As we look back on the past year, we are excited to share some of the victories that reflect our ongoing commitment to improving energy systems across the state. Join us as we celebrate these achievements and the positive impact they’ve had on reducing expenses, increasing reliability, and advancing sustainability for Louisiana residents!
After 14 years of advocacy, the Alliance for Affordable Energy celebrated a major victory this January when the Louisiana Public Service Commission approved robust statewide energy efficiency programs under a new Third-Party Administrator model. These programs will scale up over the coming decade to save energy and money, improve health and safety, and invest millions of dollars in homes and small businesses. Key amendments from Commissioners Greene and Lewis will improve transparency, eliminate utilities’ ability to profit from energy they didn’t sell, and prioritize investments for low-income households —longstanding goals of The Alliance. This was a long time coming, and Louisiana residents deserve energy savings and all the benefits that come with them. The Alliance looks forward to working with the Commission to ensure the state’s efficiency programs reach the people who need them most. Winter or summer, these investments will improve lives across the state and save millions of dollars.
The Alliance also worked with the New Orleans City Council in December of 2023 to amend the city’s energy efficiency program to help homes and businesses use energy more efficiently and reduce costs. One key change included a 3% demand reduction target starting in 2025, which aims to reduce electricity use under peak times, helping lower costs for all residents. The City Council also directed Entergy to roll out a pilot program targeting specific neighborhoods where investment would be most beneficial, expanding access to energy efficiency programs for income-qualified ratepayers, who often spend upwards of 20% of their income on energy bills.
During this year’s Legislative Session, The Alliance advocated for Senate Bill 484, which establishes the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, with $10M in grants for homeowners who fortify their roofs. This bill– now Act 533– will help reduce insurance costs, making it easier for Louisiana families to afford their homes. Additionally, weatherproofing helps make roofs ready for rooftop solar installations. The program rolled out in September, and we expect a new round of grants will be announced soon – meaning more residents will soon be able to apply for the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program and can expect future savings from insurance discounts. Check your eligibility for discounts here. Detailed instructions for making an account to apply are here.
In May of 2024, AAE and some of our allies pushed for the approval of a $100M and $25M refund for Cleco & SWEPCO customers respectively, after an investigation revealed the utilities unnecessarily burned hundreds millions of dollars worth of coal at the Dolet Hills Power Station, passing those costs onto their customers. $60M of Cleco’s portion of the agreement will be refunded to customers’ bills over the next three years, likely looking like a credit of $11-12 per month on your summer bills (July-September) for the average residential customer. The rest of the refunds will go to reducing future costs customers would have to otherwise pay, such as securitization costs, ensuring all that refunded money ultimately benefits Louisianans. CLECO now has plans to turn the retired coal mine into a 240 MW solar farm. Talk about a glow up.
In October 2023, The Alliance successfully advocated for changes to New Orleans’ Community Solar Rules that make solar more accessible and affordable. Those changes include offering larger electric bill credits to community solar subscribers and delivering additional benefits to low-income subscribers. The New Orleans City Council passed the Community Solar Amendments unanimously. We’ve already started to see these changes encourage the development of more solar projects in New Orleans, read more on our blog here.
In April of 2024, the Louisiana Service Commission approved Entergy Louisiana’s plan to invest $1.9 Billion in storm resiliency to strengthen the electric grid. While investments in power infrastructure are absolutely needed, The Alliance is concerned that this rushed approval circumvented the regulatory process which allows time for all stakeholders to thoroughly review Entergy’s proposal. Public engagement is essential to ensure transparency and representation of consumer interests. As your watchdog, we will work to hold Entergy accountable and safeguard the public’s right to participate in decisions that affect them. Despite the rushed process, these investments will enhance the safety and reliability of our power system, protecting residents from outages during storms and reducing future costs associated with failures and repairs.
Meanwhile in New Orleans, the Energy Future New Orleans Coalition successfully urged the Council to limit the impact of resilience investments in the city. Entergy was approved to make the resilience upgrades that would deliver the greatest benefits for the cost, and that leverage federal matching funds. From a $12 monthly bill impact to $1.50!
The Alliance for Affordable Energy intervened in Docket U-36697, supporting the approval of Entergy Louisiana’s acquisition of up to 3 gigawatts of solar energy. The Louisiana Public Service Commission’s decision to approve Entergy’s solar application marks a significant step toward growing Louisiana’s solar capacity, with an increase of 1000%, paving the way for a more sustainable energy future. While we celebrate this milestone, The Alliance will closely monitor the development of these solar projects to ensure that they do not lead to significant rate increases for Louisiana residents. Solar energy is a low-cost resource, and we are confident that this expansion will ultimately lower energy costs for ratepayers in the long run as they come online. We are eager to see the exciting new projects that will begin construction as a result of this approval.
We are proud of these victories, but there’s still so much work to do. Louisianans continue to face rising electricity bills, extreme weather, and outdated infrastructure. That’s why The Alliance won’t stop fighting for energy solutions that prioritize affordability, resilience, and equity.
Follow our newsletter and stay tuned for more updates as we continue our work toward a better energy future for all Louisianans!
Oli Marin is thrilled to have gained an incredibly educational and fulfilling experience from their internship with AAE. Their year living abroad in both Brazil and Spain fostered a deep appreciation for the interconnectedness of global challenges, particularly those related to climate change and environmental justice. Their internship at The Alliance has provided invaluable insights into the complexities of energy policy and the importance of community-led solutions. Oli is working toward a B.A. and a B.S.M. in International Relations and Business Law respectively from Tulane University, and hopes to continue to advocate for a commitment to building a sustainable future for all.
