News Release > Entergy Louisiana to Start Construction on $60M Reliability Project

Entergy Louisiana to Start Construction on $60M Reliability Project

02/23/2017

Transmission project will strengthen service for Plaquemines Parish customers

Belle Chasse, LA – Construction starts March 1 on a $60 million transmission project that will improve service reliability for Plaquemines Parish residents and help meet the power needs of the area’s growing economy.      

Entergy Louisiana is constructing a 10.5-mile 230kV transmission line between the Oakville substation, off Walker Road in Belle Chasse, and the Alliance substation, just west of Louisiana Highway 23 near the Phillips 66 refinery. The line is being built to withstand winds of up to 150 miles per hour.

“This project not only improves services for our residents, but it also shows the commitment to improve the infrastructure here in our parish.  On behalf of my constituents, I would like to thank Entergy on their efforts to serve the people of Plaquemines Parish,” said Plaquemines Parish President Amos Cormier.

Approximately nine miles of the new line will be built along Louisiana Highway 23. Depending upon weather and other variables, the project should be complete between mid-December and mid-February. 

“Not only will this project enhance the reliability of service for our Plaquemines Parish customers, but it will increase the ability to import power to meet the needs of the parish’s expanding economy,” said Melonie Stewart, regional director of customer service.    

Work on the transmission project is being coordinated with the replacement of more than three miles of parish water line along Highway 23. Several sections of the water line are being replaced with new piping closer to the highway shoulder to allow for the construction of the new transmission line. Entergy Louisiana is paying for the work, which should be complete by July, as part of the transmission project.

Work on the transmission project will start first along Walker Road and with the construction of foundations for poles in some sections of the right of way along the west side of Highway 23. As the project progresses, it will require the periodic closing of the outer southbound lane of the highway.  

Entergy Louisiana will be coordinating with the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to limit the project’s impact on traffic along Highway 23.          

It is the third project of a multi-million program to enhance the reliability of service to Plaquemines Parish customers and help meet the needs of the parish’s growing business sector.   

The first project involved expanding the Peters Road substation to supply the new 230kV line. A second project included rebuilding and expanding the Oakville substation and constructing a new 230kV transmission line between the Peters Road and Oakville substations. This latest project also included improvements to the Alliance and the Oakville substation completed about four years ago.             

Entergy Louisiana provides electric service to more than one million customers and natural gas service to nearly 93,000 customers in the greater Baton Rouge area. With operations in southern, central and northeastern Louisiana, the company is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation.

Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 10,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.8 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of approximately $11.5 billion and more than 13,000 employees.