New Orleans experienced a widespread and unexpected power outage on Sunday, leaving over 100,000 residents without electricity across several neighborhoods. The disruption began around 4:50 p.m., initially affecting approximately 18,000 customers in the Uptown area. Within a short time, the outage expanded to Mid-City, Lakeview, Metairie, and Terrytown, as well as parts of Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes. In total, more than 100,000 people were impacted.
According to Entergy New Orleans, the blackout resulted from a mandatory load-shedding directive issued by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), the regional transmission authority. Entergy confirmed the order required a reduction in electricity use to prevent a larger and potentially prolonged grid failure. As of Monday morning, power had been restored to most affected customers, including those served by Cleco.
Entergy Responds with Limited Control Over Outage Scope
In a public statement, Entergy explained that the load-shedding measures were enacted at MISO’s direction as a last-resort strategy to maintain grid stability. MISO oversees a wide geographical region spanning from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, managing supply and demand across multiple utility systems. The temporary outages were designed to reduce strain on the electrical grid, which, according to Entergy, was at risk of a more severe disruption had emergency action not been taken.
Entergy acknowledged that affected customers may have experienced repeated interruptions in service, depending on grid conditions. The utility emphasized that restoration efforts were underway as soon as MISO authorized reconnection, although the initial estimate for when full service would resume was unclear at the time. Entergy urged residents to stay informed through its app, website, and social media platforms, and encouraged customers to visit entergy.com/loadshed for updates on grid reliability actions.
Local Leaders Demand Transparency and Improved Communication
The sudden nature of the outage drew sharp criticism from local officials. City Council President JP Morrell, Council Vice President Helena Moreno, and Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis released a joint statement expressing frustration over the lack of advance notice and transparency surrounding the outage. They highlighted the disproportionate impact on New Orleans and called for immediate answers regarding both the causes of the blackout and the failure to adequately warn the public and local agencies.
“We are urgently working to uncover the facts as power restoration efforts begin,” the statement read. “The public deserves clear answers regarding the reasons behind this incident and the failure to provide timely alerts.”
As scrutiny increases, both Entergy and MISO may face further questioning about how the grid is managed during times of stress, and whether better planning and communication could have mitigated the impact. For now, the incident has spotlighted the complex relationship between regional grid operators and local utilities and underscored the importance of swift, transparent communication during electrical emergencies.
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