Entergy Corp.’s problem in restoring energy after Hurricane Ida extends nicely past New Orleans because it repairs widespread wind injury to a lot of its transmission system.
Rod West, Entergy’s group president of utility operations, stated Monday that 207 transmission strains traversing greater than 2,000 miles are out of service in Louisiana and Mississippi. About 900,000 clients are with out energy, and the corporate expects the quantity to extend because the storm strikes by means of Mississippi.
Mr. West stated that the corporate began assessing injury Monday with drones, helicopters and employees on the bottom because the storm moved away from the coast. It initially gave clients a three-week estimate for a way lengthy energy restoration may take, however Mr. West stated repairs may go sooner—or slower—relying on location.
“The onerous half is that the geography is a reasonably broad swath,” Mr. West stated. “That three weeks just isn’t going to use to everyone the identical approach.”
He anticipates various transmission towers needing repairs or full replacements. “It’ll be a mixture, as a result of this storm didn’t discriminate,” he stated. “The type of influence solely occurs when you’ve gotten actually vital wind that simply wreaked havoc.”