We did it, Louisiana made it through another hurricane season. We can all breathe a little sigh of relief. Twenty years after our city faced Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is still here, despite missed opportunities to build a resilient energy system for the people of New Orleans. Personally, I am sick of hearing how ‘resilient’ we are, it’s our systems that should be resilient, not our people.
This year, another hurricane season collided with record heatwaves and rising power bills, underscoring how essential resilient power is to our city’s ability to withstand extreme weather and thrive in the decades ahead. When a disaster like Katrina struck, Louisiana had the chance to rebuild stronger and invest in a more resilient power grid. Unfortunately, the opportunity to build a more resilient power grid went unclaimed.
The Katrina 20 year memorials have passed, but I’m still thinking about the missed opportunities over the last 20 years. Hurricane Katrina devastated our electric systems, leaving nearly 5 million people without power. In the aftermath of the storm, Louisiana began investing in more distributed energy sources like rooftop solar to reduce blackouts — but never at a scale large enough to make a real difference.
Another opportunity came seven years later when Entergy, Louisiana’s largest electric utility, joined the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). By joining MISO, Louisiana was at last connected to the larger electric grid — seemingly assuring that in times of major disaster, the state could access power from other states to keep the lights on for residents.
But from the start, Entergy has been slow to embrace the benefits of regional transmission planning. Instead of leveraging MISO to bring in cheaper, more reliable power, the company has focused on building its own power lines and generation projects. Investments have benefited deep-pocketed shareholders more than customers in need.
Entergy’s resistance has meant little progress on integrating Louisiana into the broader grid through long-range transmission planning (LRTP). Now, some of our own Public Service Commissioners are challenging the latest LRTP proposal, Tranche 2.1. Framed as a way to save customers money, this complaint from the so-called ‘Concerned Commissions’ — representing Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Montana — has instead delayed the most significant step yet toward a more reliable, affordable, and integrated grid.
While Louisiana has stalled on building a regional grid that could deliver low-cost energy and greater reliability, electricity demand has surged. Just recently, the Public Service Commission approved a $10 billion data center in rural Louisiana — a project poised to strain the grid and drive bills even higher. And because transmission projects take nearly a decade to move from planning to operation, every year of delay only sets us further behind.
Now is the time to ensure a resilient energy future for our city.
With new City Council members and a new mayoral administration taking charge in New Orleans — and two Louisiana Public Service Commission seats on the ballot in 2026 — voters have a chance to make their voices heard. We need leaders willing to demand answers, challenge the status quo, and work collaboratively to ensure Louisiana finally secures the benefits of a stronger regional grid.
If we fail to act, we risk being in the same place — or worse — when the 30th anniversary of Katrina arrives.
Resilience should not rest solely on the people of New Orleans. It should be built into the power systems we depend on and embodied by the officials elected to fight for us.
