Entergy Louisiana breaks ground on phase one of grid resilience plan

Entergy Louisiana LLC on Aug. 13 marked the start of phase one of its comprehensive grid resilience plan during a groundbreaking ceremony.

“We harden the grid throughout each year, however, the launch of our new resilience program marks the start of the most comprehensive grid strengthening program in Louisiana history,” said Entergy Louisiana President and CEO Phillip May. “It’s a transformative moment for energy and economic prosperity in Louisiana.”

Representatives of Entergy Louisiana — which provides electric service to more than one million customers in 58 parishes and natural gas service to more than 94,000 customers in Baton Rouge — joined local officials in Lake Charles to launch the grid resilience plan, which will help ensure customers experience shorter and fewer power outages during severe weather.

“We’ve always been proud to serve the Lake Charles area, and we eagerly anticipate a future where our communities are stronger, more resilient, and positioned to grow and thrive,” May said during the ceremony.

The plan will help meet increasing grid demands in southwest Louisiana, a national leader in industrial construction and LNG exports that are supported by massive maritime infrastructure, such as the Calcasieu Ship Channel and the Port of Lake Charles — the tenth-busiest port in the nation by tonnage, according to Entergy.

The utility also said the grid resilience plan will meet demand from the Gulf Coast, which has seen over $262 billion in announced energy manufacturing investments since 2013, with Louisiana capturing more than 50 percent of that share, according to data from the Louisiana State University Center for Energy Studies’ 2024 Gulf Coast Energy Outlook.

At the same time, business investment in the state is booming, with companies last year announcing more than $25 billion in new projects, reports Louisiana Economic Development.

Because these operations and industries are critical to the local, national, and global economies, Entergy Louisiana’s five-year, comprehensive resilience plan will fortify electric infrastructure statewide to bolster the power grid, enhance resilience, and safeguard the state’s economy.

The initial phase of the plan includes 2,100 projects targeting 69,000 distribution and transmission structures, with hardening measures to include replacing electric equipment, such as poles, guy wires, anchors, and power lines so that they meet the latest wind loading design standards, the utility said.

In the Lake Charles area, Entergy Louisiana will invest around $107 million over three years to harden the grid, including upgrading approximately 4,275 distribution poles to withstand winds up to 125 mph, and 115 transmission structures to endure winds up to 150 mph, for a total coverage of 148 miles of transmission and distribution power lines.

“We’re excited to join Entergy, Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, and other community members today to celebrate a more prosperous and resilient future for Lake Charles and its surrounding communities,” said Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter. “Utility and healthcare services are among the most critical in our city, and by strengthening the electric system, we ensure these essential services are available to our citizens year-round.”

The first project, which is underway in the Oak Park area, involves hardening about 315 distribution poles over five miles of power lines.

Among the anticipated benefits from Entergy Louisiana’s plan include about $1.2 billion in avoided future storm restoration costs, improvements in electric service reliability, and customer savings related to reduced post-storm outages, the company said.

Mike Francis, chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, was among those who supported Entergy Louisiana’s resilience plan.

“Having grown up in north Louisiana, run a successful business in south Louisiana, and served many constituents across the southwestern and central parts of the state on the public service commission, I understand the critical importance of industry to our economy and well-being, as well as the need for a reliable and strong power grid,” Francis said during the ceremony.

“I share the enthusiasm and excitement of Entergy Louisiana and local partners as they break ground on a grid resilience program that will improve electric infrastructure and ultimately strengthen our communities,” he added.

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