Entergy Louisiana seeks approval for 3 GW of solar

The request recently filed with the Louisiana Public Service Commission to add an additional 3 GW of solar power to its generation portfolio is on top of the nearly 225 MW requested earlier in the month.

March 20, 2023 Anne Fischer

Rendering of a Lightsource bp solar project in Louisiana.

Image: Lightsource bp

Louisiana historically has had abundant crude oil and natural gas reserves and very little in the way of solar energy generation, but this appears to be changing. Entergy Louisiana, the state’s largest utility, is seeking approval from the Louisiana Public Service Commission to add approximately 175 MW of new solar energy from a facility in Iberville Parish and 49 MW from what would become the Sterlington Solar Facility in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. Collectively, Entergy is seeking the approval to construct and place 3 GW of solar projects into the grid.

Entergy’s announcement for approval of the 3 GW solar portfolio follows an announcement earlier this month the utility had filed with the PSC to approve the purchase, construction and operation of the 225 MW of solar projects.

Ranked 38^th in the nation for installed solar, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Louisiana has lagged behind in embracing solar energy to the point where solar provides just 0.0043% of the state’s electricity, or enough to power 20,352 homes, according to SEIA.

“Like never before, our state has 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 Entergy Louisiana president and chief executive Phillip May.

The Louisiana PSC in September 2022 approved Entergy’s initial 475 MW solar portfolio as part of the Geaux Green program, and also approved the solar subscription and green tariff program itself.

In June 2022, Entergy Corp. discussed plans for generating up to 7 GW of renewable resources by the end of 2025, and as much as 14 to 17 GW of renewable resources by the end of 2031.

For more on solar in Louisiana, read 50 states of solar incentives: Louisiana.

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