Entergy Proposes A New Green Program

Cyndi Nguyen,

January 17, 2008

NEW ORLEANS — Will it save you money or drain your wallet. Entergy New Orleans tonight has proposed a new program to help the city go green. Not everyone's a believer. The company says a recent national study shows 78-percent of energy customers worry about global warming and a majority of them also want to do something about it. So Entergy has launched a voluntary program called Green Power.

Customers who sign up are basically telling Entergy to buy power generated by earth friendly sources like wind or solar, rather than rely on coal or fossil fuels to generate electricity. The cost to you as a customer will depend on a number of factors - including which energy source you choose. However, one local activist opposes the plan saying going green could cost you green.

"What we need to do is change the policies in the city such as people can actually empower their own lives, to satisfy their own energy needs and it will change the costs profile of living in this city and the quality of life that results from it," says Environmental Engineer Chris Faust.

However, Entergy says The program is strictly volunteer and will help those who want to help the environment.

"Number one this is a voluntary program. If you don't want to incur the costs, you don't have to. We'll continue to provide you economical power. Number two, no program that affect Entergy customers can take place without city council approval and we aren't going to move forward with a program unless we have all the stakeholders at the table," says Spokesperson Morgan Stewart.

Entergy tells us this is a strictly voluntary program and that it will not make a profit from this.

The city council takes up the issue again at it's next meeting on February 26th.