Category: Regulation

Breaking down the LA Public Service Commission's August B&E agenda

8/13/2023

The Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) is meeting this Wednesday, August 16th at 9am for its monthly Business & Executive Session (B&E). Since there wasn't a July LPSC Meeting, the August agenda is packed! The Alliance is here to breakdown the energy items that matter to you so that you can stay informed and get engaged.

You'll want to tune in for the presentation on the Louisiana Climate Action Plan from the Governor’s Climate Initiatives Task Force (CITF). Many items in the Action Plan require significant LPSC engagement and this is the first time many of these folks are getting down to brass tacks in a public forum.

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Will the EPA Listen to Louisiana's People?

6/22/2023

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Last week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held three days of hearings to allow the public to offer input regarding whether the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources’ (LDNR) should be given permitting primacy for Class VI carbon waste injection wells.

Primacy essentially means the LNDR will be given the authority to give out permits to companies that want to build these kinds of injection wells, which store carbon captured from power plants and other industrial facilities. Currently that authority rests with the EPA, which has more resources than the LNDR to rigorously protect our drinking water, land, and air.

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A Community Dialogue with your Representatives

6/6/2023

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By Brenna Landis, JD Candidate, Class of 2023, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

On March 23, 2023, the Alliance for Affordable Energy hosted a virtual community dialogue in partnership with two of its interns, Carrie Anne Ducote and Brenna Landis – law students at Loyola New Orleans College of Law.

Carrie and Brenna created a group called the Louisiana Utility Watchdog as a way to highlight the power imbalance at the state level between regulated investor-owned utilities (IOUs) and the public, the bill-paying ratepayers.

We were honored to have Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis and State Representative Matthew Willard join as special guests. The dialogue focused on the Securitization Act, which allows utilities to purchase securities (basically loans) to repair infrastructure damaged by storms, and to pass those repair costs onto ratepayers.

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Welcome to the Jungle: An Overview of Louisiana's Jungle Primary

11/15/2022

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By Austen Angers

Louisiana has adopted an election mechanism and timetable that is unique and not widely used in the United States. We have what is sometimes called a “jungle primary” process.

This means that for a single office, every candidate is listed on one ballot, regardless of political party affiliation. This serves as a sort of “first round.” This can be confusing for some voters, since Louisiana’s jungle primary actually occurs when the rest of the U.S. holds its general election. In order for this round to resolve the election, a single candidate must receive at least 50% of the vote. If this occurs, then that candidate wins the election outright in the first round.

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The Alliance Calls for Extension of Entergy New Orleans Shutoff Moratorium

10/31/2022

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On Friday, October 28, 2022 the Alliance for Affordable Energy and Delta Audubon sent a letter to the New Orleans City Council calling on the Council to extend the service shutoff moratorium for Entergy New Orleans (ENO) residential customers set to expire on Tuesday, November 1.

20,000 accounts are at risk of disconnection. That is, tens of thousands of children and elders who will be left in the cold and the dark on this Council’s watch, unless you act on behalf of your constituents. Telling vulnerable people to rely on ENO’s subpar customer service to apply for a three or four month deferred payment option is not a solution. At best, it is kicking the can down the road, as methane, or natural gas prices remain high and ENO has applied for approximately $170M in costs related to Hurricane Ida that will drive up bills even further.

While the moratorium is set to expire, Entergy New Orleans (ENO) announced on Friday, October 28 that it raised quarterly dividend payments to shareholders by 6%. The City cannot abide any more loss of life due to Entergy’s greed and negligence - justice demands it.

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St. James Parish temporary blocks solar farms, despite pleas from Entergy CEO, advocates by David J. Mitchell

8/18/2022

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Article by David J. Mitchell
Originally published on The Advocate
August 18, 2022

After weeks of debate, St. James Parish officials adopted a temporary halt on new large solar complexes in the parish to take a closer look a rules for the land-intensive operations.

The St. James Parish Council voted 6-1 for the moratorium despite pleas from the backer of a 3,900-acre solar project in Vacherie that has rankled neighbors.

Entergy Louisiana's top executive urged the council not to approve the moratorium because of the poor signal it would send to investors. Environmental and community groups also opposed the measure as backward looking that would end up leaving the parish behind.

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Louisiana utility regulators blame Entergy for creating grid dependent on costly gas by Wesley Muller

8/5/2022

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Article by Wesley Muller
Originally Published on the Louisiana Illuminator
August 2, 2022

For years, utility giant resisted diversifying its fuel sources, critics say

With Louisiana residents receiving unprecedentedly high electricity bills, Democrats on the Louisiana Public Service Commission last week blamed Entergy Louisiana for the “mess,” saying the utility giant ignored calls to diversify its sources of fuel for power generation.

While some commissioners blamed Entergy for the problem, one advocate said the commission also bears responsibility. Logan Burke, executive director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy, said the commission never really pushed hard for renewables. The energy industry knew years ago that renewables were going to become the cheapest sources of power, yet the commission over the course of four years approved four new natural gas power plants in Louisiana, Burke said.

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Entergy offered a $588M settlement to end allegations at Grand Gulf. Should Louisiana agree? By Sam Karlin

7/7/2022

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Article by Sam Karlin
Originally Published on The Advocate
July 7, 2022

Amid wide-ranging allegations that it soaked ratepayers for inflated costs at its troubled Grand Gulf nuclear power plant, which serves customers in three states, Entergy has struck a settlement with Mississippi, agreeing to refund the state $300 million.

But it’s not yet clear if regulators in Louisiana will opt into the deal, and some officials are skeptical.

The Alliance's take: This plant has been a problem from the jump. Louisianans are owed far more than this pittance and we’re glad to see regulators in the state indicate the same sentiment.

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An Environmental Education

10/18/2012

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"The regulatory work they do is critical but also complicated. The watchdogging work they do is crucial but not necessarily glamourous. All of that makes educating consumers and citizens all the more important."

Bia Assevero is the Alliance’s Social Media consultant.

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The Watchdog

Breaking down the LA Public Service Commission's August B&E agenda

Will the EPA Listen to Louisiana's People?

A Community Dialogue with your Representatives

Welcome to the Jungle: An Overview of Louisiana's Jungle Primary

The Alliance Calls for Extension of Entergy New Orleans Shutoff Moratorium

St. James Parish temporary blocks solar farms, despite pleas from Entergy CEO, advocates by David J. Mitchell

Louisiana utility regulators blame Entergy for creating grid dependent on costly gas by Wesley Muller

Entergy offered a $588M settlement to end allegations at Grand Gulf. Should Louisiana agree? By Sam Karlin

An Environmental Education

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