NEW ORLEANS — Mayor LaToya Cantrell today was joined by President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Audubon Nature Institute Ron Forman, President and CEO of Entergy New Orleans Deanna Rodriguez, District D Councilmember Eugene Green and District E Councilmember Oliver Thomas to unveil four free Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations at the Audubon Zoo. Each charging station can accommodate up to two vehicles at a time.
“Today demonstrates how partnerships between City government and our local energy utility provider can come together to create clean, efficient transportation opportunities for our residents,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “It is important that we make these resources available for our residents, as electric vehicle sales continue to grow, in part because of new incentives available from the Inflation Reduction Act last year. Climate change is a real threat to us, and New Orleans is positioned to be one of the most sustainable cities in our nation as we continue making critical infrastructure investments. Utilizing available dollars on infrastructure improvements wisely, efficiently and innovatively will ensure that we can continue to live here for years to come.”
The Audubon installations are part of a broader Electric Vehicle Charger Program run by Entergy, in partnership with the City of New Orleans, to install 30 charging stations at 25 locations across the city, primarily located at NORD facilities, libraries and public parks. These locations were determined by an online survey soliciting public input, and the New Orleans Electric Vehicle Steering Committee also evaluated the sites proposed to determine the final locations. The Audubon chargers mark 16 out of 25 stations completed, with the remainder of them anticipated to be installed by the end the first quarter of 2023. This program is a result of the 2018 Entergy rate case, in which the New Orleans City Council approved a partnership between the City and Entergy to develop the public charging initiative.
“I’m pleased to be here on this beautiful day,” said Councilmember Green. “This is why we need to be very deliberate in our attempts to lower our carbon footprint, so our grandchildren and our great grandchildren can experience this beauty too. In fact, the first EV chargers were in my District at Pontchartrain Park. This is about the future of our city, our nation and our whole world. I always want to be present where there is green infrastructure involved, making our city stronger and more resilient.”
“One thing I notice about our communities, especially after visiting other places, is our need to catch up on issues like climate change,” said Councilmember Thomas. “That’s why I’m proud to be part of this collaboration to move our city forward. Working together works, and there isn’t anything we can’t achieve when we do.”
According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, EVs are expected to decrease annual greenhouse gas emissions per vehicle by approximately 64 percent. As New Orleans transitions to cleaner energy resources, there will be additional emissions reductions realized as well.
“The charging stations at the Audubon Zoo and Fly, which are open to the public and free to use, are another step in our efforts to provide equitable access to electric charging stations throughout all our communities,” said Deanna Rodriguez, President and CEO of Entergy. “Our partnership with the City of New Orleans and the City Council is important in making sure we have the infrastructure in place to make that happen.”
“Having electric vehicle chargers at the Zoo and the Fly is another step in becoming sustainable and making positive changes to help the environment,” said Ron Forman, Audubon Nature Institute President and CEO. “These chargers align with our mission to engage and encourage people to take actions in their lives that lead to large improvements for our world. We are honored to host EV chargers here and proud to partner with Entergy New Orleans and the City of New Orleans to provide access to these chargers in our community.”
The United States Congress is also taking steps to reduce the cost to purchase EVs. On Aug. 16, 2022, President Joseph Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes tax credits for qualifying EVs and plug-in hybrids that are assembled in the United States. This expanded tax credit will begin in 2023 and will be available up to $7,500 for new vehicles and $4,000 for used EVs.
More information about EV chargers and the EV charging program with Entergy New Orleans can be found at Transportation – Electric Vehicles – City of New Orleans (nola.gov).
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