Class-action lawsuit against filed against Louisiana energy company after Hurricane Ida

[zuul]

Entergy failed to adequately maintain & inspect power grid, class-action lawsuit says

https://www.wwltv.com/article/weather/hurricane/entergy-failed-to-adequately-maintain-inspect-power-grid-class-action-lawsuit/289-6c7410e7-8fb7-4f21-ba67-909cdcae07b1

NEW ORLEANS — A new class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Entergy customers accuses the company of “grossly inadequate maintenance and inspection” of a system that “would not sustain even a hurricane with wind gusts below 100 miles per hour” from Hurricane Ida, court documents said.

The lawsuit cites Entergy CEO Phillip May’s interview with WWLTV's Investigative Reporter David Hammer where the CEO claimed that his company's transmission equipment had been engineered to withstand 150 mph winds. In the interview with David Hammer, May said the River Tower that collapsed in Avondale was “very robustly engineered” and didn’t need to be replaced. But the tower was riddled with rust.

A 400-foot tower that’s part of that transmission system in Avondale collapsed into a rusty heap during the storm. The other seven lines also failed, and the company said that was because of wind damage to just 12 of the 1,500 poles or towers that carry those lines. Seven of those 12 structures – in addition to the Avondale tower – were destroyed, and five others were damaged, Entergy said.

Entergy reports spending $4.2 billion on expanding its transmission system since 2014. It also spent $100 million last year to strengthen substations that receive high-voltage power from the transmission lines and convert it for distribution to homes and businesses. Entergy Louisiana CEO Phillip May told WWL-TV that newly built or restored towers and wires and strengthened substations are engineered to withstand 150 mile per hour winds.

The lawsuit cites other statements by Entergy it claims are “lies” about the strength of its system. Hurricane Ida's impact on the power grid across southern Louisiana was unprecedented, knocking out power to more than a million structures before restorations began.

[rickyhall]

1. Privatization is such a wonderful thing...not.