NEW ORLEANS – Get ready to possibly lose power – on both sides of Lake Pontchartrain. That was the message just after 8 pm tonight, from the two main power suppliers in this area.
Cleco and Entergy announced that the companies would start “forced power outages” – rolling blackouts– tonight (Feb. 16). Both companies cited increased power demand because of the cold weather, and both companies said the decision came from the regional power monitoring company- Midcontinent Independent System Operator.
But less than two hours later, Entergy and Cleco backed off. Both companies said the blackouts were no longer needed– though Entergy said that some customers did lose power between 7 pm and 9 pm.
Governor John Bel Edwards said that he talked to Entergy Louisiana’s CEO tonight, and was “assured (that) this was done as a last resort.”
“It is our hope,” said Edwards, “that this issue will be resolved quickly and with minimal impact to our people.”
Although the threat of blackouts is lifted – for now- Cleco and Entergy continue to stress the need for Louisianans to conserve power, and Cleco released these tips for customers.
- Delay laundry, washing dishes, and other non-essential uses of electricity for conservation.
- Wash clothes with cold water, cook foods at the lowest possible setting and refrain from opening the oven door while baking.
- Don’t allow warmed air to escape from the home.
- Open blinds, drapes and curtains to let in warmth from the sun.
- Lower the central thermostat to 68 degrees or lower if possible.