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Energy representative outlines $5 billion resiliency plan for Lafourche Parish
Summary
Paula Rome presented a multi-year resiliency plan approved by the Public Service Commission that aims to harden the grid across the state with pole replacements, substation work and vegetation management; several local projects in Thibodaux, Lockport and Bollinger are already under way or starting soon.
Paula Rome, speaking as an Energy representative, briefed the Lafourche Parish Council on a multi-year resiliency program the company says was approved by the Public Service Commission. "Our resiliency plan is, almost a $5,000,000,000 plan that's approved by the public service commission last year," Rome said, calling it a five-year effort to harden the grid.
Rome told the council the initiative includes hardening about 11,000 miles of line, work on roughly 269,000 structures and upgrades at 41 substations. She said the company plans $368,000,000 in vegetation work over five years and described local projects that will replace hundreds of poles with higher-rated poles in areas including downtown Thibodaux, the Valentine substation corridor, Lockport and Grand Isle approaches. "You may have seen some of the work already in Lockport. You may have seen some of the work in Thibodaux," she said.
Rome said pole replacements will use either steel or composite wood poles described in her presentation as "150 mile power rated poles" and emphasized the goal is to reduce outage durations after storms by making poles more resilient so crews can "only have to put wire back on and not have to put as many post back up." She encouraged council members to direct constituent questions to her office.
Why it matters: Parish officials and residents have sought more resilient electric service after major hurricanes in 2020 and 2021. The company framed the work as a proactive effort to shorten outage times after future storms and to protect parish infrastructure that supports energy and maritime industries.
Next steps: Rome said some projects have started and others will begin soon; she offered to take questions from council members and the public through the company’s local contact channels.
