Louisiana’s largest electric utility is seeking state approval for an unusual plan to help keep the lights on: a floating natural gas power station.
Entergy Louisiana has filed a request with the Louisiana Public Service Commission to construct a 112-megawatt power plant on a barge near Leeville, Louisiana, southwest of New Orleans.
Phillip May, CEO of Entergy Louisiana, said in a statement that the Bayou Power Station is “a unique solution” to help meet the power needs of communities that have an important role in the state’s energy, tourism and seafood industries. Entergy Louisiana is a unit of New Orleans-based Entergy.
The $411 million proposal would support areas like Port Fourchon, Golden Meadow, Leeville and Grand Isle via a microgrid system, Entergy said in a news release. The facility would include “black-start capability,” the company said, meaning it could help jump-start electricity production during a blackout.
