Editor’s note: The story has been updated as of 7:36pm to include Council President JP Morrell’s update regarding the restoration timeline via his Facebook page.
8:30 p.m. Update:
According to city officials, the number of outages in Orleans Parish has dropped to approximately 16,000, down from an initial 50,000 earlier this evening.
The article has also been updated to include a statement released by City Council President JP Morrell, Vice President Council Helena Moreno and Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis.
On Sunday, May 25, more than 100,000 Entergy customers across Southeast Louisiana lost power without warning. In New Orleans alone, over 52,000 homes and businesses went dark just after 4:30 p.m., impacting neighborhoods from Uptown and Mid-City to Lakeview, Metairie, and parts of Jefferson, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines parishes.
The cause of the blackouts was what Entergy described as a “load shed” event—an emergency directive issued by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), which oversees the region’s power grid. The utility says it received just a three-minute warning to implement power cuts, leaving residents scrambling in the heat with no notice or explanation.
Entergy had projected that most power would be restored by 7:00 p.m., but as of publication, full restoration had not occurred. On Facebook, New Orleans City Council President JP Morrell provided a real-time update, explaining that limited restoration had just begun — but in a very controlled and gradual fashion.
“They have begun the process of allowing Entergy New Orleans to restore power in a very limited, safe way,” Morrell wrote. “Once true power is cut off, power has to be restored gradually across the grid in a way that is safe.”
Morrell said residents may start to see lights coming back on, but only in small areas.
“You will see lights coming back on across the city, but it is very, very gradual and it’s very, very minimal.”
Meanwhile, in a joint statement issued Sunday evening, city and state leaders expressed frustration over the lack of notice and demanded answers from regulators and utility operators.
“Tonight, the regional transmission organization, MISO, ordered an immediate, forced, large-scale outage within the Entergy territory, leaving the utility with minimal notice,” the statement reads. “Customers in Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard parishes were affected, with the majority of impacts felt in New Orleans.”
The joint statement was signed by City Council President JP Morrell, Council Vice President Helena Moreno, and Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis.
“We are not only frustrated by the lack of timely notification to both the utility and regulators, and it appears that New Orleans bore the brunt of this forced outage,” they said. “The public deserves clear answers regarding the reasons behind this incident and the failure to provide timely alerts.”
With frustration mounting and many residents still without power, the question remains:
So why does this keep happening?
What Is Load Shedding?
The technical term “load shedding” refers to the intentional shutdown of electricity to certain areas to prevent the entire grid from collapsing. In this case, Entergy says MISO directed the action because of strain on the regional grid—meaning either demand was too high or available supply was too low to meet it.
Load shedding is supposed to be a last resort. But the fact that Entergy had to cut power to tens of thousands on a Sunday afternoon in May—before peak summer heat—raises alarming questions about grid stability heading into hurricane season.
Five Common Explanations Entergy Gives for Outages
Sunday’s event was one of the more dramatic examples of widespread outage. But blackouts—large and small—happen regularly in New Orleans, and Entergy typically points to a handful of common causes.
1. Aging Infrastructure and Equipment Failure
Many components of the city’s electrical grid are decades old. Failures in transformers, circuit breakers, and substations are routine, especially when stressed by heat, cold, or heavy rain. Entergy has acknowledged the need to modernize its system, but upgrades have been slow and costly.
2. Weather—Even Mild Weather
New Orleans is no stranger to storms, but even light rain or wind can lead to outages. Trees brushing against power lines or slight lightning strikes can bring the system down. Critics argue that better line management and preventative measures could reduce these incidents.
3. Animal Interference
It might sound absurd, but Entergy often blames squirrels, birds, or raccoons for outages. Wildlife can create short circuits when they come into contact with transformers or substation equipment. It’s so common that it’s practically a cliché—yet protections like animal guards remain limited.
4. Transmission Problems
Sometimes the issue isn’t in the neighborhood—it’s upstream. Failures in the broader transmission system, which connects New Orleans to regional power plants and substations, can trigger localized outages. These issues are harder to predict and harder to fix, especially when communication between Entergy and regulators is lacking.
5. Human Error or Accidents
Cars crashing into utility poles, construction mishaps, or unauthorized digging can damage lines and equipment. These aren’t Entergy’s fault, but they’re part of the broader pattern of vulnerability in our grid.
So What Now?
Entergy has proposed billions in grid hardening efforts, including undergrounding lines and replacing outdated equipment. But progress has been slow, and public skepticism remains high, especially after incidents like Sunday’s. Residents and city leaders continue to demand greater transparency and accountability from both Entergy and its regional overseers.
In a city already battered by extreme weather and aging infrastructure, the power grid shouldn’t be another source of uncertainty. And yet, here we are—again.
Please dont gaslight us into believing the reqson for blackouts was due to a squirrel zapping a transformer or Aging transmission lines. You said it yourself this was a load shedding incident. The MORE important question (AND THE REASON I CLICKED ON THIS ARTICLE) is WHY was power output short of demand. Please investigate this further and let us know because the utility conpanies should NEVER have to shed loads unldss it’s an absolute emergency or there is a larger issue with the grid (e.g. hurricane damage).
We did not state this was the reason of the current blackout. We did an explainer of what Entergy cites as common reasons. We clearly reported the reason was due to the load shed. We were just doing a basic explainer of commonly cited reasons for blackouts in general. We have been highly critical of Entergy and MISO and the way they have handled these blackouts.