Entergy line workers transformed the signature fundraising luncheon into a vibrant celebration of strength and solidarity. As they walked alongside the models, the line workers showcased their steadfast support of the organization’s mission to empower women in the New Orleans community to achieve economic independence.

Dress for Success New Orleans is a nonprofit committed to empowering women through professional attire, career development, and support networks. Collaborating with over 50 local agencies, it connects women in need of support with the resources that can help them secure meaningful employment and achieve financial freedom.

In 2024, Entergy was honored as Volunteers of the Year, a recognition of our ongoing support and commitment to uplifting women across the region. This award reflects our shared belief in creating opportunities that lead to economic stability and independence.

At Entergy, we understand that strong communities are built by empowering individuals. Our continued support of events like the Styled for Success Luncheon aligns with our mission to power life by investing in people and partnerships that create meaningful impact.

“Having Entergy’s headquarters in New Orleans makes a huge impact on the City’s and State’s economy,” said Deanna Rodriguez, president and CEO of Entergy New Orleans. “Entergy’s presence creates jobs, generates sales for local businesses, and produces significant tax revenue for the parish and the state.”

Over the past decade, our economic development initiatives have supported 36 new projects valued at over $3.7 billion.

 by LSU economist Dr. Loren Scott, Entergy’s operations in New Orleans:

• Produced over $269 million in household earnings for residents of New Orleans and over $388 million in earnings around the state.
• Generated nearly $500 million in annual local sales and $629 million in sales statewide.
• Created 3,930 jobs for New Orleans citizens and 6,323 jobs in the state.
• Provided $17 million in sales tax revenues for city government and over $27 million for state government.

Investing in Growth and Resilience

To attract new businesses Entergy New Orleans understands that we must provide a resilient and reliable grid. Our $100 million , approved by the Council in October 2024, reflects our commitment to strengthening our grid and creating jobs while driving long-term growth.

Power costs are a critical component for businesses considering relocation. Entergy New Orleans provides reliable electric power at rates 30% lower than the national average. And by expanding our commercial customer base, we can reduce residential rates making energy more affordable. Successful economic development creates direct and measurable benefits for the community and the residents we serve.

Our recent efforts are already helping to transform the city’s landscape. Entergy New Orleans economic development team has worked with city leaders, private developers and economic development partners on several projects that benefit our city, including:

• The River District Neighborhood Initiative, which will feature a mixed-use neighborhood with sustainable designs, green spaces, and advanced infrastructure. This project is expected to generate over $1 billion in economic activity and $43 million in annual tax revenue.
• Five O’ Four Golf, a $40 million golf-entertainment facility. This state-of-the-art venue will include a driving range, dining options, and other amenities, bringing jobs, tourism, and entertainment to the region.
• , the first site in the city to be classified as a “Certified Site” under Louisiana Economic Development’s Certified Sites Program, will benefit residents by creating jobs, improving infrastructure, and enhancing logistics and transportation services.

Entergy New Orleans understands its responsibility in growing our economy.  We are committed to working with residents to understand their specific needs and collaborating with City and economic development leaders to bring opportunities to New Orleans.  We have seen successful partnerships work with the recent collaboration between Entergy Louisiana and Meta, which demonstrates what happens when we all work together.

New Orleans is our home, and Entergy New Orleans is committed to enhancing economic opportunities, improving infrastructure, and creating a brighter future for the communities we serve.

 and learn more about Entergy New Orleans’ commitment to economic growth.

About Entergy New Orleans

Entergy New Orleans provides electricity to approximately 208,000 customers and natural gas to approximately 109,000 customers in Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Entergy New Orleans is a subsidiary of ���ϳԹ���, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. For the latest news from Entergy New Orleans, visit the  and connect with @EntergyNOLA on social media.

“We are honored to partner with the Urban League of Louisiana on this important workforce development program,” said Deanna Rodriguez, president and CEO of Entergy New Orleans. “By investing in this program, we are creating pathways for New Orleans residents to access job training and career opportunities.”

During the multi-year partnership, the program will funnel participants through pre-apprenticeship programs to opportunities in registered apprenticeship programs. The goal of the program is to provide educational tools, training, and resources for careers in the energy sector including line workers, electricians, and technicians.

“Training and connecting job seekers to new career pathways is one of the ways we work to close the racial wealth gap and strengthen the Louisiana economy for all,” said Judy Reese Morse, president and CEO of Urban League of Louisiana. “Through the Urban ���ϳԹ��� Jobs Program, in collaboration with our local energy partners and Congressman Troy Carter, the Urban League of Louisiana is expanding our apprenticeship offerings to ensure underrepresented communities are positioned to achieve their full career potential.”

Both Entergy New Orleans and Urban League of Louisiana are dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and to ensuing equitable access to career opportunities in the energy sector.

To learn more about the Urban League’s workforce development program, click .

To learn about Entergy’s workforce development initiatives, click .

The company provides power to some of the largest and most power-intensive U.S. industries. In 2022, Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Louisiana helped secure approximately $16.2 billion in capital investments and created nearly 18,000 new jobs within Louisiana.

“This recognition highlights how deeply we are invested in the customers we serve and the community we call home,” said Deanna Rodriguez, Entergy New Orleans president and CEO. “As the only Fortune 500 company headquartered in the state, we have a responsibility to continue to drive economic growth for the region.”

“Businesses and industries depend on clean, reliable and affordable power to operate, and at Entergy, we’re always working to provide that service to help Louisiana grow,” said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO. “Driven by factors like the energy transition, our state has a significant opportunity to see more growth, new jobs and additional investments in our communities, and we stand ready to help make that outlook a reality.”

Site Selection magazine determines each year’s honorees by assessing criteria including each utility’s job-creating infrastructure and facility investment trends, innovative programs and incentives for businesses and website tools and data.

Customer investments

Capital investments in Louisiana over the last 16 years represent companies from across the world and from a variety of industries like biofuels, chemicals, manufacturing and transportation. Examples of companies that have either started projects or announced projects in 2022 include Origin Materials, Focus Foods, Plug Power, BASF, CF Industries, Clean Hydrogen Works and Louisiana International Terminal.

Entergy New Orleans, in particular, helped support the timely delivery of service to the Second Line Stages expansion, including the new sound stage complex that was completed in November 2022. The $60 million complex houses four new, state-of-the-art sound stages and plays a key role in supporting the continued growth of the film industry in New Orleans.

Economic partnerships

We understand that siting new or expanding industrial facilities can be a complex process, and our teams have built partnerships to enable economic development throughout our four-state service area. Site Selection magazine once again recognized Entergy Corporate for our extensive support of local economic development efforts. Our state-of-the-art site selection website, , empowers companies with the essential information they need to locate, expand and market their commercial and industrial properties within our region. The website currently features over 1,400 listings across our four-state region. For sites specific to Louisiana, visit .

Entergy assisted Louisiana Economic Development (LED) in certifying two sites within the company’s Louisiana service territory in 2022. Louisiana currently has 137 certified sites, with more than a 100 being within Entergy’s service territory.

Community development

Since 2018, ���ϳԹ��� has delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities, philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy across our four-state region through the Entergy Charitable Foundation.

Environmental sustainability

In 2022, ���ϳԹ��� reaffirmed our 2020 commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and we expect to reach 50% clean, carbon-free power generation capacity by 2030. We also anticipate 50% reduction of our carbon dioxide emissions rate by 2030.

Site Selection magazine’s profile of ���ϳԹ��� may be viewed in the September 2023 print issue and .

���ϳԹ��� provides companies with access to essential information needed to locate, expand and promote their business within our four-state region. In addition, Entergy provides companies with services in site selection, project management, large projects and contracts.

Learn how we can power your business at .

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.

About Entergy New Orleans

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.

Both companies are subsidiaries 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 12,000 employees.

Taurus Wright, Director of Entergy New Orleans’ Business and Economic Development office, works to recruit new companies to the area and help businesses grow and become more competitive in the marketplace. It’s a role that Entergy New Orleans has taken on to increase tax revenue for the city, add more high-paying jobs and distribute energy costs across a larger customer base.

“We’re working with the city, the state, and several organizations, who welcome our input because we all see that we cannot do this work alone,” Wright said. “Everyone has a role to play, and I think we have the right people at the table to win projects and expand our economy.”

Wright said listening to community needs is one of Entergy New Orleans’ key pillars in its economic development work. For example, the company met with New Orleans East leaders and residents who expressed the need for a grocery store in the area. Wright’s team then met with the New Orleans Business Alliance to develop a recruiting package that has been sent to several grocery chains to attract interest.

Jeanette Weiland, senior vice president for bio, innovation and special projects with the New Orleans Business Alliance, said having Entergy New Orleans representatives involved in economic development discussions is a major advantage for the city because they can immediately answer questions about utility services and reliability.

“When you’re talking to companies about potentially locating here, the utility piece is a factor that they definitely consider,” Weiland said. “Companies that work in biotech, manufacturing or food and beverage especially need a lot of power and predictability. Having Entergy New Orleans there is key to those conversations because they can discuss those issues and provide assurances.” 

Wright noted that more companies are also interested in electrification, an area where Entergy New Orleans is actively expanding programs and assistance. Increasingly, the company is providing businesses with clean energy options such as equipment that runs on electricity rather than gas or diesel, LED lighting and incentives to be more energy efficient, he said.

Weiland said that while hospitality and tourism will always be cornerstones of the New Orleans economy, leaders have recognized the need to diversify the business landscape as much as possible. That means there are increasing efforts to attract industries such as biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and consumer packaged goods. The hope is that New Orleans’ strategic location along the Mississippi River and Interstate 10, plus its strong base of educational and research institutions, will position it well for growth in these areas in the coming years.

“We understand that the way we can help those industries the most is to keep our rates low and provide reliable service,” Wright said. “When we do that as a utility company, it also means more investment in our communities.”

Weiland said she and others are most encouraged by the fact that Wright and the Entergy New Orleans team have embraced the spirit of teamwork and collaboration that is needed for everyone to be successful.

“Entergy New Orleans is the perfect partner to exemplify the fact that business is still relationship-oriented,” she said. “The relationships that Taurus and his team have cultivated over the years, paired with ours, are going to be our best bet for landing companies in the future.”

For more information on Entergy’s business and economic development department, visit .

This article was originally published Feb. 26, 2023, on .

“Doubling-down on the importance and success of NASA Michoud, Propel Park will welcome new companies and drive new growth for New Orleans East,” said¬†Michael Hecht, President and CEO of¬†Greater New Orleans, Inc.¬† “MAF is a world-class facility, designing and assembling the biggest rockets and the longest windmill blades in human history, so it makes great sense to create a new facility to allow others to be near and leverage this capacity.”

Once complete, the project will generate over 1 million square feet of new modernized industrial space, which represents a unique and powerful opportunity for continued advanced manufacturing and distribution growth in New Orleans East.

“There has been incredible momentum on site,” said¬†Stuart Lichter, President of IRG. “Our team has already begun the preliminary site preparations to ready the ground for construction. We anticipate more tenants will join the project in 2023.”

This new regional asset will bolster business attraction efforts, providing a new location for companies in need of facilities for light assembly, manufacturing, distribution, and office operations.

“IRG and Textron’s investment in New Orleans East at Propel Park will indeed propel the campus forward, providing economic opportunity for a new generation and building on the foundation that the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility has stewarded for over a half century,” said¬†�Ѳ���ǰ�¬†LaToya Cantrell. “This project undoubtedly will create more jobs and spur additional investment in our community, and we look forward to continuing to support this development through all its phases.”

For decades, NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility has been a driver of economic activity and job growth, which continues with this project that will bring new private sector activity and provide high-growth, high-wage jobs for New Orleans East residents. While already a thriving industrial area, Propel Park reinforces further development and growth of New Orleans East as a whole.

“Propel Park is creating a new era of growth for high-demand advanced manufacturing jobs in¬†New Orleans,” says¬†Lynnette White-Colin, Senior VP Small Business Growth at New Orleans Business Alliance.¬†”As the first major new industrial construction project in the city in decades, Propel Park proves New Orleans East is poised to strengthen its position as a center of opportunity for residents and businesses.¬†NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility is a long-time driver of high-quality jobs, and today’s investment demonstrates the next step in the city’s increased economic prosperity.¬†NOLABA looks forward to working with our¬† future Propel Park tenants to ensure¬†New Orleans’¬†skilled workforce is tapped into new job opportunities at this site.”

The project’s first tenant, Textron Systems, has signed a ten-year lease to relocate from their existing space within an MAF building into a brand new, 97,025 square foot distribution hub. Their presence will occupy a portion of the first phase of the development, a 260,000 square foot warehouse building, and demonstrates the ability for Propel Park to serve as an expansion option for existing Michoud tenants.

“We are proud to expand our footprint in New Orleans East, as this project will provide a safe, secure, and efficient location to conduct our material logistics operations.¬† We have enjoyed a long partnership with the Michoud campus, and this project will serve as an excellent complement to our shipyard operations,”¬†Ryan Schaffernocker, Vice President Sea Systems at Textron Systems.

With 50 acres of developable land, Propel Park is expected to include up to 1.3 million square feet of buildings developed in phases. Potential uses include light assembly, manufacturing, distribution, and office space. The site is inherently secure with a 19 ¬Ω foot levee and substantial onsite pumps, as well as access to a deep-water port.

“The development of Propel Park demonstrates the importance of community partnerships in attracting businesses and creating jobs in¬†New Orleans, especially in New Orleans East. We all must have a seat at the table to help¬†New Orleans¬†continue to grow and thrive,” said¬†Taurus Wright, Director of Economic Development for Entergy New Orleans. “This economic development project will offer vast opportunities for additional industrial growth with its proximity to the airport, highways, ports, and the rich culture of¬†New Orleans.”

Construction of the project is being performed by Impetus, a regional general contractor specializing in the building and infrastructure spaces.

“We are honored to have been selected as the design-build partner by IRG to bring this development to life. At Impetus, we have an innovative approach to project delivery, much in line with the kind of innovation for which the NASA Michoud Facility has long been known,” said¬†Nick Moldaner, Chief Operating Officer for Impetus, the builder leading the project. “With Impetus self-performing more than 40% of the work at Propel Park to date and a significant number of local sub-contracting partners involved, the capability and talent pool in the¬†Greater New Orleans¬†region has shined. The economic impact during construction has already been apparent and will continue to thrive as new tenants and job opportunities are added as the park expands.”

IRG was represented by¬†Bill Boyer¬†of CBRE and Leon (“Lee”) Audibert of Property One for this transaction. For more information about available space, contact Lee at¬†leon@propertyone.com¬†or Bill at¬†Bill.Boyer@cbre.com¬†and visit¬†.

“When you have roots in the region for more than 100 years like we have, you stay committed to everyone in it,” said Ed Jimenez, Entergy Louisiana vice president of business and economic development. “Entergy plays an important role in attracting new businesses and driving economic growth that positively impacts our local communities. We’re pleased to be recognized as a top utility in economic development for 15 straight years, and we look forward to many years of continued success for our communities.”

“This recognition is a testament to the support we’ve given for existing businesses and the recruiting work we’ve done each year to attract companies to our area,” said Taurus Wright, Entergy New Orleans director of business and economic development. “We continue to seek out opportunities for new businesses to relocate and expand to deepen the talented workforce across our service territory.”

Entergy was recognized for helping drive around $13.4 billion in corporate facility investments and create more than 6,700 jobs across its service territories.

Some recent notable economic development projects include:

Criteria used by Site Selection magazine for its rankings include the use of innovative programs and incentives for business, website tools and data and each utility’s job-creating infrastructure and facility investment trends.

Entergy’s state-of-the-art site selection website, , empowers communities with the tools they need to market commercial and industrial properties. Giving access to powerful features for property searches and the ability to customize platform to promote the communities brand and regional assets.

In addition to Entergy’s continuous support to local communities and workforce development, the company is a utility industry leader in sustainability and has committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Entergy’s Economic Opportunity and Empowerment program was recognized by the U.S. Chamber Foundation, and the utility also received the 2021 HIRE Vets Medallion Award.

Site Selection magazine’s profile of Entergy may be viewed in the September 2022 print issue and on their .

Entergy provides companies with access to essential information needed to locate, expand and promote their business within our four-state region. In addition, Entergy provides companies with services in site selection, project management, large projects and contracts. Learn more how Entergy generates business growth for our entire region at .

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 12,000 employees.

About Entergy New Orleans

Entergy New Orleans, LLC provides electricity to more than 209,000 customers and natural gas to more than 110,000 customers in Orleans Parish, Louisiana.

Both Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans are subsidiaries of ���ϳԹ��� (NYSE: ETR), a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans. ���ϳԹ��� powers life for 3 million customers through its operating companies 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 12,000 employees are dedicated to powering life today and for future generations.

After nearly 25 years working in economic development, including working for the state of Mississippi as a senior project manager and Entergy Mississippi as a business development manager, Taurus Wright joined Entergy New Orleans as Director of Business and Economic Development in April of 2022. In this role, Taurus has already begun leading his department, seeking out opportunities for businesses to relocate and expand to deepen the talented workforce in the city of New Orleans.

Why did you decide to come to New Orleans?

My first connection to New Orleans happened when I was a student at Southern Mississippi. Every school year, class was cancelled for Fat Tuesday, and New Orleans was less than two hours away, so we would all come down on the weekend and spend it in the city. Then, as I got older, New Orleans became my favorite place for a get-away. Now that I’m working here, downtown in the heart of the city, my appreciation for this unique place has only grown. From being able to walk out of my condo and eat at any number of world-class restaurants to ducking into a hotel bar to listen to music that you can only find in a city like this, my experiences in my short time of living in New Orleans give me the energy and passion to work toward helping this city grow.

What is economic development and why is it important?

Put simply, economic development is about marketing your property, site, or building. In my role, it’s my job to market the city of New Orleans to potential businesses. My team chases down leads to find companies looking to relocate or expand. We work with those companies to convince them that New Orleans is the right place for them to do business, while connecting them to local leaders, community partners and a variety of useful resources. When new companies come in and existing companies grow, our local economy improves, and the job market grows. It’s all about growing the footprint of the city of New Orleans.

What makes New Orleans an attractive place for business?

As a whole, the workforce in this country has been moving south. The Southern region is an attractive place for business because of the lower property tax rates down here. The city of New Orleans, in particular, has a lot to offer. Aside from a culture that you won’t find anywhere else, this city has multiple major rail lines, I-10, and the Port of New Orleans. We have all the major transportation networks here to move products and services around the world at a very inexpensive rate.

How do you envision the future of this City and how will Entergy New Orleans play a part in it?

New Orleans is obviously a major player in the commercial space. I come from an industrial background, so I see a lot of potential in growing this city’s industrial footprint. My team is going to be aggressive in ensuring that Entergy New Orleans is going to be a driving force in helping this city continue to develop commercially, while also attracting additional industrial businesses. At the end of the day, I want to help the City of New Orleans grow.

Entergy’s business and economic development teams in Louisiana are at full throttle all year, every year.

Amidst a pandemic and historic hurricane season, Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans helped secure approximately $12 billion of capital investment in 2020 and, along with many community partners, helped create more than 3,170 new jobs across Louisiana. This, as well as the efforts of Entergy’s subsidiaries in Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas, led Site Selection magazine to recognize the company as a top utility in economic development for 14 consecutive years.

While the obvious connection a business has to a utility is the need for power to produce goods and services, Entergy enjoys being so much more: The company works with regional groups and the state and its economic development arm, Louisiana Economic Development, to encourage existing businesses to remain in Louisiana and new businesses to join us in taking advantage of a robust transportation system and well-trained workforce.

A few businesses deciding to do just that in 2020 included: 

• Grön Fuels – $9.2 billion renewable fuel complex at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge that’s expected to create more than 1,000 direct jobs
• South Louisiana Rail Facility – $11.6 million rice mill in Jefferson Davis Parish
• Iriapak – $7 million packaging film manufacturing facility in eastern New Orleans

We’re thrilled these businesses chose Louisiana and look forward to welcoming many more. Fortunately, the state has a wealth of certified sites (land ready for development) available, all of which can be found in an online database maintained by Entergy, the . See, the company’s involvement in economic development can begin long before electric or gas utilities exist on site and will continue long after, including in nontraditional ways like storm restoration.

Entergy is there for its customers from site selection to groundbreaking and even during tough times. Here’s how Site Selection magazine put it: In 2020, Entergy territory felt like the crossroads for calamity, as the hurricane season, with 30 named storms and five that hit Louisiana, was the busiest ever recorded. But Entergy was ready, deploying [thousands of] resources including employees, contractors, and mutual-assistance workers from more than 30 states. The region’s momentum may have paused, but never stopped.

“I’m proud of what our team has been able to accomplish over the past couple of years,” said Ed Jimenez, Entergy Louisiana vice president of business and economic development. “When the pandemic and historic hurricane seasons brought significant challenges, our team got creative and made sure the gears of economic development continued to turn.”

“Creating a vibrant, thriving economy and opportunities for our neighbors is important to the growth of Louisiana,” said Andrew Jacques, Entergy New Orleans manager of business and economic development. “We live and work in the communities we serve too, and to us, the state has a bright future. We plan to be part of it.”

Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans provide businesses with access to essential information needed to locate, expand and promote their company. In addition, the companies provide businesses with services in site selection, project management, large projects and contracts. Learn more about Entergy’s economic development efforts at .

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