New Orleans Power Station is a win for community health and economic growth
March 8, 2018
New Orleans City Council
1300 Perdido Street, Second Floor West
New Orleans, LA 70112
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
602 North Fifth Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Subject: Support for Proposed New Orleans Power Station(s)
City Council Members and Designated Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Staff:
On behalf of Safe Healthy Affordable Reliable Energy (SHARE), I write to support the New Orleans Power Station (NOPS) proposed for construction by Entergy. SHARE is a non-profit coalition of organizations, composed of community groups, corporations including Entergy, chambers of commerce and churches, that has been working for over a decade to ensure the supply of reliable, clean and affordable electricity.
Entergy retired the 1960s-era Michoud units because of the prohibitive maintenance cost, and also for the health of the community. Asthma and other respiratory illnesses – made worse by outdated technologies like the Michoud units – plague urban residents, especially in underserved communities where SHARE’s members live. The proposed new power station’s lower emissions will not just improve health, but will use minimal groundwater and reduce the overall impact on the environment.
Further, NOPS will create jobs, increase economic activity and support the New Orleans tax base. Dr. Loren Scott, a well-regarded Louisiana economist, determined that this facility will generate over $200 million in new sales for New Orleans based companies, $28 million in new earnings for city residents and $1 million in taxes for the City of New Orleans itself.
Entergy has a long history of supporting communities and corporate social responsibility by ensuring environmental fairness and economic empowerment. Entergy has in turn earned the trust of the communities in which it operates. The company’s efforts have been recognized by independent entities including the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices to which they’ve been named to the World or United States list for 15 consecutive years.
As the nation endeavors to add renewables to our generating portfolios to reduce carbon emissions, it’s critical for our communities and the reliability of the electric grid that this proposal is approved. Entergy’s proposal is a sensible one, and is an important bridge towards integrating renewable technologies into the electric grid.
In sum, Entergy’s proposal is a win for community health, environmental safety, and economic growth in New Orleans. SHARE, and our member organizations, therefore firmly support the NOPS proposal and urge the New Orleans City Council and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to do the same.
Sincerely,
Frank Fraley
President, SHARE
