admin

Dozens of New Orleans East residents filled New Orleans City Council?s newly opened chambers in City Hall to challenge Entergy?s plans to build a 128-megawatt, gas-fired power plant in Michoud.

After six hours of public comments and contentious exchanges, the New Orleans City Council approved those plans by a vote of 6-1.

Councilmembers hoped to address immediate concerns about the city?s inability to generate power after routine power outages have underscored a need for local power, particularly when demand is high.*But opponents said construction of a new plant is not guaranteed to solve ongoing issues with outages, while residents foot the bill for its construction and fear pollution and other environmental impacts.

Guidry was the only ?no? vote against the resolution at the Council?s Feb. 21 Utilities Committee meeting; she also was the councilmember to vote against it among the seven City Councilmembers at today?s meeting.

?I have watched Entergy drag their feet over and over again,? said Guidry, illustrating an energy monopoly that refuses to invest in anything but ?traditional power? and has put the City Council into a corner when it doesn?t agree to the Council?s regulatory demands. ?We have been given one option by Entergy: a fossil fuel plant.?
?