News Release > Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans update on winter weather preparations

Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans update on winter weather preparations

01/20/2025

NEW ORLEANS, La. – As Louisiana braces for potentially historic winter weather, Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans remain dedicated to ensuring the safety of customers and restoring power as quickly and safely as possible should outages occur. Both companies have completed extensive patrols of their systems and taken additional measures to prepare for severe conditions.

Utility infrastructure can face unique challenges during extreme cold weather, such as heavy, wet snow combined with gusty winds, which can weigh down tree limbs and stress power lines along with an increased demand due to the frigid temperatures.

To assist in potential restoration efforts, 1,600 workers are on standby ready to support our communities statewide. However, customers should anticipate slower restoration times due to icy road conditions and cold-load pickup challenges.

As a reminder, out of an abundance of caution, both companies have made the decision to suspend disconnects through Sunday, Jan. 26.

Proactive Winter Preparations

Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans have implemented comprehensive steps to prepare for and mitigate the impact of the extreme cold, including:

• Completed system patrols to identify and address vulnerabilities.
• Insulating critical power plant equipment using improved methods and materials that allow them to withstand lower temperatures.
• Insulating or draining piping within power generation facilities with potential for standing water during normal operation, to prevent freezing and breaks.
• Inspecting and maintaining substations and transmission lines that are critical to Bulk Electric System reliability.
• Inspecting and testing equipment that can be impacted by extreme cold, such as gas-filled circuit breakers.
• Additional vegetation trimming, which removes tree limbs that would normally have been above the power line.

As our teams prepare, we encourage our customers to prepare as well. Entergy’s Storm Center provides a list of safety tips, bill management assistance and energy efficiency resources to keep families safe and warm throughout the winter season. 

Restoration Challenges

While crews are ready to respond, icy roads and other winter hazards are expected to slow travel and restoration efforts. Additionally, cold-load pickup, the increased energy demand that occurs when power is restored to systems impacted by extreme cold, may delay restoration times.

We’re storm ready, 365 days a year 

To ensure our company and customers are prepared for the winter weather ahead, we continue to implement unique readiness plans at each power plant and review measures taken with transmission lines and transmission facilities, while reviewing critical systems and infrastructure preparedness across the grid. 

When a weather threat arises, we ramp up support. We use forecasts and computer models based on experience with previous storms to predict damages and associated restoration resource needs. Based on those estimates, the company may call on restoration workers from around the country if needed to aid in restoring power safely and quickly for our customers. Entergy continuously plans and improves the process of assessing damage, positioning personnel in the right place with the required materials to restore power as safely and quickly as possible. 

We take steps to maintain and control vegetation across our service area, completing annual clearing of right-of-way areas to minimize the impact from fallen trees or branches following a storm. Prior to storms impacting our area, vegetation crews perform pre-storm patrols of circuits to mitigate any imminent threats within the right of way. Our year-round storm preparations include the vegetation management program and the targeted “ground to sky” vegetation trimming, which removes tree limbs that would normally have been above the power line. We also use artificial intelligence and satellite imagery to help predict when trimming may be needed. 

Customers should prepare now 

Being prepared can help keep you safe. Get ready before weather threatens your area by having an emergency plan in place. Find safekeeping resources on our Storm Center: 

• Get prepared: Make a plan, make a kit.
• Prepare your home: Winterize inside and out.
• Your mobile phone: A lifeline during a disaster.
• Stay informed: Download the app, report an outage. 
• Stay safe: Safety after the storm.
• Generator safety: Know the hazards.
• Gas safety: Know the signs.
• Extreme cold safety: Indoor and outdoor tips.

Verify your contact information in your online myEntergy account before severe weather strikes, so you receive our notifications. If a storm impacts your area, you can report an outage quickly and easily through our digital options – using either our free mobile app, online at myEntergy.com or by texting OUT to 36778. 

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.

About Entergy New Orleans

Entergy New Orleans, LLC is an electric and gas utility that serves Louisiana’s Orleans Parish. The company provides electricity to more than 209,000 customers and natural gas to more than 110,000 customers.

Both companies are subsidiaries of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 company that powers life for 3 million customers through operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees.