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NEW ORLEANS - Council President Helena Moreno received unanimous support for her plan to open a docket on grid hardening and resiliency at Wednesday’s Special Council Meeting. The docket would prepare New Orleans for the more than $500 billion of federal climate spending announced through the President’s Build Back Better and Infrastructure packages now advancing in Congress.
“Hurricane Ida has made it abundantly clear that we can’t just keep putting the same power grid back together after storms - we must create a much stronger and more sustainable for the climate to come,” said Council President Moreno. “This docket invites our community, our internal Utilities team, Entergy and other stakeholders into a process of identifying a specific set of shovel-ready projects and upgrades to help strengthen our grid and keep the power on before, during, and after weather events.”
Moreno continued, “With transformational federal investments on the horizon, I want New Orleans to be at the front of the line. We need to be ready with a plan that includes costs and projects. This is about protecting our future and making New Orleans a safe place to live no matter what the climate brings us.”
The Council finally passed Resolution R-21-401 yesterday, and the schedule contemplates plans to be submitted by March 2022. Work will begin immediately. Read the resolution here.
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