Extreme weather can damage transmission lines and substations, making it impossible to bring in additional electricity.Hurricane Ida showed why this matters.Hurricane Ida crumpled a huge transmission tower carrying high-voltage power lines into New Orleans in August 2021. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
The answer to bolstering power grids is not just to build more high-voltage transmission lines. It is also important to harden the transmission corridors that already exist so they can withstand extreme weather and be restored more quickly after a disaster.
In New Orleans, that is already shaping investment. Entergy New Orleans, the city’s main electric utility, has an accelerated grid-hardening plan that aims to replace existing utility poles with more fortified poles to withstand higher winds and selectively move some lines underground in high-risk areas. The first phase, scheduled through 2026, covers about 63 miles of power lines at a cost of $100 million.
At the federal level, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has required transmission providers to report how they assess risks to transmission assets, how those risks affect system operations and how they plan to reduce them, including under extreme heat and cold.
