MANY, La. – April 19, 2024 – Entergy Louisiana’s ambitious grid resilience plan took a significant step forward today as phase one received approval at the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) meeting in Many, Louisiana. The plan, spanning five years, aims to bolster electric infrastructure statewide, enhancing the resilience of Entergy’s power grid and the communities it serves while safeguarding Louisiana’s economic stability.
Phillip May, President and CEO of Entergy Louisiana, emphasized the proactive nature of the resilience plan, stating, “Our resilience plan is a proactive approach that will help bring more of our electric infrastructure up to higher standards, keep pace with Mother Nature, and protect what matters most—customers, homes, and businesses within the communities we serve.”
Phase one of the plan encompasses 2,100 projects focused on reinforcing critical structures across both the transmission and distribution systems. These projects, impacting approximately 69,000 structures, are expected to yield a benefit-cost ratio of almost 9:1, indicating substantial benefits outweighing costs.
Using a data-driven approach, Entergy meticulously evaluated thousands of potential storm scenarios to identify projects, many involving replacing existing utility poles with stronger ones designed to withstand higher winds and extreme weather events. The anticipated benefits include approximately $1.2 billion in avoided future storm restoration costs, improved everyday reliability of electric service, and customer savings related to shortened post-storm outages.
May underscored the significance of LPSC’s approval, noting, “Louisiana and its people have long had a spirit of resilience, and today’s bold and historic approval by the Louisiana Public Service Commission, greenlighting efforts to harden our power grid, only strengthens that notion.”
While phase one is estimated to cost approximately $1.9 billion over five years, the initial monthly bill increase for a residential customer using about 1,000 kWh would be around 57 cents, gradually rising to approximately $7 a month over five years before gradually decreasing. These costs will be reflected on monthly bills as an individual resilience program rider starting late this year or early next year.
Entergy Louisiana will provide quarterly monitoring and construction reports for transparency and accountability and be subject to an unprecedented pole performance metric. If newly installed poles fail to withstand future storms as designed, bill credits would be provided to customers based on specified criteria.
To learn more about Entergy’s efforts to create a brighter, more resilient Louisiana, visit entergy.com/brightfuturela/.
About Entergy Louisiana: Entergy Louisiana, LLC serves over 1.1 million customers in 58 parishes and provides natural gas service to about 95,000 customers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 electric company powering life for 3 million customers across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Entergy is committed to investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while aiding the transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With a century-long presence in communities, Entergy is a leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship, delivering over $100 million in economic benefits annually through philanthropy, volunteerism, and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and employs approximately 12,000 individuals.
