Entergy...take down these wires!

Since its founding, New Orleans has been an active port city (sometimes, more active than others). It is also a tourist destination. What better industry to come to New Orleans than the growing cruise ship industry, right? Well, maybe not. In typical New Orleans idiocy, Entergy is having trouble realizing the fact that their power lines over the Mississippi River are preventing the safe passage of large cruise ships. Because of their lack of foresight, New Orleans is being overlooked as a viable port for larger ships.

Cruise companies have told the port that New Orleans is on the short list for consideration for the newest and largest ships, but they wouldn't risk deploying a ship to New Orleans if the lines remained, port officials said.

It was discovered that Entergy filed an application for a new permit to leave the power lines in place over the river. J. Wayne Leonard, Entergy's chief executive, said that he didn't realize there was any hurry to get the lines down.

"Issuance of this permit [to keep the lines in place] will inhibit the growth of the maritime industry in the Port of New Orleans . . . which will in turn affect the economic growth of New Orleans and the river region," Gary LaGrange, chief executive of the Port of New Orleans wrote in a letter to the corps.... "I don't think [Entergy] fully understood how a number of cruise companies would want to cross us off their list. It's not a matter of addressing the issues when the ships come," Vitter said.

Entergy is New Orleans only Fortune 500 company. If New Orleans wants to recover economically, they are going to need everyone working together. The mayor should be all over this situation. Thank God that David Vitter is concerned about New Orleans. Upon reading in the newspaper about the application being filed, he immediately started working on this.

The whole article is here.


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