Entergy Reaches Goal for Commercial Rooftop Solar Program
NEW ORLEANS – Entergy New Orleans said it will reach its goal of installing five megawatts of distributed-scale solar in the city of New Orleans through its Commercial Rooftop Solar program. The solar program leases commercial building rooftops to install utility-owned solar that will capture the power of the sun and put clean energy directly on the electric distribution grid for the benefit of all customers.
Nearly two years ago, with approval from the New Orleans City Council, Entergy New Orleans piloted the rooftop program to help meet its commitment to install up to 100 megawatts of renewable resources, helping further decarbonize the economy and support a more sustainable New Orleans. The company reached its 5 megawatt goal for the program by building partnerships with the Regional Transit Authority, the University of New Orleans, Transportation Consultants, Inc., and local small businesses.
“Entergy New Orleans is committed to finding innovative ways to increase renewable energy for the benefit of our customers and the communities we serve,” said David Ellis, Entergy New Orleans president and CEO. “It is remarkable to see how far we’ve come, and with the help of our partners, this forward-thinking project will bring us closer to our clean energy goals for New Orleans.”
Recently, Entergy New Orleans finalized plans to expand its existing rooftop solar panel installation at Transportation Consultants’ Alvar St. building, which will total approximately 1.9 megawatts once fully constructed. The addition will make Alvar St. the largest single rooftop solar system in Louisiana.
“TCI is proud to partner with Entergy in this rooftop solar program. With multiple commodity warehouses located in Orleans Parish, we were naturally a good fit to provide large rooftops for the program. We will continue developing our rooftop space for future solar investments as new opportunities arise,” said Christian Jensen, representative at Transportation Consultants Inc.
The company has also partnered with two forward-thinking New Orleans small businesses, Michoud Global Properties LLC and Cantelli Almonaster Properties LLC, to install 300 kW on the roof of each property. Cantelli Almonaster is home to the Affordable Pallet Company, which recycles used pallets, putting them back into commerce and reducing environmental waste.
“Local renewable power generation provides an opportunity to reduce the amount of power purchased from outside the city, provides job opportunities for the local community and attracts companies that want to be a part of a cleaner, brighter and more sustainable future,” said Seth Cureington, Entergy New Orleans director of economic development and tech innovation. “By thinking creatively, Entergy New Orleans is able to build upon our already clean energy portfolio through investments in additional innovative renewable energy in a way that makes sense for our customers and environment.”
As of 2019, Entergy New Orleans has approval to add 95 megawatts of renewable energy to its clean energy mix through a combination of rooftop solar and utility-scale solar facilities, which includes the New Orleans Solar Station, a 20 megawatt self-build project to be constructed at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans East.
