Energy Reform Action Plan
The Problem
Storms and heat emergencies have repeatedly caused long-term power outages that endangere lives, especially among seniors and medically vulnerable residents. Centralized grid failures and lack of neighborhood-level backup power leave the city exposed.
New Orleans is in a load pocket. We lose power for two reasons:
Storms take down the transmission or distribution system.
Sometimes there isn’t enough generation and we get brownouts, like Memorial Day weekend.
These outages come from the same underlying problem:
DISTANCE - between where power is generated and where it's needed.
Distance = vulnerability.
Microgrids abolish distance.
The Solution
The Neighborhood Power Plan builds distributed, neighborhood-level resilience through solar and battery systems at homes and community institutions. This creates a Virtual Power Plant that reduces outages, lowers costs, and keeps people safe — without raising utility rates.
The Neighborhood Power Plan was passed by City Council in December 2025. Now, it is in the implementation stage.
The First 100 Days
City leadership should oversee implementation planning, appoint program administrators, and begin rollout of solar and battery installations citywide.