Two days after Hurricane Ida arrived in Southern Louisiana, hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses remained without power and many could stay that way for weeks as crews work to restore downed power lines belonging to Entergy, the largest utility in the state. It was the second year in a row that the company’s lines suffered extensive damage from hurricanes and storms, which scientists believe are becoming more intense and damaging because of climate change. As anger and frustration build in New Orleans and southern Louisiana, where the heat and humidity made it feel like more than 100 degrees on Tuesday, some energy experts questioned whether Entergy did enough to protect its lines and equipment from extreme weather. In August 2020, Hurricane Laura, which like Ida was a Category 4 storm, cut a destructive path across Louisiana, toppling many of Entergy’s lines and equipment. “Their vintage equipment didn’t stand up to Laura, and I suspect the same report for Ida,” said Robert McCullough, an energy consultant who runs McCullough Research in Portland, Ore.

Source: International New York Times August 31, 2021 18:53 UTC