Entergy's Proposed Gas Plant for New Orleans

What You Can Do

Call or email your Council Members and urge them to establish a fair process for New Orleans residents to have a voice in the decision on Entergy’s proposed projects.  

Attend City Council Utility, Cable, Telecommunications and Technology Committee (UCTTC) meetings in Council Chambers at City Hall. View all City Council Meetings here

Sign the Petition

Join the movement- Email info@all4energy.org for more information on how to get involved.

Members of the City Council:

Helena Moreno  (At-Large)                morenocouncil@nola.gov  |  658-1060
Jason Williams (At-Large)                  jasonwilliams@nola.gov  |  658-1070
Joseph I. Giarrusso (Dist. A)               Joseph.Giarrusso@nola.gov  |  658-1010
Jay H. Banks (Dist. B)                          Jay.Banks@nola.gov  |  658-1020
Kristin Gisleson Palmer (Dist. C)        Kristin.Palmer@nola.gov  |  658-1030
Jared Brosset (Dist. D)                        councildistrictd@nola.gov  |  658-1040
Cyndi Nguyen (Dist. E)                        Cyndi.Nguyen@nola.gov  |  658-1050

What Now?

Despite overwhelming public outcry against Entergy's gas plant, on March 8th 2019 New Orleans City Council voted 6-1 in it's favor. Here is how New Orleans is responding, and how you can get involved.
1. Lawsuit against New Orleans City Council over Louisiana Open Meetings Law Violation
The past New Orleans City Council violated New Orleanians’ constitutional rights at the critical public meetings concerning Entergy’s gas plant application — the Oct. 16th (last fall) public hearing, and the Feb 21st Utility Committee meeting.
Amended Petition to Enforce The Louisiana Open Meetings Law, For Declaratory Judgement, Injunction, And Attorney's Fees and Costs
2018 07 20 Motion and Memo of Law & Revised Affidavits
Transcript of June 19, 2018 Court Proceedings
Memo in Support of Amended Petition to Enforce Louisiana Open Meetings Law, For Declaratory Judgement, Injunction, And Attorney's Fees and Costs
Exhibits

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2. Public Interest Intervenors ​Petition For REHEARING

Basis:
​The record for this proceeding demonstrates that there were substantial errors of procedure, exclusions of evidence, and omission of protective measures for the ratepayers of New Orleans, all of which make it impracticable to determine the case justly and fairly.

3. Public Interest Intervenors ​Petition for Judicial Review

Basis:
The Council violated the Louisiana Constitution, Louisiana Statutes, City Ordinances and ​the Council's own policies when it approved Entergy New Orleans, lnc.'s ("ENO" or
"Company") application to construct a 128 megawatt ("MW") gas-fired generating station in a hazardous flood zone at the Michoud site which is located in New Orleans East. 

Tell City Council to Vote “No” on
Entergy’s plan to Raise Electric Bills and Pollute Neighborhoods
with a $200,000,000+ Gas Power Plant!

On March 8th, 2018, the New Orleans City Councilmembers voted for New Orleans residents and businesses to foot the bill for an expensive, unnecessary and harmful gas power plant that would only profit Entergy.
  1. We don’t need a gas plant.
  2. A gas plant raises our electricity bills – for 30+ years.
  3. A gas plant is dangerous and unfair.
  4. A gas plant worsens subsidence and threatens our levees.
  5. We need and deserve real solutions.
Take Action
 
  1. Call City Council, especially Councilmembers-at-Large who both sit on the Utility Committee, your District Councilperson, and Mayor-Elect Cantrell.
 
Sample statement for calling City Council
My name is ______, and I’m a resident of (neighborhood/district). I’m calling to ask Councilmember __________ to vote No on Entergy’s proposal to build a gas plant in New Orleans on our dime. I don’t want to pay for a gas power plant we don’t need.
​Helena Moreno  (At-Large)                morenocouncil@nola.gov  |  658-1060
Jason Williams (At-Large)                  jasonwilliams@nola.gov  |  658-1070
Joseph I. Giarrusso (Dist. A)               Joseph.Giarrusso@nola.gov  |  658-1010
Jay H. Banks (Dist. B)                          Jay.Banks@nola.gov  |  658-1020
Kristin Gisleson Palmer (Dist. C)        Kristin.Palmer@nola.gov  |  658-1030
Jared Brosset (Dist. D)                        councildistrictd@nola.gov  |  658-1040
Cyndi Nguyen (Dist. E)                        Cyndi.Nguyen@nola.gov  |  658-1050
2.   Sign the petition.
3.   PREVIOUSLY:
​Attend UCTTC and Regular City Council Meetings
           Place: City Council Chambers (1300 Perdido St, New Orleans, LA 70112)
​           City Council Calendar
1) WE DON’T NEED A GAS PLANT
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  • A gas power plant is a false solution. Entergy would like customers to believe that a gas plant will fix the frequent power outages, but it won’t. The primary cause of the numerous power outages is Entergy’s failure to maintain and repair poles and wires in our neighborhoods. This is a problem Entergy has ignored for years. Entergy has also failed to make the system storm-ready even though it was directed to do so by the City Council after Hurricane Katrina.
 
  • Entergy’s claim that a new gas plant would be needed during extreme weather doesn’t hold water. Entergy plans to build the gas plant in a high-risk flood hazard area, where FEMA policy discourages the building of a new power plant. Entergy executives admitted that they planned the gas plant without considering the City of New Orleans Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, which adopts FEMA standards.
 
  • The math doesn’t add up. In February 2017, Entergy admitted that it overestimated customer demand for electricity. Entergy requested a suspension on the application, but came back to the City Council in July with the exact same plan plus the option of a second slightly smaller gas plant. Running out of reasons for building a new gas plant, Entergy now argues that in an extraordinary event when there are two simultaneous failures of the transmission system during a 50-hour period when electric use is high, a gas plant would be needed. A transmission upgrade would be a cheaper and more effective solution than a new gas plant for this unlikely situation. Entergy cannot find any independent authority to back its claim that either gas plant is needed.​
  • Entergy’s promise of jobs with a new gas plant turns out to be, at most, 13 permanent jobs. The greatest potential for job growth is in energy efficiency and renewable energy, which is the fastest growing job sector in the US economy. There are more than 250 New Orleanians working in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries. 
3) A GAS PLANT IS DANGEROUS & UNFAIR
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  • Entergy’s first and second gas plant applications to the City Council failed to consider the harmful health impacts and safety risks of building a gas plant in New Orleans East, near predominantly African American, Vietnamese American and Latinx neighborhoods. Each gas plant proposal would annually release more than 1 million pounds of harmful air pollution that can cause lung damage, asthma, cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and cancer.
 
  • Gas plants pollute, and gas plants can explode and have pipeline ruptures as we have recently seen around the south (Pascagoula, MS, Gibson, LA, Waco, TX, and New Orleans East, LA). The risk of fires and explosions would be an ever-present threat to the lives of New Orleans residents whose homes, schools, playgrounds, churches, hospitals, and businesses are near Entergy’s chosen location for a gas plant.
  • Each year the proposed Entergy gas plant would also release over 1 billion pounds of greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. Entergy’s refusal to adopt sustainable energy alternatives instead of a gas plant would erase the progress our city is making on climate action. Entergy’s gas plant would send the wrong message, closing the door on important opportunities for investing in our city and making our neighborhoods climate resilient.
 
  • Documents reveal that a prior agreement was made with Entergy to develop a new gas plant of at least 120 MW in New Orleans with Michoud as a potential site for it. This prior agreement took place outside of the public process for energy planning (“Integrated Resource Planning”) and the gas plant application process. This agreement sets up an unfair, undemocratic process for Council decision-making.
4) A GAS PLANT WORSENS SUBSIDENCE & THREATENS OUR LEVEES
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  • Both of Entergy proposed gas plants would continue to use groundwater, which can cause a high rate of land subsidence. A NASA report found that Entergy’s past use of groundwater for the Michoud power plant (shut down in 2016) affected the high rate of land subsidence (sinking) under a levee that breached during Hurricane Katrina. As there is no legal limit on how much groundwater is sucked up by an industrial plant, Entergy’s proposed gas plant options create serious flood risks by withdrawing groundwater that can cause the land to sink under nearby flood control infrastructure.
5) WE NEED AND DESERVE REAL SOLUTIONS
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  • It’s time for a renewable and efficient energy future! Modern technology is cheaper, cleaner and better than outdated technology of burning gas to generate electricity. Energy efficiency, solar and wind energy are all cheaper and cleaner than Entergy’s proposed gas plant. Transmission upgrades, batteries (energy storage) and smart grids are better than a gas plant to prevent power outages and maintain grid reliability. The combination of these 21st century technologies presents real solutions for New Orleans residents and businesses. 
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