Energy efficiency

Sheryl Doiron’s daughter, a former public school teacher, is entirely dependent on her mother’s care since Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis left her unable to move or speak.

Federal energy assistance helps tens of thousands in Louisiana — Trump says it’s ‘unnecessary’

With light bills at times rivaling the cost of a house note, those with low incomes struggle to keep their homes at a safe and comfortable temperature.

A new state-of-the art LED lighting system was added to Southern University’s A.W. Mumford football stadium in Baton Rouge after it was granted $1.27 million for the lights from the Louisiana PSC’s Public Entities program.

Coastal Desk

$80 million, few rules: Louisiana’s energy efficiency ‘slush fund’

Pam Radtke, Floodlight

One of the least energy efficient states allows elected commissioners to use ratepayer money for ‘patronage’ projects — with little oversight.

Owen Henry, standing on the roof of his Baltimore rowhome, painted his roof white in 2023 so he could help cool the home and save on energy costs. It worked, he says, reducing electricity use by 24%.

Coastal Desk

This little-known ‘dark roof’ lobby may be making your city hotter

Ames Alexander (Floodlight)

As cities heat up, reflective roofs could lower energy bills and help the climate. But dark roofing manufacturers are waging a quiet campaign to block new rules.

A crew of linemen use bucket trucks to repair a utility pole and restore electricity near Houma on Sept. 12, 2024, one day after Hurricane Francine made landfall in Terrebonne Parish.

Politics

Bill prioritizing domestic fuel sources for grid resilience advances

Brooke Thorington

A bill that would require the Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR) to work with the Public Service Commission (PSC) on prioritizing domestic fuel sources in Louisiana advanced from House Appropriations on Tuesday.

Logan Burke of the Alliance for Affordable Energy, left, and Billy Anderson from the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, testify Wednesday against a move to halt an energy efficiency program for Louisiana’s residential customers. In a hastily called meeting, the Louisiana Public Service Commission voted 3-2 to kill the program.

Coastal Desk

Energy efficiency program killed; advocates say Louisianans will pay the price.

Pam Radtke, Floodlight

The state Public Service Commission voted along party lines to end a program to save energy and money for residential customers — who already top the US in electricity use.

From left, Louisiana Public Service Commissioners Mike Francis, Jean-Paul Coussan and Eric Skrmetta during a Feb. 19, 2025, PSC meeting.

Coastal Desk

La. Public Service Commission might scrap new energy efficiency program

Wesley Muller (Louisiana Illuminator)

In a surprise agenda change for Wednesday’s meeting, the Louisiana Public Service Commission will consider terminating a statewide energy efficiency program it just recently hired a contractor to run after spending 14 years to create it.

Crews work to restore power lines in south Louisiana following Hurricane Francine. Entergy Louisiana has proposed charging customers about $1 per month to help pay for repairs from the storm. Customers are already paying about $20 per month to pay for damage from previous hurricanes.

Coastal Desk

US electricity prices are surging. These Louisiana companies want out.

Pam Radtke, Floodlight

Citing few renewable options and projected price jumps, industries in one state propose their own power generation, free from monopoly utilities.

Oak Creek Power Plant and Elm Road Generating Station are seen in 2019. The plants in Oak Creek, Wis., near Milwaukee, are coal-fired electrical power stations. Increasingly, U.S. coal plants targeted for closure — including these facilities in Wisconsin — remain operational to meet burgeoning demand for electricity. This comes at high cost to customers — and the planet.

Coastal Desk

Coal was on its way out. But surging electricity demand is keeping it alive — costing customers and the planet

Emma Foehringer Merchant (Floodlight)

U.S. coal plant use is dropping, but utilities are delaying their retirement and running them — even when they cost more than renewable sources.

Hurricane Francine left about 400,000 Louisianians without power. Extended outages can be particularly dangerous for people with certain disabilities.

Coastal Desk

Advocacy groups pitch solar microgrids as New Orleans power backups

Elise Plunk (Louisiana Illuminator)

New Orleans hopes to see fewer power outages during storms and heat waves with an investment in a new energy generation system.

A portion of the protected bike lane on MacArthur Boulevard in Algiers.

Coastal Desk

New Orleans is the ‘most improved’ city for clean energy, new report says

Eva Tesfaye

New Orleans ranked 39 out of 75 cities on the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy’s recent scorecard, passing dozens of other cities.