Solar in Louisiana

Solar Landscape in Louisiana

Louisiana's utility landscape is dominated by Entergy Corporation subsidiaries. Entergy Louisiana (formerly Entergy Gulf States Louisiana) is the largest utility, serving most of the state outside of New Orleans. Entergy New Orleans serves the city of New Orleans. Together, the Entergy companies serve approximately 1 million Louisiana customers.

Cleco Power serves central Louisiana with about 300,000 customers. SWEPCO (Southwestern Electric Power Company) serves portions of northwest Louisiana. Electric cooperatives serve rural areas throughout the state.

All regulated utilities transitioned to avoided cost net billing in 2020. Entergy's buyback rate of approximately $0.02/kWh is among the lowest in the country, making battery storage increasingly attractive for Louisiana solar customers. The average residential electricity rate is approximately $0.12/kWh.

Permitting

Louisiana has no statewide solar permitting standards. Permitting is handled at the local level by parish and city building departments. Requirements and fees vary across the state.

No Louisiana jurisdictions currently participate in the DOE's SolarAPP+ automated permitting program. Typical residential solar permit timelines range from 1 to 3 weeks depending on the parish or municipality. New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and other larger cities have more established solar permitting processes.

Louisiana's hurricane-prone climate means solar installations may face additional structural requirements in some coastal jurisdictions to comply with local wind load standards.

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