News & Events
LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois Discusses Louisiana’s Economic Playbook on FUELED

News & Events

LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois Discusses Louisiana’s Economic Playbook on FUELED

August 20, 2026

FUELED: Powering Louisiana’s Future continues its exploration of Louisiana’s evolving energy landscape with a closer look at the increasingly important connection between reliable power, economic growth, and the state’s ability to compete for major investment.

In Episode 5, Kathryn Fenstermaker sits down with Susan Bourgeois, Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development, to discuss the transformation underway at LED, the unprecedented scale of industrial development coming to Louisiana, and why access to abundant, affordable, reliable electricity has become central to the state’s economic development strategy.

The conversation examines how Louisiana is positioning its existing strengths—including its energy infrastructure, natural gas resources, industrial experience, workforce, and regulatory environment—to compete for the industries shaping the next generation of the American economy. Bourgeois also discusses the importance of moving with speed, coordinating across agencies and industries, protecting existing ratepayers, and ensuring that major investments ultimately create meaningful opportunities for Louisiana residents.

Episode Highlights

How Louisiana Economic Development is working to change both the reality and the narrative of opportunity in Louisiana.
Why reliable power has moved to the center of major economic development and industrial recruitment efforts.
How Louisiana’s existing energy infrastructure, natural gas resources, industrial expertise, and workforce create a competitive advantage.
Preparing Louisiana’s workforce to meet the demands created by new manufacturing, technology, energy, and industrial investment.
How the Meta project helped shape a “whole-of-Louisiana” approach to economic development and major project recruitment.
Coordinating utilities, regulators, state agencies, local governments, and economic development organizations to move projects forward more efficiently.
Balancing large-load growth with grid investment, reliability, affordability, and protections for existing ratepayers.
Why an all-of-the-above energy strategy—including natural gas, LNG, nuclear, and other generation resources—can help Louisiana meet rising electricity demand.
The growing role of artificial intelligence and data centers in Louisiana’s economic and energy future.
Why speed to market has become one of the most important factors in competition for major industrial investment.
Turning economic development into jobs, higher wages, stronger communities, and long-term opportunity for Louisiana residents.
Bourgeois’s goal of making today’s record-setting investment not a temporary surge, but Louisiana’s new normal.

As Season 6 continues, FUELED broadens the conversation beyond how electricity is generated and delivered to examine what reliable power makes possible. Through discussions with leaders across the energy, utility, industrial, and economic development sectors, the series explores how infrastructure, investment, workforce, technology, and collaboration are coming together to shape Louisiana’s future.