Entergy making progress in Lake Charles

Hurricane Rita knocked out every transmission line into Calcasieu Parish, leaving the city of Lake Charles in the dark.

Entergy is taking a strategic approach to re-energize Lake Charles by methodically restoring lines and substations in the outlying areas. This approach will allow power to be imported into the Lake Charles area from Richard (a 500-kilovolt switching station north of Crowley) as crews continue to work to bring the Nelson Plant in Westlake back online.

Crews have been making steady progress in accomplishing this. Transmission lines from Richard to Bayou Cove (a substation northeast of Jennings) and Bayou Cove to Jennings have been re-energized, as has a 138-kilovolt line from Bayou Cove to Lake Charles.
Work is also continuing on a 500-kilovolt transmission line from Richard to the Nelson Plant that is crucial to re-starting the plant. That work involves completely rebuilding a number of transmission towers destroyed by Hurricane Rita.

Crews are working on restoring load to major industrial customers. A 230-kilovolt line from Verdine to PPG was re-energized Wednesday.

Crews are also currently focusing on repairing the Ann substation, which will restore power to emergency, medical and governmental facilities in Lake Charles.