News Release > Entergy improving electric system in Ponchatoula through substation expansion

Entergy improving electric system in Ponchatoula through substation expansion

01/23/2024

Substation work builds on several reliability projects performed in South Tangipahoa Parish

PONCHATOULA, La. – Entergy Louisiana is expanding a substation in Ponchatoula along Highway 22 to improve the electric system that serves approximately 18,000 residential and business customers in the area, including a local hospital. The substation expansion builds on several reliability projects that have been performed in the southern portion of Tangipahoa Parish over the past couple years.

As part of the work, crews expanded the substation yard, built a new control house and additional overhead equipment and installed two new high-voltage breakers. The work at the substation in Ponchatoula, as well as relevant work at two other area substations (one in Hammond and another in Madisonville), will sectionalize the local electric system and make it more resilient. Crews anticipate these benefits will be realized in the spring.

The work at the substation in Ponchatoula is part of Entergy Louisiana’s ongoing efforts to improve its transmission and distribution systems in Tangipahoa Parish. It is just one of many projects that are underway or have been completed recently.

Examples of distribution work that was completed in the last two years include:

• Tickfaw area – Crews upgraded more than two miles of power lines and built a new approximately half-mile power line west of Tickfaw that brought a new source of power to the area. In addition, crews installed a regulator bank, which monitors voltage, and a recloser, a smart device that adds automation to the electric system and helps protect it from temporary impacts.
• Hammond, Independence and Springfield areas– Crews strategically replaced or installed fuses, reclosers and regulators to improve the reliability of electric service.
• Ponchatoula area – Crews strategically replaced utility poles and equipment like crossarms and insulators at the top of poles and installed five smart devices like reclosers and trip savers. Most of this work took place in the northern portion of Ponchatoula.

In addition to distribution-level work, Entergy also performed significant transmission-level work at substations in Ponchatoula, Hammond and Amite within the last five years. Projects included modernizing protection equipment, transformers and overhead equipment; replacing circuit breakers, arrestors and insulators; and enhancing animal mitigation measures taken at a substation in Hammond.

“We know our customers are counting on us to provide them with reliable power and that is exactly why we are continuing to invest in our electric system,” said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO. “We’re proud to serve many residents and businesses in Tangipahoa Parish and are committed to providing them with the electric service they expect.”

Beyond ongoing work at the substation in Ponchatoula and projects that were completed over the past couple years, crews will be upgrading nearly three miles of power lines along Esterbrook Road in the southeast portion of Ponchatoula and installing a new recloser.

To learn more about Entergy’s approach to reliability and some of latest projects the company is undertaking, visit entergy.com/reliability/. In addition to ongoing reliability work, Entergy Louisiana has a proposed resilience plan, or an accelerated grid hardening effort, that is under review with the Louisiana Public Service Commission. To learn more about that plan, visit entergynewsroom.com/news/entergy-louisiana-files-proposed-10-year-entergy-future-ready-resilience-plan/. Together, ongoing reliability work and a comprehensive resilience plan would help protect the state against future weather events and support the local economy.

About Entergy Louisiana

Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than 1 million customers in 58 parishes and natural gas service to more than 94,000 customers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Entergy Louisiana is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR), an integrated energy company engaged in electric power production, transmission and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with approximately 24,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 5,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,000 employees.