Entergy is preparing to return to the Louisiana Public Service Commission in 2026 with another round of billion-dollar transmission proposals as electricity demand surges across south Louisiana, driven by data centers and heavy industrial projects, The Center Square writes.
The utility has already filed for a more than $1 billion project that includes a 145-mile, 500-kilovolt transmission line, with roughly 82% of the cost expected to be paid by ratepayers, potentially raising residential bills by at least $3.47 a month.
Beyond residential growth, Entergy is planning new infrastructure to support a $10 billion data center in West Feliciana Parish that could require 345 megawatts of power, along with Hyundai’s $6 billion steel mill and other ammonia, battery and aviation-fuel projects.
Regulators face mounting pressure to balance Louisiana’s economic-development ambitions with protecting consumers from long-term cost exposure, as watchdog groups warn that expedited approvals could lock households into decades of higher electric bills.
