Entergy Louisiana has submitted a request to its regulator, the Louisiana Public Service Commission, for permission to add three gigawatts of solar power to its generation portfolio.
This is in addition to the nearly 225 MW of solar power the company requested earlier this month. In that regulatory filing, Entergy Louisiana sought approval for about 175 MW of the facility in Iberville Parish and about 49 MW of the Sterlington Solar Facility in Ouachita Parish.
In all, 3,225 MW of solar power is in the approval queue for potential construction, development and grid placement under contracts with Entergy Louisiana.
“Like never before, our state has the opportunity to retain businesses, support expansion projects and attract new businesses worldwide, but it requires their operational and sustainability needs,” said Phillip May, CEO of Entergy Louisiana. “Our latest request for up to three gigawatts of renewable electricity, the largest such expansion request in the state’s history, shows that we are serious about protecting the environment by reducing our carbon footprint, but we also remain an important driver of economic development. .”
The individual resources that make up the three gigawatt proposal would be built in Louisiana, meaning local communities and economies would benefit from job creation and additional tax revenue generated during the construction of the facilities. In addition, further diversification of the company’s production portfolio helps protect all customers from natural gas price fluctuations and other factors beyond Entergy’s control.
Currently, Entergy Louisiana has approximately 280 MW of renewable resources, including the Capital Region Solar facility, which began delivering electricity to the grid in October 2020. Along with nuclear generation, nearly 25% of the company’s portfolio comes from carbon-free resources.
