On Aug. 29, 2021, 16 years to the day Hurricane Katrina forever changed the landscape of Greater New Orleans, Hurricane Ida followed in its devastating footsteps and, once again, challenged the resolve of the communities that call this area home. As part of the destruction wrought by the Category 4 storm that was Ida, Entergy Corp.’s Avondale-to-Harahan 230-kV river-crossing circuit was irreparably damaged. After the storm passed and damages were assessed, the utility discovered one of the existing river-crossing towers on the ground and the conductor in the Mississippi River, attached to the other still-standing tower.

Once initial restoration efforts were made to clear the Mississippi River of the conductor and clean up the destroyed tower, Entergy’s focus shifted to answering the following two questions: What solution should be implemented for the rebuild and could it be completed prior to the peak of the 2022 hurricane season?

The Prudent Path

When faced with the complete rebuild of a critical piece of infrastructure after a natural disaster, the foremost goal should be focused on what can be built safely into the new solution to preclude the infrastructure from ever failing again in a similar scenario. For a high-voltage river crossing spanning nearly 4000 ft (1219 m) across the Mississippi River, Entergy’s two primary options were either an overhead or an underground solution. These two options were analyzed in parallel to ascertain the most prudent path forward.

Preliminary feasibility studies were performed on the underground solution, but it was evident early on it would present numerous challenges, particularly with the targeted completion time frame of August 2022. Not only would it be difficult to find a suitable location in which to perform the horizontal directional bore needed for placing an underground transmission line sufficiently deep enough below the Mississippi River, but using a new underground crossing — in lieu of a replacement overhead solution — within the close vicinity of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) levee system also would complicate the permitting process significantly, all but guaranteeing a delay in the desired completion date.

Wind Loading Criteria

The analysis of an overhead solution proved to be much more realizable; it was not a matter of feasibility but rather what target wind loading criteria should be used. Wind loading criteria used for new transmission line construction in this geographic area is typically 150 mph (241 kmph). However, given the uptick in recent years in the frequency and severity of these weather events along the Gulf Coast, the project team was challenged with this question: Was a 175-mph (282 kmph) wind loading specification possible for this overhead crossing?

When this question was asked, Entergy transmission engineers were already in the preliminary design stage of the 150-mph wind loading criteria with the would-be producer of the river-crossing towers, Valmont. However, the Entergy and Valmont teams immediately began evaluating the 175-mph possibility.

When it was confirmed the towers could be built to withstand this unprecedented wind loading, the foundation engineering firm, Waldemar S. Nelson, ran its own calculations and developed a driven pile foundation plan for the towers that would accommodate the uprated design criteria. The final check was a constructability review, which validated that the change in wind ratings would not substantially alter the crews and equipment necessary to install both the foundations and the towers. By the end of October 2021, two workable options had been validated, and in early November, Entergy leadership elected to proceed with the 175-mph overhead solution.

Strong Foundations

With the design criteria finalized, both foundation and overhead detailed engineering were underway. The foundation design consisted of four pile caps, one for each tower leg, containing 30 concrete piles — 65-ft (20-m) long, driven at a battered angle and tied together by a concrete strap beam. The concrete piles were ordered in late 2021 and began arriving to the site in January 2022. Prior to driving piles, however, demolition was needed on both sides of the river. The tower that had failed during Ida was on the Avondale side of the river, and the existing foundations needed to be removed prior to pile driving; on the Harahan side of the river, the entirety of the existing tower remained.

The construction sequence developed was aimed to optimize the available resources while also not overcrowding the space-constrained sites. While the foundations were demolished by the site preparation contractor, Williamson Construction & Equipment Inc., at Avondale, arrangements were made with the crane vendor, TNT Crane & Rigging, and the steel erection contractor, A&J Steel Reinforcing Services Inc., to mobilize an 800-ton crane to begin the tower demolition at the Harahan site.

Once the foundations were removed at the Avondale site, pile driving began in early February while the Harahan tower was being removed. The foundation contractor, Boh Bros. Construction Co. LLC, used a custom-fabricated template to ascertain the correct battered angle for the piles and completed the Avondale pile installation in early March. When the pile driving crew demobilized to the now tower-less Harahan site to begin pile installation there, the Boh Bros. civil crew mobilized to the Avondale site to begin pile cap installation.��

The concrete pile caps were 24.33 ft by 20.33 ft by 8.5 ft (7.4 m by 6.2 m by 2.6 m) and tied into the exposed rebar tension hooks of the concrete piles. Because of the poor soil conditions pervasive to this area of south Louisiana, large excavations were required for proper sloping and benching. At times, these also were reinforced with additional shoring. When the Avondale pile caps were completed in late April 2022, the civil crew mobilized to the Harahan site to begin pile cap installation, which was completed in early June 2022.

During this same period, the back-span dead-end structures on either side of the new towers were being installed by Legend Foundation Services. With the river crossing being rebuilt as a double circuit, each dead-end structure consisted of six steel monopoles set on top of concrete drilled-pier foundations. These dead-end structures also were rated to withstand 175 mph, ensuring the entirety of the rebuilt crossing had the same storm hardening criteria.

In addition to trying to complete the river crossing prior to the peak of hurricane season in late August, the project team also constantly had to monitor the Mississippi River level. Generally, when the Mississippi River hits more than 11 ft (3.4 m) on the USACE Carrollton Gauge, all subsurface-disturbing activities within 1500 ft (457 m) of the river must cease. This is particularly true from late winter to late spring, when the river typically reaches its zenith in late April; this time frame coincided exactly with when the subsurface work was occurring on the project.

The project was able to obtain a waiver from the USACE to increase the allowable river-level threshold slightly, which allowed the project to continue when the river did briefly exceed 11 ft during foundation construction. Fortunately, the river never exceeded the allowable limit and no delays occurred because of this risk.

Tower Design

While foundation construction was progressing, the tower design was completed and fabrication commenced. The final tower design specified two identical tubular-steel PyraMAX towers 475 ft (145 m) in total height. As part of the fabrication process, Valmont performed a fit test of critical tower members at its manufacturing facilities to ensure perfect alignment and mitigate delays during construction. The towers were slated to be delivered in mid-April 2022 to enable steel erection to begin as soon as the pile caps were completed at the Avondale site.

As steel deliveries began and the pieces were organized in the laydown yard, both an 800-ton and 900-ton crane were mobilized and set up. Because of the height of the towers and reach needed to install the top crossarms, a 900-ton crane was necessary, which also served as the primary steel erection crane; the 800-ton crane was used to transport personnel to minimize worker fatigue and assist with picks, when necessary.

Wire Pull Plan

Throughout the month of May 2022, tower erection took place at the Avondale site while the pile caps were being installed at the Harahan site, with both activities ending in early June 2022. At this point, all foundation work was complete and the only remaining task prior to the wire pull across the river was the erection of the Harahan tower. TNT Crane and A&J Steel both mobilized to the Harahan site to work on tower erection through June, while the transmission line contractor, Irby Construction Co., and members of the Entergy team developed the wire pull plan, which was scheduled to begin shortly after the Fourth of July.

To mitigate any failures during the 5650-ft (1722-m) wire pull — 3800 ft (1158 m) of that across the Mississippi River from tower to tower — Entergy and Irby worked tirelessly with the conductor manufacturer, Southwire Co. LLC, to ensure the correct rigging, equipment, angles and setup locations were identified. On July 7, 2022, the first day of the wire pull began. For the next 22 days, the Mississippi River was closed each day for six hours, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., to allow wire-stringing activities to take place.

Close coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) began months prior to the wire pull, but throughout this time frame, daily communication occurred between the USCG and Entergy to provide status updates on the operation. The crossing was designed to accommodate a double-circuit configuration, so a total of six conductors and two shield wires were pulled. To provide adequate reach and access to each of the phases for conductor clipping and aerial marker installation, a 900-ton crane was set up on the west side of each tower (directly across from each other), and the phases were worked top to bottom, east to west.

Each conductor and shield wire followed this process for installation:

• Prior to any river closures, the lead line ropes were pulled to the river shore from each side, Avondale and Harahan.
• A single lane river closure occurred at 4:30 a.m. to enable a barge to be set up toward the middle of the river.
• The river officially closed at 7 a.m., at which point a tugboat pulled the lead line ropes from each shore to the barge in the middle of the river.
• Both ends of the ropes were connected at the barge with a swivel, and tension was applied to let the rope up in the air.
• The rope was pulled to the Avondale site, where it was hooked up to a metal hard line.
• The hard line was pulled back to the Harahan site, where it was connected to either a conductor or shield wire.
• As either the conductor or shield wire was paid out, it was marked with tape for the corresponding aerial marker ball color and position.
• When the wire passed through the dollies on the Harahan PyraMAX tower, aerial marker balls and vibration dampeners were installed by the 900-ton crane.
• The wire was then soft-sided at the Avondale site, followed by sagging and hard-siding at the Harahan site.
• Finally, each phase was clipped from the 900-ton crane.

Throughout the entirety of the wire pull operation, the team battled Mother Nature with daily shutdowns because of storms and lightning. However, by the end of July 2022, all conductors and shield wires had been pulled across the river and fully secured. During the first two weeks of August 2022, slack spans and jumpers were completed at each of the dead-end structures, while substation modifications and relay settings were updated in preparation for final testing and commissioning. On Aug. 17, 2022, less than a year after Ida made landfall, the Avondale-Harahan 230-kV river crossing rebuild was safely completed and energized.

Matt Richards is a project management and construction professional with over 12 years of experience in executing large-scale, complex infrastructure projects for a Fortune 500 utility and an ENR Top 15 contractor. He combines deep industry knowledge with project experience on high-voltage transmission lines, substations, highways and levees. As manager, capital projects with Entergy Corp., he oversees the development, scoping and execution of large transmission line and substation projects in southern Louisiana. Richards holds a MSCE degree from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering technology from Oklahoma State University. He is a certified project management professional (PMP) and certified professional constructor (CPC).

This article was originally published in the January 2023 issue of�����������������Ա�.

Hurricane Ida brought 150 mph winds onshore in southeast Louisiana, remained a Category 3 storm (which indicates up to 129 mph sustained winds) half-way through the “boot” of Louisiana, and continued upwards through the state at hurricane status just north of Hammond. That’s just north and west of the greater New Orleans area. The storm tied Hurricane Laura for the strongest storm ever to make landfall in Louisiana. The late August storm damaged more than 30,000 distribution utility poles – more than we’ve seen with any other storm. Portions of the company’s electric system, such as those in the hardest-hit bayou and river parishes, had to be rebuilt.

Entergy delivered an unprecedented response to an unprecedented event. The company gathered materials and specialized equipment and unified over 26,000 utility workers from 41 states to erect new poles, hang new wires and repair or install new equipment across southeast Louisiana.

And as part of its commitment to increasing reliability and building resilience into the electric system, Entergy has since invested millions of dollars into upgrading its transmission and distribution infrastructure that consists of equipment along city streets and throughout woods, marshes and bayous.

For example, new steel transmission structures were installed in Lafourche Parish, a new transmission river crossing from Avondale to Harahan has been completed and put back into service, overhead distribution infrastructure was hardened near the coast and around eight miles of distribution lines were undergrounded near Grand Isle.

The company has also made significant upgrades to local substations that transport power to the distribution system, including several in New Orleans, and will continue identifying additional opportunities to incorporate smart devices and automation within the electric system.

SEC crew cleaning River Rd in Destrehan. Tom Beck

“Ultimately, the goal of the work that has been and will be performed is to help us, Entergy and the communities we serve, recover more quickly following major storms,” said John Hawkins, Entergy’s vice president of reliability for Entergy in Louisiana.

He added, “No two storms are alike, and Ida challenged us in many ways. Although we’ve taken steps to upgrade our infrastructure, we’re not done. We’re going to continue finding ways to build resilience into the electric system and improve upon our operations and processes so that we’re ready for the next challenge.”

Hurricanes are a reality in southeast Louisiana, and we prepare year-round to respond.�� We count on the experts, the engineers, the planners, and operators to help guide us through storm restoration. With the 2022 hurricane season nearing its most active point, the company is emphasizing safety and storm preparedness.

“We’re encouraging our customers and communities to join us in being storm ready,” Hawkins said. “Remember, the time to prepare is now and ahead of a weather system impacting our area. While we’re incredibly thankful this hurricane season is off to a slow start, Ida showed us once again that all it takes is one storm to make it a bad season.”

He added, “Whatever comes our way, no matter the storm, we’ll be there for our communities when they need us.”

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Submitted article originally published in the Aug. 28, 2022, edition of��.

McGriff caught the podcast producer’s eye when he was recognized for his customer service efforts during Hurricane Ida restoration. In the podcast, McGriff recalls what it was like growing up in a family of lineworkers, his career, storm restoration, passing knowledge to a new generation of lineworkers and how he’s enjoying retirement life.

to McGriff’s episode and to learn more.��

GRAND ISLE, La. РEntergy Louisiana helps communities impacted by natural disasters recover long after the company restores power. As part of that commitment, the company recently provided a $10,800 grant to a local nonprofit that supports Grand Isle property and business owners affected by Hurricane Ida.  

will use the grant from Entergy to help local businesses purchase equipment like freezers and ice machines that are needed for day-to-day operations and serving the community. This will spur economic development and promote tourism in one of the areas hit hardest by Ida.

“Grand Isle is coming back following Hurricane Ida,” said Bob Stewart, Friends of Grand Isle vice president. “We’re thankful and encouraged to have partners like Entergy Louisiana who have not only helped our area recover through power restoration efforts, but also through charitable contributions like this one.”

He added, “This is community defined. We appreciate Entergy Louisiana and other partners who are helping the island return even stronger than before.”

“Our employees, friends, neighbors and business partners live and work in the communities we serve, and that’s why we’re so engaged in long-term recovery efforts,” said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO. “We’re proud to serve Louisiana and help our communities thrive so that locals, families and visitors can enjoy the best our state has to offer.”

About Entergy Louisiana

Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than 1 million customers in 58 parishes and natural gas service to more than 94,000 customers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Entergy Louisiana is a subsidiary of ���ϳԹ���, an integrated energy company engaged in electric power production, transmission and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,500 employees.

Lineworkers are like celebrities when they roll in to restore power after a storm. In neighborhoods or on a lonely country road, there’s always someone who wants to say thanks, shake hands, offer a meal or ask for help. Hurricane Ida was no different.

Once the lights were back on for Entergy Mississippi customers affected by the storm, Greg McGriff hit the road. The shift serviceman from the Rankin County office was one of more than 28,000 workers from 41 states who traveled to Louisiana following Hurricane Ida. McGriff spent more than two weeks there rebuilding our infrastructure and restoring power. He wasn’t surprised to meet so many grateful customers during that restoration effort. But learning a customer contacted the company to��thank him��by name left him speechless.��

“I didn’t expect that,” he said. “Customers are always nice and appreciative when you’re there. They do all kinds of good things to thank us. But a letter to the company specifically thanking me? That’s never happened to me before.”

McGriff said he was just doing his job. The customer thought he was going above and beyond the call of duty.

Both the customer’s Amite, Louisiana home and farm, about a mile apart, were without power. Crews restored power to his neighbors on Sept. 13, but his home couldn’t take power. He was waiting on an electrician to make repairs to his weatherhead. It was damaged because a tree had taken down the service line to his home. After the electrician made the repairs, the customer saw McGriff working in the area and approached him to explain the problem. McGriff gladly went to the customer’s home and reconnected the line.

The next day, the customer learned power was restored at the neighbor’s home next to his farm, yet his property was still without power. Again, he saw McGriff working in the area and spoke to him about that outage. McGriff followed the customer to his farm and saw the line was reconnected, but a fuse was still open. He closed the fuse, restoring power at the customer’s farm.

“I would like to compliment Entergy on restoring power in our area after we were hit hard by Hurricane Ida,” the customer explained via email. “Entergy employees and contractors from all over the United States worked very hard under adverse conditions. I would like to acknowledge one employee in particular – Greg McGriff of Pelahatchie, Mississippi. Mr. McGriff was working in the area and when I approached him about the problem, he personally came and restored power to my home [and farm]. Entergy needs more employees like Greg McGriff.”

McGriff’s efforts earned him recognition in Entergy Mississippi’s Plus One program, which celebrates employees who provide exceptional customer service experiences. The recognition from the Louisiana customer and the Plus One program is timely, as McGriff retires this month with 32 years of service. He said receiving this honor is an unexpected yet fulfilling way to finish his career.

“I’m grateful to be recognized, especially by the customer,” he said. “My whole family has done this job, including me, my daddy and my brothers. We all do it for the same reason – to help get the lights back on when people need it the most. Working at Entergy gave me a good career, allowed me to help others and put my kids through college. I’ve had a good run.”��

NEW ORLEANS –¬†Entergy New Orleans seeks The New Orleans City Council’s approval to issue $150,000,000 in securitized bonds to replenish the Company’s storm reserve, which was fully depleted following Hurricane Ida restoration efforts. ¬†

“Storm reserves allow Entergy New Orleans to access an important source of funding during a severe storm,” said Deanna Rodriguez, Entergy New Orleans president and CEO. “Increasing, replenishing, and funding the company’s storm reserve ensures that Entergy New Orleans is prepared to meet its customers’ needs should another storm occur.”

To replenish the storm reserve in a manner that minimizes impacts on customer bills, Entergy New Orleans will borrow money by issuing bonds as part of a securitization process. Securitization allows utilities to fund customer investment at lower interest rates resulting in lower costs for customers.  These bonds have a significantly lower interest rate compared to if the company borrowed money through a traditional financing process.  As a result, customers can expect to see a savings of approximately $50,000,000 by paying lower interest cost and not having to pay other costs associated with traditional financing. 

If the New Orleans City Council approves the securitization filing request, the billing line-item charge will begin the next billing cycle and last for approximately 15 years. A typical electric residential customer using 1,000 kWh of electricity can expect to see an estimated increase of $3.94 per month. After the first 10 months, the estimated bill impact will decrease to a range of $2.75 to $3.00 for a typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh. This is approximately 24% lower when compared to not using the securitization process.

Before the upcoming hurricane season, Entergy New Orleans must be prepared for possible extreme weather events, and a storm reserve provides an additional tool to aid in effective storm restorations.

Entergy New Orleans, LLC is an electric and gas utility that serves Louisiana’s Orleans Parish. The company provides electricity to more than 209,000 customers and natural gas to more than 110,000 customers.

���ϳԹ��� (NYSE: ETR) is an integrated energy company engaged in electric power production, transmission, and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,500 employees.

BATON ROUGE, La. – As part of our ongoing commitment to support our communities as they rebuild following Hurricane Ida, Entergy today awarded $500,000 in shareholder-funded grants to organizations helping minority small business owners recover from the devastating storm.

Grants are awarded to the following organizations:

• $150,000 to the . The organization will use these funds to provide $2,500 micro-grants to minority-owned small businesses in areas impacted by Hurricane Ida for expenses such as repairs, rent, equipment, inventory, employee wages, benefits and other related issues. View additional information and application forms . The Urban League of Louisiana provides business education workshops, one-on-one and small group counseling, hands-on technical assistance, and access to resources relevant to aspiring and existing entrepreneurs across various industries.
• $150,000 to the . The chamber will use the funds to offer Latino-owned small business owners grants to help cover uninsured losses and impact from Hurricane Ida. Additional information on the grants program and applications will be available on the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana’s website. The chamber is committed to creating and facilitating a business climate within the Hispanic community to stimulate economic development and progress for Louisiana.
• $200,000 to Thrive New Orleans and Propeller for their Resilience, Green Infrastructure and Recovery Entrepreneur Pipeline program for entrepreneurs of color. Thrive NOLA and Propeller will use the funds to help increase the share of green infrastructure and storm recovery contracts awarded to Black, Indigenous and people of color entrepreneurs and small business owners by equipping them to successfully bid and compete on hurricane recovery contracts and resilience projects.

In September 2021, Entergy announced an initial in shareholder contributions to help nonprofit partners provide disaster relief and assistance with rebuilding and recovery. The minority small business owner initiative represents additional assistance specifically for businesses.

“We applaud Entergy’s commitment to supporting small, minority-owned businesses in those areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ida,” said Judy Reese Morse, president and CEO of the Urban League of Louisiana. “We understand the financial hardship the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Ida brought to our small business community. The Urban League of Louisiana, along with partners like Entergy, will continue the work of mobilizing the right resources that have a direct impact on the recovery and growth of these small businesses.”

“We are deeply grateful for this grant which gives us the opportunity to impact the hard-working Hispanic small business community that has bravely fought through the pandemic and natural disasters,” said Mayra Pineda, president and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana. “Thank you to our long-time partner Entergy for their leadership and commitment to our community and to Louisiana. HCCL will continue to work diligently to bridge the gaps that prevent equity and inclusion.”

“As the community begins the arduous work of rebuilding after Hurricane Ida, there is an opportunity and an obligation to build back stronger with a focus on sustainability, equity and inclusion,” said Andrea Chen, cofounder and CEO of Propeller. “An equitable resiliency strategy must include equitable representation. Entergy’s $200,000 grant to Thrive NOLA and Propeller will help increase the share of contracts awarded to Black, Indigenous and people of color entrepreneurs and small business owners in green infrastructure, stormwater management and storm recovery by equipping them to successfully bid and compete on contracts and resilience projects.”

For more information about the Entergy Charitable Foundation grants, including application, deadline and eligibility details, visit the Entergy website.

About ���ϳԹ���

For more than 100 years, Entergy has powered life in our communities through strategic philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy’s corporate social responsibility initiatives help create and sustain thriving communities, position the company for sustainable growth and are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Our top CSR priorities are education/workforce development, poverty solutions and environmental programs. Each year, Entergy contributes $16-18 million in shareholder-funded grants to more than 2,000 nonprofit organizations in the communities where we operate. In addition, our employees volunteer approximately 100,000 hours in those communities annually, valued at a $3.75 million economic impact. Learn more about Entergy’s commitment to powering the lives of the communities we serve at entergy.com/community.

Entergy, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, powers life for 3 million customers across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy is creating a cleaner, more resilient energy future for everyone with our diverse power generation portfolio, including increasingly carbon-free energy sources. With roots in the Gulf South region for more than a century, Entergy is a recognized leader in corporate citizenship, delivering more than $100 million in economic benefits to local communities through philanthropy and advocacy efforts annually over the last several years. Our approximately 12,500 employees are dedicated to powering life today and for future generations. Learn more at entergy.com and follow @Entergy on social media. #WePowerLife

Entergy Louisiana is aware that some streetlight out cases are taking longer than normal to be resolved following Hurricane Ida. Despite another historic hurricane season, maintaining and repairing street lighting across the state remains a priority. Crews expect to complete most repairs in the parishes impacted by the storm by the end of the first quarter of the year.

We know how important street lighting is to the security and comfort of the communities we serve and are asking for patience from our customers as we work to resolve any aging cases. Additional crews have been retained and will help existing crews and contractors continue resolving cases as quickly and, above all, as safely as possible. Some cases, like a bulb replacement, can be a quick fix while others, like boring new cable to repair a fault, can take longer.

While streetlights in some areas are maintained by other utilities or the municipality, the majority of streetlights in the City of Baton Rouge, for example, are maintained by Entergy. The company is still repairing streetlights in this parish as well as other southeast Louisiana parishes impacted by Ida, including the hard-hit communities of the Bayou Region and River Parishes.

If you need to report a streetlight out, please do so by either calling 1-800-ENTERGY or through your account online at .

Did you know that energy use can represent one-third of a commercial building’s operating costs? Local businesses play a significant role in New Orleanians’ everyday lives, and Entergy New Orleans is committed to powering life every time a “we’re open” sign comes on.

Owning or running a business can be costly and that’s why Entergy New Orleans offers several solutions to help manage a company’s energy usage and cost through the ���ϳԹ��� Smart energy efficiency program. ���ϳԹ��� Smart provides cash incentives to large and small business customers for making energy-saving upgrades such as lighting, chillers, HVAC, motors and controls to their facilities.

For a limited time, ���ϳԹ��� Smart is offering a 25% incentive bonus to business customers on new energy efficiency projects that are completed this year. Business owners who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Ida are encouraged to take advantage of the enhanced incentives, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis until Dec. 31 or funds are exhausted. ��

���ϳԹ��� Smart also is providing select until Dec. 10. Additionally, small businesses can get instant rebates for installing new and bonus incentives for enrolling them in the demand response offering. are also available and filled with easy to install products like LED light bulbs, faucet aerators and LED exit sign bulbs. ��

Along with providing ways to save, Entergy New Orleans is committed to maintaining and improving overall grid stability. Business customers can participate in to shift energy usage and support the reliable operation of the electric grid. This offering allows customers to earn incentives by temporarily reducing electricity when demand on the system is highest.�� Large commercial customers, whose businesses use more than 100 kW , also are encouraged to take advantage of these incentives by participating in the .

As New Orleans leads the way toward a clean energy future, it’s important that Entergy New Orleans partners with business customers to not only help save on energy costs, but help businesses run in an environmentally friendly way. Customers also can be sure their building and equipment are in peak operating condition through the program’s offering, where low or no-cost adjustments can bring significant energy and cost-savings.

Business customers who are constructing a new facility or gutting an existing one can take advantage of ���ϳԹ��� Smart’s offering to design and build an energy-efficient building before opening for business.

���ϳԹ��� Smart is available to all Entergy New Orleans customers including small businesses, nonprofit organizations, large commercial, industrial and warehouse facilities, parking lots and garages, offices, commercial retail and school buildings. As part of the company’s commitment to safety, ���ϳԹ��� Smart is following all COVID-19 precaution guidelines to protect the health of�� ��customers, trade allies and employees. For more information about ���ϳԹ��� Smart’s business offerings and solutions, please visit energysmartnola.com/business, email info@energysmartnola.com or call 504-229-6868.

Transformation for grid resilience has already been underway in the Entergy region.

“The new infrastructure is proving to be robust against even the storms that we’re seeing today,” Denault said. “We’ve spent nearly $10 billion over the last five years on new transmission and distribution infrastructure… Our Class 1 poles on the distribution side, they can withstand 150 mile-an-hour winds, and our new transmission structures are designed to withstand 150 mile-an-hour winds. In both Hurricane Laura and in Hurricane Ida those new technologies and those new structures withstand those storms quite well.”��

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