The New Orleans Jazz Museum served as the host institution for the festival, according to the Louisiana State Museum.
