JEFFERSON PARISH, La. – Entergy Louisiana, joined by local elected officials and community leaders, celebrated the launch of a major grid resilience project in Jefferson Parish with a ceremonial ribbon cutting, marking the beginning of a $270 million investment to strengthen the parish’s electric infrastructure and enhance reliability for customers.
The project includes replacing or hardening more than 500 utility poles and other electrical infrastructure along Veterans Boulevard between the Orleans Parish line and Clearview Parkway. The project, now underway, is expected to conclude by October, weather and other working conditions permitting. The new poles are engineered to withstand wind speeds of up to 140 mph, improving the resilience of the local grid during severe weather and help reduce duration of outages.
“Today’s ribbon cutting represents more than the start of a construction project. It reflects our long-term commitment to building a stronger, more resilient grid for the communities we serve,” said Phillip May, president & CEO of Entergy Louisiana. “These investments will help reduce storm impacts, improve reliability for our customers and support Jefferson Parish’s continued economic growth for decades to come.”
This project is part of Entergy Louisiana’s comprehensive grid resilience plan, designed to strengthen critical infrastructure across the state and help communities better withstand the impacts of increasingly severe weather.
As part of Jefferson Parish’s overall resilience program, Entergy Louisiana will upgrade hundreds of miles of infrastructure, including replacing or reinforcing approximately 8,400 distribution and transmission poles with stronger structures engineered to withstand wind speeds of up to 140 mph.
Investments like this will help improve reliability for residents while supporting many of Jefferson Parish’s key industries, including environmental and engineering services, health innovation, supply chain infrastructure, and technology and design. A stronger power grid reduces costly outages, improves business continuity, strengthens supply chains and creates an environment that encourages continued economic investment and job growth. Modernized infrastructure also supports the integration of advanced technologies and renewable energy resources while helping protect communities against future extreme weather events.
This resilience program was developed using a comprehensive, data-driven planning process that analyzed thousands of storm scenarios to identify projects expected to provide the greatest reliability and resilience benefits for customers.
In addition to strengthening the electric system, this statewide resilience plan is expected to deliver significant long-term value. Over time, the program is projected to avoid approximately $175 million in future storm restoration costs while reducing restoration times following severe weather. It is also expected to generate an estimated $5 billion in long-term capital maintenance and investment benefits over the next 50 years through fewer emergency repairs, reduced equipment failures and longer-lasting infrastructure.
Construction activities in Jefferson Parish will continue over the coming months as crews work to strengthen the local electric system safely and efficiently. Crews will be working in phases along Veterans Boulevard throughout the project. Traffic impacts are possible in certain areas while work is underway, and some planned outages may be required to safely complete portions of the project. If so, customers will receive advance notifications.
About Entergy Louisiana
Entergy Louisiana provides electricity to more than 1.1 million customers in 58 parishes. Entergy Louisiana is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR). Entergy generates, transmits and distributes electricity to power life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re focused on keeping costs for our customers as low as possible while providing reliable energy that our communities count on. We’re also investing in growth for the future with a more resilient, cleaner energy system that includes modern natural gas, nuclear and renewable energy generation. As a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship, Entergy delivers more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to the communities we serve through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. Learn more at EntergyLouisiana.com and connect with @EntergyLA on social media.
Media inquiries:
Brandon Scardigli
[email protected]
Media line: 504-576-4132
