(New Orleans, LA) – Yesterday, Entergy New Orleans submitted its latest proposal to build a gas power plant in New Orleans East despite ongoing opposition from residents, businesses and organizations. Today, the Alliance for Affordable Energy, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, and the Sierra Club commend Mayor Mitch Landrieu for developing a Climate Action Strategy for the City of New Orleans. The Mayor’s ‘Climate Action for a Resilient New Orleans’ calls for 255 megawatts of locally generated solar energy by 2030 and promotes a transition to 100% "low-carbon power."
“It is important that Entergy join the effort to make our city sustainable,” said Logan Burke, Executive Director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy. “Building a gas power plant is not only in conflict with the City's climate action strategy, it would also put all New Orleans ratepayers on the hook for more than $200 million in construction costs alone and create serious environmental concerns for residents in New Orleans East,” she said. “Across the country, efficient and renewable energy systems are proving to be cheaper and more resilient than carbon-emitting traditional fuels."
Entergy’s new application is an amendment to its original proposal, submitted June 20, 2016, for a 226 megawatt gas plant in New Orleans East. In February, Entergy hit pause on its plans to build a gas power plant, citing significant reductions in projected customer electricity demand that they had initially used to justify the proposed power plant.
Entergy’s latest application presents the City Council with two options for gas power plants: the original 226 megawatt gas plant or a set of gas engines that generate 128 megawatts of electricity. Entergy's application asks the City Council to decide which one to build.
"In addition to ignoring the risks we have from climate change, Entergy demonstrates a shocking lack of expertise for a utility required to provide a vital service to New Orleanians. After almost two years of advocating for the gas plant, including the filing of testimony asserting it was absolutely necessary, Entergy's new application essentially says ‘we can't decide between the gas plant or seven gas engines, you pick one,’" said Monique Harden, Assistant Director of Law and Policy at the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Inc. “This is a false choice as both options would result in environmental injustice and move our city in the wrong direction.”
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