The Utility, Cable, Telecommunications, and Technology Committee met on March 24 to discuss recent utility service interruptions and recommend several regulatory resolutions for approval by the full Council.
The meeting focused on Entergy New Orleans’ (ENO) report about customer service interruptions during the fourth quarter of 2025. The committee heard that outages increased to 304,178 due to equipment failures, lightning strikes, vegetation issues, and planned infrastructure work. However, transmission-related interruptions decreased by 60 percent as a result of upgrades and new initiatives.
According to ENO representatives, equipment failures continued to be the main cause of outages. They said that ongoing maintenance efforts and self-healing grid technology have improved reliability over time. Lightning-related outages rose because of severe weather events that also delayed some equipment repairs. Vegetation challenges persisted in areas with dense trees under stricter trimming rules. Planned outages increased as infrastructure upgrades and resilience projects were carried out; these are expected to provide long-term benefits despite causing short-term disruptions.
Committee members raised concerns about the high number of reported outages in 2025 and called for ENO to take a more proactive approach in addressing critical infrastructure issues. They acknowledged ENO’s efforts but emphasized the need for further improvements in reliability.
The committee also recommended three resolutions for consideration by the full Council. One resolution proposes updates to Chapter 158 of the City Code governing utility regulation and customer protections based on Docket UD-25-01. These revisions include changes to the Customer Bill of Rights, clearer procedures for resolving complaints from customers, and creation of a Utility Regulatory Manual.
