How Does This Happen?’: Power Outages Hit Blue City On Holiday Weekend After Months Of Warnings
Audrey Streb
DCNF Energy Reporter
May 26, 2025
New Orleans was plunged into darkness on Sunday afternoon when the region’s grid operator cut off power to reduce usage, a “last resort” measure to prevent a large-scale blackout, according to Nola.com, a local news outlet.
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.
“The forced outages were directed by MISO as a last resort, and done in order to prevent a more extensive, prolonged power outage that could severely affect the reliability of the power grid,” Entenergy said in a Sunday statement. (RELATED: Renewables Could Soon Contribute To Nationwide Energy Scarcity, Regulatory Authority Warns)
Earlier this evening, MISO issued a load shed request (temporary power outages) of approximately 600 MW in Louisiana to @Entergy and @ClecoPower to maintain the reliability of the bulk electric system. High temperatures in Louisiana led to higher-than-expected demand, and with…
— Midcontinent ISO (@MISO_energy) May 26, 2025
“How does this happen?” New Orleans City Council member Joe Giarrusso told Nola.com. “There are lots of questions that need answering.”
https://dailycaller.com/2025/05/26/new-orleans-power-outages-blackouts-miso-power-grid-holiday-weekend-warnings/