Entergy seeks nod for 225 MW of fresh solar in Louisiana

Entergy Louisiana LLC, a unit of US utility Entergy Corp (NYSE:ETR), is seeking regulatory approval to add close to 225 MW of new solar power resources to its power generation mix, it said last week.

The company has filed a request with the Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC). Its plan envisages the purchase, construction and operation of new solar capacity, which will come to cover the growing demand for renewable energy in the state.

The proposed capacity will come from two projects. Specifically, Entergy Louisiana plans to sign a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to procure the future output of a photovoltaic (PV) park that will be built in Iberville Parish. The 175-MW project will be executed by Coastal Prairie Solar LLC, an indirect subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources LLC. If greenlit, the project will enter construction in the spring of 2024, with power production to be launched late in the following year.

In Ouachita Parish, the utility intends to build and operate the Sterlington solar park, which will add 49 MW of capacity in Ouachita Parish. The plant is due to be switched on in early 2026.

"This is another step toward not only reaching our own sustainability goals but also toward helping our customers reach their sustainability goals," said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana’s president and CEO.

At present, Entergy Louisiana, which delivers power to more than one million customers, has around 280 MW of renewable resources. The New Orleans-based company is pursuing a plan for up to 7 GW of renewables by end-2025.

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