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April 19, 2023

Helena Moreno

Climate Chair Helena Moreno Welcomes Entergy Suggestions on Resiliency Calls for Ratepayer Protection

Climate Chair Helena Moreno Welcomes Entergy Suggestions on Resiliency  Calls for Ratepayer Protection

NEW ORLEANS - Today, Climate Chair Helena Moreno released the following statement on Entergy's resiliency suggestions and called for real ratepayer protections before committing to future investments.

 

"The Council initiated this docket to force Entergy into a new era of resiliency and grid hardening, and we appreciate their proposals," said Councilmember Moreno. "But the costs of these upgrades fall squarely on ratepayers. Before we move any of this forward, we must require real accountability and performance measures, including ensuring Entergy has skin in the game if they fall short of expectations. We need to ensure that the plans fully include the multitude of new energy and resiliency investment opportunities available through the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan-Infrastructure Law (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Further, community-led solutions need to receive substantial support as we continue to decentralize and reform our electricity system and lead in the clean energy transition.”

 

"Our grid must be stronger and ready for the weather of the future to protect our people and the economy. New technologies and investments are making it possible to build the grid of tomorrow today, but we must be thorough and thoughtful about how to do so without burdening our community unnecessarily.”

 

Entergy's proposals, which are among several being offered by community groups and others, propose placing nearly $1b of costs on ratepayers over the next several years and intend to reduce the number of outages after major weather events. The Climate Committee will begin to review all submitted plans over the next several months, ensuring maximum public engagement throughout this critical process.

 

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Media Contact:

Andrew Tuozzolo

Chief of Staff, Office of Helena Moreno

AVTuozzolo@nola.gov

504.281.9882

 
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