Resilient by Design Utility Series: Entergy New Orleans

This case study examines how Entergy New Orleans (ENO) is strengthening distribution system resilience through targeted grid-hardening investments, storm-informed planning tools, and structured local oversight. Drawing on ENO’s Accelerated Resilience Plan, the case study highlights how the utility is using scenario-based modeling to prioritize high-impact upgrades, reduce storm-driven outages, and improve restoration outcomes—while working to maintain affordability for customers in one of the nation’s most hazard-exposed urban environments.

Building on SEPA and Rhizome’s Resilient by Design: Utility Strategies for Climate-Ready Distribution Systems report, this case study explores ENO’s approach to resilience in a service territory defined by frequent hurricanes, flooding risk, and aging infrastructure. ENO uses a Storm Resilience Model (SRM) to evaluate asset vulnerability under elevated storm-frequency assumptions and to quantify the benefits of proactive investments using metrics such as Customer Minutes Interrupted (CMI) and avoided restoration costs. With New Orleans City Council oversight and a near-term, project-focused investment strategy—including a $100 million grid-hardening phase supported by federal funding—ENO’s plan illustrates how utilities can align resilience upgrades with transparency, accountability, and community priorities in the face of increasingly severe weather.