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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Entergy Begins $159 Million Lake Charles, Louisiana, Transmission Project

03/07/2016
Entergy officials at the Nelson Power Station in Westlake, Louisiana, "cut the wire" on one of the largest single transmission projects in the energy company’s history. The wire-cutting ceremony officially launched construction of Entergy’s Louisiana Lake Charles Transmission Project – a $159 million project that will help bring power to one of the fastest growing areas in the nation in terms of private-sector job growth.

The project, which is expected to be completed in early 2018, involves building 25 total miles of high-voltage transmission lines and the facilities needed to support them, including two new substations and expansion of two existing substations.

"Today is a testament to the hard work and dedication of many people and months of preparation and approvals," said Phillip May, President/CEO of Entergy Louisiana. "These new transmission lines will help wire this region for the future."

The new lines are being constructed to support and enable economic growth in southwest Louisiana, as well as to enhance reliability for existing and future customers.

"We work to keep the lights on 24/7, and this will help us continue to do that," May said. "It also will provide us operational flexibility for serving customers to make sure they get the highest quality of service available." Once completed, access to lower cost generation will be improved, which could potentially reduce the costs for all customers in the area.

According to company officials, besides just responding to the industrial expansion the project will provide benefits to existing customers - including residential customers who are moving here for good, high-paying jobs. This not only means more jobs in southwest Louisiana, it means a larger tax base to support community infrastructure, such as schools, parks and roads.

Louisiana Economic Development has secured projects that are creating more than 91,000 new direct and indirect jobs, as well as more than $62 billion in new capital investment since 2008.

Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than 1 million customers and natural gas service to approximately 93,000 customers in the greater Baton Rouge area. With operations in southern, central and northeastern Louisiana, the company is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation.

Company officials said “because of this and other industrial growth throughout its service areas, Entergy plans to invest approximately $2 billion in its four states over the next three years in transmission capital projects, including those related to reliability and economic development.”

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