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Welcome to the Bayou blog

Providing insights, commentary and research in support of critical electrical grid upgrades in New Orleans to best ensure the Crescent City remains a vital place to live and work.

From Christmas Lights to Cold Snaps: What Seasonal Power Myths Get Wrong Energy VulnerabilityPower Grids

From Christmas Lights to Cold Snaps: What Seasonal Power Myths Get Wrong

Every December, a familiar warning makes the rounds: turn off the Christmas lights, they’re straining the grid! In a city that glows through the holidays, the concern feels reasonable. The grid tells a different story. Holiday lights faded from the load picture Holiday lighting used to matter. Incandescent bulbs pulled real power: a typical incandescent Christmas light used about 5 to…
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December 24, 2025
Affordability Begins in the Off-Season Energy ResponsibilityEnergy VulnerabilityInfrastructure

Affordability Begins in the Off-Season

Hurricane season ends with a collective sigh of relief. We made it another year! New Orleans shifts into holiday mode and, soon enough, Mardi Gras planning. My hurricane bin goes back into the closet, replaced by sequins, glue guns, and gift lists. But for the electric utility, their “off-season” actions define our grid’s readiness for next year and determines if…
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December 10, 2025
Louisiana’s Infrastructure Report Card Is In and … Yikes. Energy ResponsibilityInfrastructure

Louisiana’s Infrastructure Report Card Is In and … Yikes.

The American Society of Civil Engineers released its latest infrastructure report card for Louisiana, and the results are exactly what anyone who lives here would expect: blatantly below average. Louisiana earned a C- minus overall, with roads and drinking water at a D, bridges at a D+, and no category rising above a C+. It’s technically an improvement from the D+ the state…
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November 14, 2025

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