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We are excited to bring you the America First Energy Blog! Written by Christine Fortenberry, this first installment goes into Louisiana’s deep-rooted energy heritage and the unique opportunity ahead as our state embraces a more resilient, diversified grid. Enjoy a glimpse into the many stories of Louisiana and how they connect back to establishing a more unified, energy resilient community.
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Louisiana has always lived in two
worlds at once, hurricanes and harvests, oil rigs and oyster boats, Mardi Gras parades and quiet Sundays on the bayou. Grit and joy run equally deep here, shaping a people who know how to rebuild, adapt, and celebrate no matter what comes.
That same resilience has made Louisiana a cornerstone of America’s energy story for more than a century. But here’s the paradox: while the sun shines strong across our state, solar energy is only in the beginning stages. While the rest of the country begins to diversify its energy grid, Louisiana’s industry continues to prefer oil and gas.
Louisiana’s culture, environment, and energy infrastructure exist side by side in a way that’s uniquely inspiring. The wetlands that host crawfish boils, music festivals, and quiet bayou afternoons also connect to pipelines, ports, and refineries, showing how people here have always thrived alongside industry. This same ingenuity positions Louisiana to lead in a new energy era.
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Louisiana is one of the world’s largest LNG exporters, responsible for 61% of all U.S. Liquified Natural Gas exports. Louisiana’s 15 crude oil refineries account for about one-sixth of the nation’s refining capacity and can process nearly 3 million barrels of crude oil per day. Thousands of miles of pipelines crisscross the state, connecting offshore
production, Texas fields, and Gulf refineries.
Houma, Louisiana is southwest of New Orleans and relies heavily on oil for its economy. Due to hurricanes and fewer oil opportunities, residents have slowly moved out, searching for new economic opportunities. Many residents work on oil rigs and when oil stock goes up, the city thrives. But hurricanes have weighed down the economy and infrastructure; Hurricane Ida in 2021 has left lasting damage which leaves the city still rebuilding. After Hurricane Ida, some residents were left without power for 2 months and had to rely on backup generators powered by gasoline. The lack of extra gas meant that boats and helicopters didn’t have the fuel needed to get to work on oil rigs, which kept the economy down in a time
where residents needed a source of income.
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An all-of-the-above energy
philosophy can help prevent similar tragedies to other cities in Louisiana, and by providing another source of energy, Louisiana’s grid becomes diversified. In Houma’s case this could have meant that their homes would have had another source of power; the gas could have been used to help the economy as well by returning people to work.
Louisiana is poised perfectly to adopt solar projects. With over 200 days of sun, Louisiana is an ideal place to incorporate solar. Incorporate is key here, because oil is vital in Louisiana. Rather than relying solely on oil and natural gas, by diversifying the grid and incorporating more renewable energy to Louisiana it will create a steady flow of economic prosperity. As oil stocks rise and fall, renewable energy stays consistent, bringing tax revenue to parishes. Solar energy complements Louisiana’s energy grid and brings continued prosperity to an already energy dominant state.
Louisiana has everything it needs for solar: strong leadership, land, and sunshine. It is not a matter of if but when we will decide to keep leading the country in energy. Our story has always been one of resilience and reinvention. The next chapter could be solar.
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