Entergy Louisiana Tests Concrete and Composite Utility Poles for Grid Hardening

Entergy Louisiana is taking steps to ensure that it maintains a dependable electricity supply in the future. Recently, the company crews gathered in Jefferson Parish to undergo training and test the installation of alternative utility poles made of concrete and composite materials.

As utility companies across the country ramp up grid hardening efforts, the demand for these alternative poles is on the rise. Entergy Louisiana has already successfully completed pilot projects involving concrete poles in Mississippi and various parts of Louisiana where soil conditions support their installation. In fact, crews recently installed concrete poles on a distribution line along Pecue Lane in Baton Rouge, which is not far from Entergy's Louisiana storm command center.

In May, crews will be piloting the installation of concrete poles as part of a months-long construction project in Parks, Louisiana. Over 20% of the 260 poles being installed on a new distribution line to provide reliable power to a sugar mill in the area will be made of concrete.