Entergy Submitts Plans to Build a Floating Power Plant in Leeville

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BATON ROUGE, La. – Entergy Louisiana filed a request with the Louisiana Public Service Commission for approval to construct the Bayou Power Station. This transformative project represents a significant investment in the region's energy infrastructure, aimed at bolstering resilience and reliability for communities and industries along the coast that are vital to local and national economies.

The proposed $411 million Bayou Power Station would be a 112-megawatt floating natural gas power station, equipped with black-start capability and the ability to rapidly start- up and ramp-down. Situated atop a barge across from a substation in Leeville, the power station would play a crucial role in supporting areas like Port Fourchon, Golden Meadow, Leeville and Grand Isle through a microgrid system.

While providig jobs and commodities, these areas, which are part of what is referred to as the Bayou Region, play a vital role in our nation’s energy security. For example, hundreds of companies use Port Fourchon, which services 95% of the Gulf of Mexico’s deepwater energy production and handles 10-15% of the nation’s domestic and foreign oil, as a base of operation. Meanwhile, the strip from Golden Meadow to Grand Isle serves as a hub for the seafood industry, which accounts for one out of every 70 jobs in Louisiana and has a multi-billion-dollar annual economic impact. There are also many companies in the area that provide manufacturing and other services to both the energy and seafood industries.

Key components of Entergy Louisiana’s overall project would include the construction of Bayou Power Station, expansion of the Leeville substation and transmission connections to ensure seamless power delivery. The microgrid system would provide essential backup power during outages, serving a diverse mix of residential, commercial and industrial customers, including vital industries located at Port Fourchon.

"Whether you’re located in a big city, small town or along the coast, Entergy Louisiana is committed to providing our customers with affordable and reliable power," said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO. “Our customers in areas like Grand Isle, Golden Meadow and Port Fourchon play an important role in our state’s tourism and seafood industries and energy sector, and the Bayou Power Station is a unique solution to meeting their power needs into the future.”

The Bayou Power Station aligns with Entergy Louisiana's strategy to integrate various energy resources — including natural gas, nuclear and renewables — to balance supply and demand effectively. Further, the project would support a more reliable and resilient energy ecosystem, capable of meeting the unique needs of customers in an area with challenging geography and aiding in recovery efforts following major storms.

The addition of Bayou Power Station would complement projects that have been completed over the past couple years to build resilience into the electric system near the coast. Some examples of these projects include the Caminada substation, which was elevated 20 feet off the ground on a concrete platform; upgrading around seven miles of transmission lines with about 80 steel structures between Cut Off and Golden Meadow; and undergrounding around eight miles of distribution lines along Louisiana Highway 1 from Leeville to Grand Isle and taking strategic steps to fortify the overhead electric system in the area.

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