A Call to Louisiana Residents to Defend American Energy Tax Credits

On Sunday May 25, 2025, many residents in Louisiana, particularly in the New Orleans metro area, experienced a startling and unannounced power event. As families gathered for cookouts, graduation parties, and time with loved ones, more than 100,000 households were suddenly impacted by a brownout. There was no official alert or prior warning — just a sudden loss of power on a sweltering day with temperatures soaring above 90 degrees and a heat index topping 101.

The cause? An emergency directive from MISO (Midcontinent Independent System Operator), the organization responsible for managing electricity transmission in much of the central U.S. According to reports, the Louisiana grid was under extreme stress due to record energy usage. To prevent a total grid failure, MISO required Entergy New Orleans to reduce power demand by shedding load — a move that left many without power during critical moments.

This event made one thing clear: our electric grid is overstretched, and the consequences are real — and increasingly local.

The Grid Is Maxing Out

Each summer, as temperatures climb, so does our need for electricity. From air conditioning units to refrigerators and ceiling fans, homes demand more power — and utility systems are pushed to their limits. The Memorial Day brownout showed that even on a routine holiday, Louisiana’s grid is vulnerable to sudden failures.

Solar power offers a proven solution. When homes generate electricity on-site through rooftop solar panels, it reduces the strain on large, centralized power plants and long-distance transmission lines. On high-demand days, thousands of solar homes can act as pressure relief valves, reducing the risk of wide-scale outages.

Even if your home doesn’t have solar panels, your community benefits when others do.

When the Grid Goes Down, Everyone Pays

Grid overloads don’t just cause outages — they cost money. When utility companies scramble to supply electricity during peak times, they often turn to expensive and polluting emergency generation sources. These extra costs eventually show up in customer bills.

And when the power goes out entirely, the stakes are higher than just spoiled groceries. Families lose access to cooling, medical devices may go offline, and businesses suffer losses. In a place like New Orleans, where summer heat can be dangerous, these outages threaten health and safety.

Distributed solar energy helps prevent these emergencies. With more homes producing power locally, demand on the grid decreases, and the risk of brownouts and blackouts diminishes.

Solar Makes the Grid Stronger

Investing in solar isn’t just about reducing electricity bills — it’s about building a more resilient grid for everyone. A grid with high levels of distributed solar:

• Requires fewer blackouts and emergency conservation alerts
  
  
• Reduces utility costs tied to emergency power generation
  
  
• Helps cut air pollution from fossil fuel plants
  
  
• Supports local job creation and economic growth
  
  

Residential solar energy credits make it possible for more families to install solar systems affordably. When more Louisiana households can access solar — not just those with high incomes or perfect credit — the entire community gains protection against future grid failures.

Support Solar — Even If It’s Not on Your Roof

Solar energy benefits all of us. Whether you have panels or not, you rely on a stable electric grid — for your safety, comfort, and financial wellbeing. Policies that support solar access are policies that protect Louisiana families.

A recent study from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) found that 1 in 4 low-income households spend over 15% of their income on energy bills — far above what’s considered affordable. By supporting residential solar credits, we make it easier for families to cut those costs and invest savings into other essentials.

Don’t Wait for the Next Blackout

The Memorial Day power shed was a wake-up call. It showed how fragile our system is — and how urgent it is to invest in solutions that reduce demand and increase local energy supply.

You can help.

Visit posigen.com/solar-supporters to ask your elected officials to protect residential energy credits and support policies that keep our communities safer, cooler, and more resilient.

Even if you never go solar, defending these credits means defending a grid that works for all of us — especially in Louisiana, where the stakes are too high to ignore.