rGarrett Wilkerson permitting. we'll be meeting at 9am on 2321 at EDD Maestri St, New |Clrleansr LA m1 The meeting will take place at EDT Poydras St New lCirleansr LA Tm Payout location will be given out closer to the event send you talking points by the end of the weekend Here are some talking pointsr several have been added since last time. Choose a few and come up with a 1?3 minute speech. if you want a 2nd opinion feel free to bounce ideas off of me i applaud council for its Smart Cities initiative which includes modernizing the electric grid and increasing energy efficiency. The New Cirlea ns Power station is designed to move the city in the direction of clea n, renewable energy sources with abundant natural gas as the bridge to the innovative technologies of the future. The cold snaps this winter were challenging, every bit as much as when we have to survive hurricanes. My understanding is New Drleans has so little self?sufficiency to generate power it all has to be imported. Control of our power needs is essentially out of our hands. 1v'll'hy can't we have our own power station like the one proposed and not have to be the ?afterthought" when power is distributed in peak? demand situations? lL Ildb LU USU. LUIILIUI UI ULll power needs is essentially out of our hands. Why can't we have our own power station like the one proposed and not have to be the "afterthought? when power is distributed in peak? demand situations? 1t is not always predictable when our neighborhood will need peak demand and that poses some anxiety. Our own power station is well worth the modest increase in utility bills because when we have to go without, I would easily pay the difference anyway to overcome the inconvenience of not having electricity at all. Here we arer a modern city it is so frustrating that we hate to voluntarily reduce electricity consumption at peak times. In the Third World I can see it, but we're supposed to be a magnet for newjobs and poised for 21st century growth. It is not too much to ask that we have our own power station. We haye the land to build it. All customers can be sewed without rationing. Let?s face it: we have extreme heat in the summer and extreme cold in winter. It is not too much to ask that we account for these extremes in our power grid and if means moying forward with the proposed power stationr let's embrace it as the solution to an ongoing problem. Let's get our heads out of the sand, stop denying the obyious shortcoming and get this project done! We've had public meetings for two years now and talked this power station to death. The objections are far outweighed by the benefits. There is no perfect solution to our immediate power needs but this is the only realistic one. The cold weather we experienced this winter caused my bills have to think that a new power plant in our neighborhood will deliyer a reliable supply of natural gas?fired home heating fuel so we aren't left with access to higher?priced energy when scarce in the marketplace. rGarrett Wilkerson We've had public meetings for two years now and talked this power station to death. The objections are far outweighed by the benefits. There is no perfect solution to our immediate power needs but this is the only realistic one. The cold weather we experienced this winter caused my bills have to think that a new power plant in our neighborhood will deliver a reliable supply of natural gas?fired home heating fuel so we aren't left with access to higher?priced energy when scarce in the marketplace. Entergy has been more than fair opening this process for public input. I see no reason to belabor this any further. lSlur only option to address the power disruptions is proceed with the new plant. There is no Plan EN I have yet to see another viable way to deal with the power outages other than the lvlichoud plant. Tornadoes. Hurricanes. Sustained cold. The new unit is needed so we have a say over our own supply of electricity. Let me thank the city council for giving the public ample opportunity to voice opinions on the power station. Yes. there are concerns, but there is no other plan on the table for safe. reliable power. We either move fonivard with this proposal or we'll continue to experience disruptions of service and this isjust unacceptable. When we had the floods the week before last there were problems with the pumping systems because the electric power could not be converted. Folks, this is Can wejust get a modern power plant locally? Reliably'. ljust feel neglected in this part of New Orleans. We have too many power interruptions in a storm. This power station will be a reliable insurance policy when electricity is cut off as it so often is. I'm tire-cl of feelinn like I live in a 3rd World I?Garrett Wilkerson We had a boil water advisory here last month. I don?t think we deserve to live in a community where public health has to be a concern. We deserve clean tap water and utilities that support a livable infrastructure and that means not having to endure so frequent cascading outages and disruptions in electric service. If putting a power center at the lvlichaud plant site is what it takes I am behind it We have these cascading electrical outages and blackouts that need to be addressed. Entergy has put forth a viable solution. Where there are environmental concernsr the company is addressing them. That's why we have regulations and oversight. ISlur power is stretched in storms, no doubt about it. Entergy has a solar plant? innovative energy. But these blackouts are too frequent A solution is staring us in the face. We?d be foolish not to embrace it. This last storm. Nate fortunately it was all bark and no bite. But for days leading up to it we braced for high winds with predictions of a week without power. If this power station is constructed our neighborhood will have access to electricity right here without having to depend on distant, unreliable sources. We clearlyr have a generation gap in east New Orleans. Idon?t mean that about the way people from different generations view the world. I mean there'sjust a ?l megawatt generation in this city and we can have a brand new power station no gapsi Very simple! Something has to clone be about cascading outages. This council has before it a project that, in weather emergencies, will keep the lights on with low?cost natural gas. it is reliable. abundant, available. This is a very uncomplicated answer to the energy interruptions that are no longer acceptable in this day and age. Garrett Wilkerson KEEP IIHIILEI UII Hahn. lL lb abundant. available. This is a very uncomplicated answer to the energy interruptions that are no longer acceptable in this day and age. lt's about time New Orleans had local peaking generation to stabilize the grid. We had units here from the '60s that became dinosaurs. But this city needs to fill the void. notjust for the reliable power when we have blackouts. but because the power station can be a cornerstone for economic revival and help getting folks back to work. The way understand it. without this power station. the utility has to buy electricity outside its system. it's expensive. l?ve attended the community meetings and been open?minded. We need our own power to stop the cascading outages and not have to depend on some other uncertain supplier. This summer has underscored the need for drainage pumps to keep New Orleans from flooding and these pumps need the Entergy Company to be reliable. i remember rGustav in We had a plant here and those blackouts were not the problem they have been lately. The new plant will be a cleaner. more modern version of what we had. Right now we have nothing] We're on the end of the transmission line. There is simply no alternative if we don?t want our power sources cut off from a storm. ?i?ou on council have a weighty decision to green light a million+ power plant. But we need electricity to stay on alter a hurricane? and I've thought all along the larger proposed plant made sense because it would be more reliable forjust a marginally higher cost commitment. Our utility bills will go up a few dollars a month. sure. But it's preferable to the utter disruption of our lives for days at a time when we have to go without power at all from the storms that are sure to hit. sometimes more than once a year. as seems to be the case year in and year out. Garrett Wilkerson without power at all from the storms that are sure to hit. sometimes more than once a year. as seems to be the case year in and year out. Since Katrina. even with effort to revitalize. the streets have been decaying. crime is persistent, there?s a lack of retail vitality in our neighborhoods. see the power center as a way to anchor the revitalization we need if we are to move fonivard. The New Orleans East Hospital. WalMart. Big Lots ?these are steps in the right direction. but to have a strong generator of electric power right here immune to blackouts and cascading outages would give business. employers - an anchor to invest capital and hire some folks who can command far more than the wages at the retailers here. Crime here is tied to the lack of economic progress. Getting this power center here will open the door to neighborhood redevelopment with an anchor in an industrial area on the city's eastern edge. ll.i'v'e'll have a strong corporate neighbor that have a strong corporate neighbor that will have its own stake in the community being safe and successful for our small business. for our residents. talking about a stable partner in the business community having skin in the game in east New Orleans. They already employ thousands. support hundreds of nonprofit ventures with millions invested in the greater metro area and they promote workforce development. That's the kind of anchor this community needs. lSlur east industrial corridor needs an anchor for a workforce. see projections of9?+ jobs a year. a ripple of a couple hundred million dollars in company spending to support the plant operations. ?g million in annual payroll. 51 million in sales taxes collected by the city that can come right back here to address Garrett Wilkerson see projections of 90+ jobs a yearr a ripple of a couple hundred million dollars in company spending to support the plant operationsr $3 million in annual payroll, 51 million in sales taxes collected by the city that can come right back here to address neighborhood If this city is to grow we can't depend on an antiquated electric power system unable to stop blackouts. This local company is making that investment for New Drleans' future. How can we move fonvard without it?I I want to see the city grow. That takes a commitment and we have a local company here willing to make a capital investment to help New Orleans grow. You on council are trusted to guide that growth. We are so vulnerable to weather that disrupts our way of life because of blackouts. To mer we reconstructed the levee system after Katrina. Let?s reconstruct the local power system and get this generating facility up and running. It's in an industrial area, prime use of that land. Gas prices have been steady. affordable. This is precisely the kind of venture that will help New Orleans grow. I am all for modern energy. Solar? Great! Renewables? Great! talking here about clean natural gas which is cost?efficient as we move to green technology sources of fuel for our homes and businesses. Hydro? I'm all for it but right now we need the most abundantr most affordable power I?ve looked into this venture. It will lower emissions and use minimal groundwater. We've got a system now that if a single transformer fails the whole grid will collapse. Let?s build the New lEtrleans Power Station and step into the 21 st century like everyone else building for the future. I am all about green energy. i understand that this project will address the immediate need for reliable power from clean burning natural gas and that in the long run this power station will he supported by a mature market for renewable fuels. so it is Garrett Wilkerson lam all about green energy. I understand that this project will address the immediate need for reliable power from clean burning natural gas and that in the long run this power station will be supported by a mature market for renewable fuels so it is economically feasible. This companyr I know is bringing solar online and the new power station can be a candidate for that. But let's get the ball rolling with clean fuel that's ready now. You on council have a weighty decision to green light a fp? million+ power plant. But we need electricity to stay on after a hurricane and I thought the larger plant made sense because it would be more reliable forjust a marginally higher cost commitment. Our utility bills will go up a few dollars a month, sure. But it's preferable to the utter disruption of our lives for days at a time when we have to go without power at all from the storms that are sure to hit, sometimes more than once a year. We had a boil advisory here last month. I dont thinlc we desenre to live in a community where public health has to be a concern. We desenre clean tap water and utilities that support a livable infrastructure and that means not having to endure so frequent cascading outages and disruptions in electric service. If putting a power plant site is what it takes im behind it t?D'Bt. Well have a strong corporate neighbor that will have its own stake in the community being safe and successful? our small business and our residents lb 0 I'll be sending you a full speech in a few hours