New Orleans council to grill Entergy on rolling blackouts
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The red areas show the mandatory brownouts on May 25. Image: Screenshot of Entergy outage map
New Orleans City Council members are hoping to learn more Tuesday from Entergy New Orleans and the regional electric grid operator about what led to last week's rolling blackouts for nearly 100,000 customers.
Why it matters: The operator said the blackouts were needed because there was too much demand, an ominous sign before the extreme heat of summer arrives.
The big picture: Council members have asked representatives from Entergy New Orleans and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator to answer questions about the blackouts, including why there was only a 3-minute warning before they went into effect.
- Members also want to know how the Entergy customers were selected. The outages were primarily in Lakeview, Gentilly and Treme, along with parts of St. Bernard, Jefferson, Plaquemines and St. Tammany parishes.
- It was Louisiana's third rolling blackout in less than eight weeks, Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis told WWL. The other two were in north Louisiana.
- Before that, Entergy says it has only had to do rolling blackouts once since 2013. The company cut power during a winter storm in 2021, including to the city's drinking water pumps.
Between the lines: Mandated power outages are more common during extreme weather, such as storms and severe heat.
- The latest outages haven't included those factors.
What they're saying: "We are deeply disappointed by Sunday's outage event," Entergy said in a statement last week. "We sincerely apologize."
- An Entergy spokesperson tells Axios they will give details at the meeting about the outage and the timeline leading up to it.
Zoom in: The city council regulates Entergy New Orleans, making it the only city in the country to regulate an investor-owned utility, writes Axios' Chelsea Brasted.
- The state's Public Service Commission regulates Entergy Louisiana and other utilities.
How it works: Entergy is a member of MISO, which is made up of electricity generators and users in 16 states and provinces from Canada to the Gulf.
- It's a third-party that's responsible for monitoring the grid and telling members when to cut power to protect "the integrity of the rest of the electrical power system," Entergy says.
- Entergy joined MISO in 2013 to partially resolve a Department of Justice antitrust investigation, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, the council is expected to hear about jail conditions in a special meeting Tuesday afternoon.
- Sheriff Susan Hutson said the 10-year-old jail is in need of about $13 million worth of upgrades to make it secure.
- Jail conditions have been national headlines after 10 inmates escaped through a hole in the wall last month. Two remain on the run.
What's next: The utility meeting starts at 10am. Watch it live.
- The Public Service Commission says the head of MISO will also be subpoenaed to appear at its June meeting.