(The Center Square) - Advanced manufacturing plants planned for West Monroe and Houma will produce hydrogen-powered generators for military and commercial use, a project Louisiana officials say will create jobs and expand the state's manufacturing sector.
Houston-based NovaSpark Energy will build the hydrogen generators – which are designed to rapidly produce power and water from the air — at plants in Ouachita and Terrebonne Parishes. Louisiana Economic Development (LED) expects the two plants will result in 300 direct new jobs at an average salary of $76,000, about 25% above the state average, along with an additional 319 indirect jobs.
When the company provided a demonstration of its products at the Pacific Operational Science and Technology conference Field Experimentation event in April 2025, NovaSpark Chief Innovation Officer Lanson Jones likened the portable units to a "Swiss Army knife" due to their ability to simultaneously power equipment, generate fuel for drones, refill tires, and produce clean drinking water for troops
NovaSpark initially developed these portable generators, each about the size of two portable toilets, for the U.S. Marine Corps so that they could be air-dropped by parachute. These generators could drastically reduce the danger and cost of delivering traditional diesel fuel—which can run up to $400 a gallon — to remote, distributed outposts across the Pacific Ocean and other far-flung locations.
The company will now use the planned Houma plant to scale up commercial production for civilian markets, utilizing the same military technology developed at the West Monroe facility.
"NovaSpark’s investment brings advanced manufacturing, defense applications, and emerging energy technology together in a way that builds on our existing foundation while creating new opportunities across the state,” said Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois.
NovaSpark CEO Rick Harlow said Louisiana’s “unique combination of energy leadership, industrial infrastructure and a highly skilled workforce” makes the state an ideal location for NovaSpark to build next-generation energy solutions.
“With our expansion in Houma, we’re not only scaling production of our atmospheric hydrogen generators, but also strengthening America’s ability to deliver resilient, on-site energy for critical infrastructure and national defense,” Harlow said.
In West Monroe, where construction at a secure military site began in April 2026, the company said it will add 60 direct new jobs and retain three positions. LED expects an additional 64 indirect jobs will be created in the Northeast Region.
To secure the investment, Louisiana offered NovaSpark an incentive package featuring the state's Industrial Tax Exemption Program. While the planned $30 million capital investment in Houma could potentially expand the local revenue base, local taxpayers must first absorb the upfront cost of the property exemptions used to lure the facility.
Under current laws, local parish bodies including school boards and law enforcement vote on whether to grant substantial property tax exemptions in exchange for the promised high-wage jobs.
“Terrebonne Parish has the workforce, infrastructure and industrial foundation to support companies that are ready to scale, and NovaSpark Energy’s decision to locate this facility in Houma speaks directly to those strengths,” said Terrebonne Economic Development Authority CEO Cohen Guidry.
In addition to state incentives, NovaSpark's expansion is backed by private capital through Boot64 Ventures, a Louisiana Opportunity Capital lender based in the state, alongside LED’s FUEL award. The company has also secured certification under LED’s Louisiana Angel Investor Tax Credit program, positioning it to attract further private backing by offering state tax credits directly to qualified investors.
Backed by active contracts with the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force, NovaSpark plans to ramp up production of the military-grade mobile generators to fulfill contracts tied to the Pentagon's Replicator initiative, which aims to rapidly expand production of autonomous and emerging defense technologies.
