Geaux Green: A New Renewable Energy Option for Entergy Louisiana Customers

Entergy Louisiana, a power company in Louisiana, has a green tariff program called "Geaux Green." Approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission in September 2022, it allows eligible Entergy Louisiana customers to subscribe to renewable resources within Louisiana and get credit for the renewable energy credits (RECs) generated by those resources. The new resources are expected to be operational in 2024. In this article, we will walk through the details of the program.

Subscription and billing

When customers enroll in Geaux Green, they will be charged a subscription fee based on the size of their subscription and the underlying resources' cost. Customers will also get a variable monthly bill credit based on the participant's share of monthly output from the portfolio and the monthly value of that energy in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) market.

If the energy value in the MISO market is above a specific threshold, the customer will see a net reduction in their overall utility bill. Subscription fees and bill credits for Geaux Green will be added to the customer's monthly bills.

Subscription pricing

Under the LPSC-approved tariff, subscriptions to Geaux Green are categorized as fixed-price, volumetric price, and low-income residential price. Large business customers are currently on the waitlist for enrollment in Geaux Green. Residential, small business and low-income customers will be able to enroll closer to when the new renewable resources are operational. Subscription pricing is shown below.

Geaux Green portfolio

The Geaux Green program's initial portfolio consists of 475 MW AC of solar resources from four solar farms in different Louisiana locations. Entergy Louisiana's 2019 final Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and 2023 draft IRP concluded that solar energy is the most economical near-term renewable energy resource. If cost-effective renewable energy resources arise in the future, Entergy Louisiana will consider adding them to the Geaux Green portfolio.

Enrollment and re-enrollment

Reservations for the Geaux Green program are on a first-come, first-serve basis. However, the subscription will not start until renewable energy resources are operational in 2024. Entergy Louisiana has an initial cap of 50 MW for Geaux Green customers. After participating for one year, no re-enrollment is required in the program. The agreement shall automatically be extended on June 1 of each year for successive periods of one year until terminated by written notice.

Ownership of resources

Entergy or a third party will own the renewable energy resources in the Geaux Green portfolio, and customers will not own them. However, customers' renewable energy credits (RECs) generated by these resources will be owned by the customer and retired on the customer's behalf by Entergy.

Eligibility

To participate in the Geaux Green program, a customer must have metered service and have an account in good standing with Entergy.

Conclusion

The Geaux Green program is an interesting initiative by Entergy Louisiana, allowing its customers to subscribe to renewable resources and get credit for the renewable energy credits generated by those resources. While the Geaux Green program's initial enrollment is limited to large business customers, residential, small business, and low-income customers will be able to enroll closer to when the new renewable resources are operational.