ENERGY FUTURE NEW ORLEANS REACTS TO CITY COUNCIL UTILITY VOTE ON ENTERGY’S GAS PLANT APPLICATION

February 21, 2018 - New Orleans - New Orleans East Neighbors, concerned citizens and others who make up the organization “Energy Future New Orleans” are outraged that the City Council Utility Committee voted in favor of Entergy’s Gas Plant application.
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We are deeply disappointed that the Utility Committee voted in favor of an outdated, expensive, unhealthy gas plant that New Orleans does not need and ALL Entergy customers will be stuck paying for. This plant doesn’t benefit the people of New Orleans, it only benefits Entergy’s bottom line.

In addition, we are saddened that nearly 100 people who live in New Orleans East, who will be directly impacted by the plant, were locked out of the PUBLIC meeting for hours, left to wait in the hall and unable to hear the closing arguments of Entergy, the Advisors and the numerous intervenors.  

We applaud Councilwoman Susan Guidry for understanding this plant is not in our City’s best interest and being the only committee member to vote against it.

Dr. Beverly Wright, Executive Director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, located in New Orleans East said, ““This is outrageous. The Council has turned its back on residents throughout New Orleans. This is a vote and run by the majority of Councilmembers who will soon be out of office and won’t have to deal with the consequences. Only Councilmember Guidry understands that this vote won’t make Entergy improve its appalling service but would make residents and businesses pay more for it.”

The few New Orleans East neighbors who were allowed inside today’s public hearing gave passionate testimony about why this plant is not only bad for their neighborhood, but for all of New Orleans. The $200 Million price tag will be passed on to ALL Entergy customers. There are also environmental and health risks.
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Minh Nguyen, Executive Director of VAYLA New Orleans, and a New Orleans East resident is concerned for his neighbors. “The negative health impacts of building this plant in our neighborhood can’t be denied,” Nguyen said. “There is a presumption that this gas plant is going to solve the issue of reliability, that the routine blackouts across New Orleans will stop, but that’s simply not the case. New Orleanians are going to be stuck paying for this gas plant, as well as the maintenance and costs of fixing the distribution lines.”