Council approves 25-year Entergy franchise agreement after debate over deliverables, maintenance standards

The Harahan City Council voted to approve a 25-year franchise agreement with the local electric utility that allows the company to place and maintain infrastructure in public right-of-way and collect a franchise fee; the approval came after council members pressed company representatives about deliverables and maintenance standards for poles and lines.

Council discussion focused on three recurring concerns: 1) whether the franchise should include explicit, written service or maintenance “deliverables” to the city; 2) the condition of poles and lines along River Road and the city’s desire for clearer maintenance standards; and 3) the practical effect of the agreement on rates and local oversight.

A company representative said the agreement follows the state template used with many municipalities and that standards for maintenance and service are set by the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC). The representative said Entergy is obligated to serve and maintain infrastructure to the LPSC’s standards and noted recent pole-replacement work in the area.

“...we do have standards, and we do have to respond. That’s why the Louisiana Public Service Commission…we have certain standards that we have to adhere to,” a company speaker said.

Council members urged the company to include clearer language or an explicit reference to LPSC standards in the franchise text and to confirm that rates charged customers will be those established by the public service commission. The company representative said the template franchise already incorporates the LPSC’s regulatory framework and that the agreement is not exclusive.

The franchise holds a 25-year term (the template starts from the original adoption date in 2021) and includes a franchise fee in line with nearby municipalities; council members noted the typical fee in the region is 2–2.5%. Several council members said they had previously opposed the template because it lacked express deliverables and asked the utility and city attorneys to discuss modest clarifying language outside the meeting if possible.

The council amended and then approved the ordinance on second reading at the meeting. The mayor and council thanked utility staff for ongoing responsiveness and welcomed additional follow-up conversations; one council member said the pole-replacement work now visible on nearby streets shows the company is investing in the grid.

Why it matters: Franchise agreements determine who can locate and maintain electric infrastructure in public rights-of-way and authorize a revenue stream for the city via franchise fees. The debate highlighted the tension between municipal expectations for maintenance and the regulatory role of the state’s Public Service Commission.