Entergy New Orleans today joined leaders from the U.S. Department of Energy to break ground on a grid-hardening project that will upgrade 94 distribution poles serving the Leonidas area and directly benefit more than 1,900 customers. Making the grid stronger means customers will experience fewer, shorter outages.
Entergy New Orleans President and CEO Deanna Rodriguez stood with Katie Jereza, the Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity, and Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy Secretary Dustin Davidson to kick off the new project — which will make the grid stronger and more reliable, reducing day to day outages.
The project is funded in part by a $2.05 million grant awarded this spring by the U.S. Department of Energy.
“This federally funded grant will save our customers money by helping pay down the cost of large infrastructure projects, and it will make our community safer. A stronger grid helps us stand up to stronger, faster storms,” said Rodriguez. “Securing the support of the Department of Energy was critical in making this project possible and continuing our work to make the grid stronger.”
“Faster recovery starts before a storm hits by having poles that meet today’s wind standards and less vegetation putting power lines at risk,” said Katie Jereza, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity. “This investment will directly benefit the more than 1,900 families and businesses in New Orleans and result in fewer disruptions by keeping critical infrastructure operating when the community needs it most, continuing to advance President Trump’s agenda to deliver affordable, reliable, and secure electricity for Americans nationwide. By reducing damage and downtime, this project is projected to avoid $7.4 million in outage-related and restoration costs over the next 50 years.”
The Entergy grant is one of 13 projects throughout the state that the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy selected to receive Grid Resilience Grants funded by U.S. Department of Energy, ranging from grid modernization to vegetation management.
“The resilience of our power grid is a critical and constant priority for Louisiana, given our proximity to the Gulf of America and its tropical systems and our location in a part of the country where high temperatures fuel strong storms on land,” Davidson said. “We are working to find ways to establish a power grid that is reliable in the face of wind and flooding events, and resilient enough to be restored quickly afterwards, focusing on communities where the need is greatest.”
The work beginning today will replace approximately 94 distribution poles and harden approximately 1.6 miles of the distribution network. In addition, Entergy New Orleans will implement a targeted vegetation management program in the project area to trim back trees and foliage that could impact service wires.
Entergy New Orleans is committed to strengthening the electric grid, investing in resilient infrastructure and preparing year-round to provide safe, reliable service for customers across the city.
Currently, Entergy New Orleans is midway through a grid-hardening initiative with upgrades being made in every district to make our grid stronger and to make the community we serve more safe.
To learn more, visit us online.
About Entergy New Orleans
Entergy New Orleans provides electricity to more than 209,000 customers in Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Entergy New Orleans is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation. Entergy generates, transmits and distributes electricity to power life for more than 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, we deliver 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 EntergyNewOrleans.com and connect with @EntergyNOLA on social media.
