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Insights > A Message from Phillip May: Stepping Beyond the Grid
A Message from Phillip May: Stepping Beyond the Grid
04/09/2019
Pictured, from left, are Jody Montelaro, vice president of public affairs for Entergy Louisiana; Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO; Ed Jimenez, director of business and economic development for Entergy in Louisiana; and Stephen Waguespack, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry president.
Look around and you'll find that much of what we use in our daily lives — like a can of paint, PVC pipe or a computer — is made from building blocks produced by companies here in Louisiana. Entergy Louisiana plays a big role in helping those companies continue to grow.
That's why we're incredibly proud to have received the 2018 Manufacturer of the Year Award from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.
A resilient power grid and affordable energy provide the foundation upon which a strong Louisiana economy is built — but it's just step one in the blueprint for a bright future.
Our infrastructure extends across the state. We bring power to the manufacturers producing compressors and pumps and paper packages in Monroe, plastics and chemicals in St. James Parish, and fuels and petrochemicals in the Lake Charles area. It also helps drive military training at Fort Polk and ship building and operations at Port Fourchon, a seaport that plays a role in supplying nearly 18 percent of the nation's oil.
And as Stephen Waguespack, LABI president, said during the Free Enterprise Awards ceremony, "It doesn't happen without the juice."
We will continue to power homes, small businesses and industries now and into the future through a three-year, $4 billion capital plan that will benefit and diversify our generation, transmission and distribution assets.
Low energy rates coupled with world-class infrastructure and a highly-skilled workforce are part of why Louisiana has led the nation in foreign direct investment per capita and is second only to North Dakota in percentage growth in industrial electricity sales. This translates to new jobs and improvements to our streets, schools and neighborhoods: a better quality of life.
But to complete the circuit and help all Louisianans achieve their full potential, we must do more than produce power. We must step beyond the grid.
We can't do it alone. That's why we collaborate with community partners like LABI and other organizations to reach all Louisianans.
I would like to thank Stephen and LABI for their commitment to sustaining Louisiana as a great place to do business. I'd also like to congratulate all of those who were recognized during the awards ceremony, many of whom are community partners.
Together, let's continue to Power Life in our great state.
