Nov 4 (Reuters) - Utility Entergy's unit and

pipeline firm Energy Transfer ( ET ) have signed a 20-year

agreement to deliver natural gas to North Louisiana, the

companies said on Tuesday.

The U.S. is poised to see a record surge in power demand

this year and in 2026, led by data centers' outsized energy

needs, the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates.

The companies said the pipeline would supply gas to

Entergy's ( ETR ) new plants and serve projects such as Meta's

data center in Richland Parish.

Energy Transfer ( ET ) will initially provide 250,000 million

British thermal units (MMBtu) per day of transportation service

beginning in February 2028 and continuing through January 2048.

The deal also provides an option to Entergy ( ETR ) to expand

delivery capacity in the region to meet future energy demand.