BATON ROUGE – Entergy Louisiana said it recently made the largest renewable power expansion request in state history.
On March 13, the company filed a request with its regulator, the Louisiana Public Service Commission, for approval to add an additional three gigawatts of solar power to its generation portfolio. This is on top of the nearly 225 megawatts of solar power the company requested earlier this month. In that regulatory filing, Entergy Louisiana sought approval for approximately 175 megawatts from a facility in Iberville Parish and approximately 49 megawatts from what would become the Sterlington Solar Facility in Ouachita Parish.
Collectively, 3,225 megawatts of solar power are in the approval queue for potential construction, development and placement on the grid through agreements with Entergy Louisiana. The company said this is a major step forward in meeting the sustainability needs of its current and future customers.
“Like never before, our state has the opportunity to retain businesses, support expansion projects and attract new companies on a global scale, but it’s going to take meeting their operational and sustainability needs,” said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO. “Our latest request for up to three gigawatts of renewable power shows we’re serious about not only protecting the environment by reducing our carbon footprint, but also continuing to be a major driver of economic development.”
Entergy said the three-gigawatt proposal would be constructed in Louisiana, meaning local communities and economies would benefit from job creation and additional tax revenues generated during construction of the facilities. It also said that further diversifying its generation portfolio will help protect all customers from the volatility of natural gas prices and other factors outside of Entergy’s control.
Currently, Entergy Louisiana has approximately 280 megawatts of renewable resources, including the Capital Region Solar facility, which began delivering power to the grid in October 2020. Including nuclear generation, nearly 25% of the company’s portfolio comes from carbon-free resources, a spokesperson said.
Entergy said it has plans for as much as 15 to 17 gigawatts of renewable resources by the end of 2031. The company previously announced a commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
