Holiday Blackouts Leave New Orleans in the Dark
Over the holiday weekend, nearly 100,000 customers in and around New Orleans lost power in a sudden blackout triggered by the region’s grid operator, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO).
The Daily Caller reports,
“The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), a major electrical grid operator, directed the energy company Entergy to reduce power with only three minutes’ notice to prevent a blackout, affecting nearly 100,000 customers, according to Nola.com. Power was fully restored after several hours, though concerns about the power grid’s reliability remain as President Donald Trump’s administration, energy policy experts and multiple North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) reports have signaled that MISO is at an elevated risk for blackouts due in part to phasing out coal-fired power plants.”
Just two days earlier, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright ordered MISO to ensure the continued operation of the J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant in Michigan, warning that the retirement of baseload energy sources could lead to supply shortfalls and blackouts. “This administration will not sit back and allow dangerous energy subtraction policies to threaten the resiliency of our grid,” Wright said.
The MISO grid spans 15 Midwestern and Southern states and has been shifting away from coal and natural gas toward renewables like wind, solar, and battery storage. But experts say this transition isn’t keeping pace with demand. According to a December 2024 report by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), MISO is facing potential capacity shortfalls as early as 2025.
For New Orleans, this should serve as a wake-up call. As we head into the summer months, temperature will rise and hurricane season will start. The city needs dependable energy, not just the promise of green alternatives that can’t meet the challenge. National energy policy must prioritize reliability, not ideology, or Americans will continue to face blackouts when they can least afford them.
May 27, 2025