News Release > Entergy Louisiana Strengthening Electric System in Hard-Hit Coastal Communities

Entergy Louisiana Strengthening Electric System in Hard-Hit Coastal Communities

10/08/2021

BATON ROUGE, La. – Crews supporting Entergy Louisiana’s restoration efforts following historic Hurricane Ida are continuing to repair, rebuild and strengthen the electric system in hard-hit coastal communities like Port Fourchon and Grand Isle.

In areas where the height of Ida’s strength was felt, approximately 2,500 customers remain without electric service as dedicated lineworkers and others continue to set new poles, hang new wire and install new hardware. Many of these customers are making repairs to their electrical infrastructure and coordinating with Entergy to reconnect where power is available.

“I want to assure our customers in these communities that we’ll continue giving it our all, to not only restore power, but also strengthen the electric system ahead of future storms,” said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO. “The storm may have knocked us down, but together, we’ll continue to pick up the pieces and stand again, stronger than before.”

While service has been restored to most customers in Port Fourchon who can safely accept it, work continues to increase the resiliency of the electric system in the area. Crews are installing distribution equipment that meets the most up-to-date design standards. Among steps being taken, crews are installing class-one utility poles with extra hardened footings for critical power lines in the area. These new structures are designed to withstand 150-mph winds. The distribution wood poles Entergy installs today are generally 60-140% stronger in relation to bending moments than the poles Entergy would have used 5-10 years ago in an effort to harden the distribution system in our coastal areas.

Entergy Louisiana was able to bring first lights back to Grand Isle on Sept. 15 by providing temporary generators capable of powering social and critical facilities like grocery stores, lodging and emergency and government operations. The company plans to deploy additional generators to help provide power to portions of the island as crews continue to work on the main power source.

Like Port Fourchon, work is being done to increase resiliency of the electric grid serving Grand Isle, including setting class-one poles inside steel pipes 15 feet into the ground along main thoroughfares to offset the island’s sandy foundation.

Residents who are still without power in other areas that have been restored should check for damage to the electrical equipment attached to their home or business and contact an electrician to make needed repairs. For more information on what equipment is yours and what equipment is ours, visit entergy.com/weatherhead. If damage has been repaired by a qualified electrician, call 1-866-557-4240 between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, to generate a service reconnection work order.

About Entergy Louisiana:

Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than 1 million customers and natural gas service to more than 93,000 customers in the greater Baton Rouge area. It has operations in southern, central and northern Louisiana.

About Entergy Corporation:

Entergy Corporation is 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 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,500 employees. Learn more at entergy.com and follow @Entergy on social media.

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