Entergy faces risky power grid repair after Gustav

HOUSTON (Reuters) – Entergy Corp faces the risk of triggering a blackout as it begins the effort of restoring power to Louisiana homes and businesses after Hurricane Gustav damaged major power lines serving the New Orleans-Baton Rouge area, the state’s largest utility said.

While New Orleans-based Entergy has warned that repairs to its high-voltage system will be “difficult and slow,” Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Wednesday that power restoration is the biggest obstacle hampering the state’s recovery.

…Entergy’s biggest problem is damage to 13 of 14 lines that move power into the New Orleans area. Three 500-kilovolt lines and six 230-kv lines at Willow Glen were knocked out of service.

With just one high-voltage line linking Baton Rouge to New Orleans, Entergy was forced to drop New Orleans into a “power island,” a situation where the city and a corridor along the Mississippi River – dotted with large refineries – are disconnected from the rest of the Entergy supply network.

Reuters