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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.

Sparkle Belongs on Floats, Not Power Lines Energy ResponsibilityInfrastructurePower Lines

Sparkle Belongs on Floats, Not Power Lines

Mardi Gras demands spectacle. It also demands electricity. Every float bulb, every sound system, every corner bar humming after the parade depends on a grid that has to perform flawlessly while hundreds of thousands of people pack beneath it. For years, one glittering detail kept sabotaging that performance: mylar glitter guns and balloons. They shimmer beautifully in daylight, but they…
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March 6, 2026
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

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