New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and city council members, along with Entergy officials announced Wednesday that they are taking a major step towards building a reliable infrastructure to provide reliable clean energy to power the Sewerage and Water Board.
Cantrell says the infrastructure project will focus on three key components of the S&WB's century-old power infrastructure.
“Today, we are announcing a critical step towards an unprecedented partnership that will give our city a transformative infrastructure project, providing a reliable power source for the Sewerage and Water Board, while greatly reducing both cost and carbon emissions, improving environmental justice, and of course protecting our ratepayers,” said Mayor Cantrell.
The $75 million project, jointly paid for through state money, city bonds, and Entergy, will include building a new Entergy substation, and frequency interchangers, which will provide exclusive power to the S&WB. The plan will make the S&WB rely on Entergy for its power and use the turbines for backup power.
City council member Helena Moreno says the S&WB will pay for the added cost of power and Entergy customers will not see a rate hike on their bills.
“And there this specific customer will pay the additional cost for this additional power without impacting the rest of us, so Entergy customers will not see their bills impacted by this in any way,” says Moreno.
Prep-work at the new Entergy power substation site already underway says, officials. They hope to have the power substation online by the start of hurricane season 2023 says, Entergy officials.