Economic development trade publication Area Development has honored Louisiana with the 2026 Gold Shovel Award—the third straight year it has earned the recognition. The publication uses an independent panel of economic development experts to evaluate the top 10 business development and business ex pansion projects in all 50 states.  The awards are based on project data submitted by state economic development agencies, along with Area Development’s own research and data. Projects are evaluated on factors including job creation, capital investment, industry diversity and how well they align with a state’s broader economic development strategy. Area Development reviews each submission for accuracy, credibility and completeness before including it in the rankings. The Gold and Silver Shovel Awards are presented across five population categories: states with populations under 3 million; 3 million to 5 million; 5 million to 8 million; 8 million to 12 million; and 12 million or more. Projects submitted by Louisiana represented more than $46.1 billion in capital investment and 6,613 new direct jobs. Venture Global’s $18 billion, 275-job LNG facility in Port Sulphur topped Louisiana’s list of qualified projects. Also included were Woodside Energy’s $17.5 billion LNG facility in Lake Charles and a pair of Ascension Parish projects: the $5.8 billion Hyundai-POSCO Louisiana Steel facility and CF Industries’ $2 billion project.  Read more about the awards. ...read more read less