NEW ORLEANS – Entergy New Orleans said construction has begun on a 20-megawatt solar plant on approximately 90 acres of flood-protected property at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans East.
The New Orleans Solar Station is being engineered and constructed by DEPCOM Power Inc. for Entergy New Orleans and will add another source of renewable energy for the utility’s customers in Orleans Parish.
Engineered to withstand 134 mph hurricane conditions, approximately 70,500 solar panels will be used in the construction of the site. Once complete later this year, the could possibly provide clean energy to more than 3,100 area homes and offset the equivalent of nearly 6,150 passenger vehicles’ emissions in one year.
“It’s important that we continue to invest in local infrastructure to improve reliability while creating local jobs as the region works to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis,” said David Ellis, president and CEO of Entergy New Orleans. “The New Orleans Solar Station is an important part of Entergy New Orleans’ plan to add utility-scale solar to our existing renewable resource portfolio, which includes residential and commercial rooftop solar, utility-scale solar plus storage, and run-of-river hydropower. This resource will provide a new, long-term, renewable source of energy for our customers.”
Constructing solar plants classifies DEPCOM employees and its subcontractors as essential critical infrastructure workers under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency guidelines, ensuring project construction can continue so that energy is delivered to the nation’s citizens.
The safety of all contractors and employees is Entergy New Orleans’ and DEPCOM’s top priority, along with the shared commitment to delivering clean and efficient solar power to the local New Orleans community as promised.
“In response to the COVID-19 situation, our highly experienced Safety teams are monitoring all applicable governmental authority’s public health daily statements and guidelines and have implemented heightened health and safety procedures at the New Orleans Solar Station. Additionally, the 90-acre site enables workers appropriate social distancing across the field as they operate. As essential infrastructure workers, the DEPCOM team is proud to continue working in accordance with local, state and federal guidelines during this challenging time, ensuring reliable utility solar power is delivered to Entergy New Orleans’ customers,” said Johnnie Taul, president of DEPCOM.
Entergy said the solar plant will generate approximately 200 jobs during construction. The energy company said it will contract with local businesses for services such as sanitation, waste management, fuel and rental construction equipment.
