Louisiana does indeed need a grid that is ready to handle these supercharged storms. Louisiana also needs a more broad plan to protect people from the extreme heat and extreme cold we’re experiencing each year. The very reason this investment is needed is directly tied to the warming and rising oceans caused by emissions from companies like Exxon, Dow, and Shell.
Entergy alone racked up over $5 Billion in storm costs in the span of just two years. These storm costs are passed onto customers through charges on their bills. It is clear the grid we have is not ready.
However, based on the fast speed of the process at the LPSC, we and other public commenters at the April meeting, requested a single month of pause before the Commission approved this new $1.9B spending package, which customers will see on their bills for years. Clear eyed decision making is critical, after all, when elected officials take votes impacting millions of people and billions of dollars.
Despite public requests for a delay for review and transparency, three of five Commissioners were apparently ready to approve the spending, which would have split the costs of the investment in equal thirds among residential, commercial, and industrial customers.
Without seeing the specific language or understanding the impact, the Commission accepted the amendment and voted 3-2 to approve $1.9 billion in new spending, with residents and small businesses carrying $1.6 billion (84%) of these costs.
To put a fine point on this perverse situation, as the climate crisis bears down on Louisiana, increasing the costs of everything from insurance to electricity, the companies that are driving these cost increases are skirting their responsibility to pay for them, pushing costs even higher for residents who are left to deal with the consequences.
