Entergy Louisiana representatives and local officials have announced the start of phase one of the company’s comprehensive grid resilience plan in Jefferson Parish.
Work to strengthen the electric grid is under progress near a seafood market off the Westbank Expressway. The initiative will also support a more strong Gulf Coast economy.
According to the LSU Center for Energy Studies’ 2024 Gulf Coast Energy Outlook, the Gulf Coast has pulled over $262 billion in announced energy manufacturing investments since 2013, with Louisiana having more than 50% of the share. Additionally, Louisiana Economic Development reported that companies in Louisiana have announced over $25 billion in new projects.
Southeast Louisiana is known for its seafood industry, which contributes $2.4 billion annually to the state’s economy and supports many jobs. Jefferson Parish, including cities like Westwego and Jean Lafitte, is particularly dependent on the industry.
Entergy Louisiana’s resilience plan will fortify electric infrastructure statewide, strengthening the power grid and safeguarding Louisiana’s economy, over the next five years. The initial phase includes 2,100 projects targeting 69,000 distribution and transmission structures. Upgrades are expected to include replacing electric equipment, such as poles, guy wires, anchors, and power lines, to meet modern wind-loading standards.
In Jefferson Parish, the company plans to invest approximately $233 million over five years to strengthen nearly 200 miles of transmission and distribution lines, upgrading around 7,400 distribution poles to withstand winds of up to 140 mph. The work is contracted to United Utility Services and Ampirical Solutions for completion.
The grid resilience plan is expected to produce $1.2 billion in avoided future storm restoration costs, improve daily service reliability, and generate customer savings by reducing post-storm outages. The plan will help shorten evacuations and minimize time away from home and work by reducing restoration costs and outages from future extreme weather.
