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Louisiana smart grid projects

Entergy New Orleans AMI pilot

Entergy New Orleans’ AMI pilot program includes smart meters, in-home displays, programmable communicating thermostats and web portals for low income customers. The pilot project evaluates customer acceptance and the impacts of peak time rebate pricing and enabling technologies on customer electricity usage and peak demand. The primary target is low income customers. Entergy is working with local community outreach organizations to help solicit and enroll customers in the pilot programs. Get details >>

Lafayette metering, DA and monitoring

Lafayette Utilities System smart grid project involves the deployment of an advanced metering infrastructure, distribution automation equipment, and advanced monitoring equipment for the transmission system. LUS expects the smart meters to reduce meter reading costs, lower vehicle emissions, and enable advanced electric services for its customers. These services include an enhanced web portal and introduction of time-based rate programs. A network of new transmission and distribution assets provides improved reliability, reduced grid operations and maintenance costs, reduced outage duration, reduced peak loads, and reduced overall energy usage across LUS service territory. Get details >>

Entergy synchrophasor technology

Entergy’s synchrophasor project is deploying phasor measurement units, phasor data concentrators and state of the art decision support tools across Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and non-ERCOT portions of east Texas. These capabilities will enhance grid visibility of the bulk power system in near real-time, enable detection of disturbances which may produce instabilities or outages, and facilitate sharing of information with neighboring regional control areas. Additionally, the project will focus on training and education throughout the operations and engineering groups at Entergy to provide the foundational learning required to implement these advanced tools. Get details >>

Ruston smart grid initiative

The City of Ruston’s AMI and smart grid project includes smart meters, distribution automation equipment, building energy management pilot programs, and an electric vehicle charging station demonstration pilot. The project is installing smart meters for all 10,125 customers served by the City of Ruston. The smart meter program enhances customer control of electricity costs, reduces customer costs, and improves peak-load conditions on the distribution system. New automation equipment is being installed for all circuits of the City of Ruston’s distribution grid. The equipment automatically adjusts voltage levels and averts power disturbances. The City of Ruston expects to reduce electricity line losses, improve system reliability reduce operations and maintenance costs, and lower vehicle emissions. Get details >>

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Cleco Power AMI project

Cleco Power’s AMI project involves the deployment of smart meters, new metering communications infrastructure, and a meter data management system. All of Cleco’s residential, commercial, and small industrial customers receive new meters. The project implements two-way communication and utility applications to: (1) automate meter reading and service activities, (2) identify and respond to customer outages more efficiently, and (3) develop a backbone for future customer systems, advanced electricity service options, and possible time-based rate programs. Get details >>

Louisiana energy news and trends

KGRA Energy secures $1.95M commitment from  Louisiana for development of large scale waste heat recovery system

KGRA Energy, LP, a premier U.S.-based developer of waste heat recovery power generation projects, announced that it has received a $1.95M commitment from the State of Louisiana Department of Natural Resources toward the installation of a large scale waste heat recovery system in central Louisiana. The grant, provided by the EmPower Louisiana Renewable Energy Grant Program, will contribute to the development of a 10MW organic Rankine cycle (ORC) project that will recover waste heat and convert it into useable CO2-free electricity at a newsprint and linerboard mill. The installation is slated to break ground in Q1 of 2012. Read more >>

Louisiana prepares for smart meters

More than 356,000 homes and businesses across northern, central, and southern Louisiana are scheduled to get smart meters as part of four projects involving Cleco Power, Entergy New Orleans and the municipal utilities for Ruston and Lafayette. The deployments are funded in part through a United States Department of Energy grant. Meter installations are expected to begin in mid-2012 and will take about 18 months to complete. Read more at smartmeters.com >>

Green jobs expected to grow in number in Louisiana

Over the next decade, there will be a surge of "green" jobs in Louisiana, with the bulk of those new jobs created in New Orleans, a recent study by Louisiana Workforce Commission found. By 2021, the study predicted, "green" jobs will have grown by 13.8 percent, while overall job growth will have grown by only 8 percent. Read more at Nola.com >>

New smart-grid group sees DA, AMI as keys to efficiency

A new smart-grid industry group aims to promote the benefits using distribution automation and smart meters to improve voltage conservation for utilities  …The alliance plans to begin its work by promoting voltage conservation for efficient utility operations, as well as for the related business benefits. The results of an initial field study at Entergy Gulf States Louisiana will then be used to drive commercial applications for utilities. Read more at Greenbang >>