News Release > Entergy to upgrade electric system in rural areas west and south of Baton Rouge

Entergy to upgrade electric system in rural areas west and south of Baton Rouge

12/18/2023

Reliability work to benefit thousands of Entergy and Pointe Coupee Electric customers

BATON ROUGE, La. – Entergy Louisiana crews and contractors will be performing significant reliability work on its electric system over the next six months in rural areas west and south of Baton Rouge. The work, which will take place in or near Livonia, Grosse Tete, Plaquemine and Bayou Pigeon, aims to improve service for around 5,400 Entergy and Pointe Coupee Electric residential and business customers.

PC Electric customers in these areas will benefit from the reliability work Entergy Louisiana is performing because the PC Electric’s wholesale power provider receives power from Entergy’s power grid. The local electric system is an interconnected system of wires, poles and meter points, among other equipment.  

The reliability work began in early November and is expected to be completed in the spring of next year. The overall project includes upgrades on four distribution-level power lines:

• Livonia – New utility poles and crossarms, equipment that keeps power lines in the air, will be installed. Most of the work will be performed along Highway 90, LA 41 and LA 77.
• Grosse Tete – Along with miscellaneous improvements, more than 70 new utility poles will be installed and substation equipment will be upgraded. Most of the work will be performed near Highway 77 and Sydney Road.
• Plaquemine – Along with trimming trees and limbs away from power lines to mitigate the potential for vegetation-related outages, around eight new utility poles and six crossarms will be installed. Most of the work will be performed along Highway 75.
• Bayou Pigeon – A self-healing network, which consists of smart devices and automation being built into the electric system to make it more resilient, will be constructed. This includes the installation of three reclosers as well as nine new utility poles with five of them being 60-foot composite poles. Most of the work will be performed along Highway 69 and Highway 404 near White Castle.

Entergy Louisiana’s dedicated operations team, including engineers and designers, combed through data, performed field inspections and collaborated with PC Electric team members to determine where and how upgrades should be made. The multi-faceted initiative the company is taking will include everything from tree trimming to the installation of new poles and the incorporation of automation to harden the electric system and make it more resilient.

“We’re always working to strengthen the electric system in communities we serve across Louisiana and that includes in rural areas,” said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO. “We’re looking forward to putting new poles in the ground and improving the system to provide not only our customers, but also customers of our neighboring utility, Pointe Coupee Electric, with reliable service.”   

“We thank Entergy for joining forces with Pointe Coupee Electric to enhance the local electric system,” said Myron Lambert, Pointe Coupee Electric general manager. “Through this collaboration, we’re taking steps to create a more resilient and reliable system and deliver improved service to our valued customers.”

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 strategic resilience plan would help protect the state against future weather events and support the local economy.

About Entergy Louisiana

Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electricity to more than 1.1 million customers in 58 parishes and natural gas service to approximately 95,000 customers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Entergy Louisiana is a subsidiary 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.