Entergy New Orleans announces $1bn ‘Operation Gridiron’
(Credit: Entergy New Orleans)
Entergy New Orleans announced the launch of “Operation Gridiron,” a $1 billion power infrastructure programme designed to make the city’s grid stronger and to better prepare for more frequent, stronger storms.
The “Operation: Gridiron” (OGI) plan was developed in response to a request by the New Orleans City Council following Hurricane Ida in 2021. The proposal is before the City Council for their consideration and approval.
If approved, Entergy says its plan will:
- Invest $1 billion in the grid over 10 years in two, 5-year phases
- Cut outage times by more than half and save customers millions of dollars
- Upgrade thousands of poles to withstand 150 mph winds
- Harden 650 miles (1046km) of power lines
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At a press conference announcing the event, Entergy New Orleans President and CEO Deanna Rodriguez responded to questions concerning how the $1 billion investment would be paid for.
“For the first five years, we’re asking for a recovery of that from customers,” Rodriguez said, adding that that additional funding could be obtained through grants from the Department of Energy (DOE) or other federal funds.
Entergy’s plan was mentioned by the DOE as part of a broader, $3.5 billion nationwide investment plan to strengthen the grid, create microgrids, and enable more renewable energy generation. Under this plan, Entergy New Orleans will also roll out a backup battery project meant to reduce energy bills for disadvantaged customers.
Originally published by Sean Wolfe on Power Grid.
