NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The New Orleans City Council will vote Wednesday on a $30 million plan to reduce frequent power outages by using battery power connected to the electrical grid.
The proposal would use ratepayer money to provide grants helping home and business owners purchase batteries to power their buildings. Those batteries would connect to the energy grid, allowing the system to draw power from them when needed.
The plan follows widespread outages, including one on Memorial Day when most of Uptown lost power during a sunny afternoon. Entergy officials said at the time they needed to shed load to help the power grid.
How the system works
The battery plan focuses on powering individual buildings, similar to the New Orleans Lighthouse program that provides solar power to community hubs like churches and community centers after major weather events…