New Orleans Needs Its Own Power Supply

In a city gone dark, the St. Peter Apartments were a bright spot. After most of New Orleans’ power went out over the weekend, the 50-unit affordable housing complex in Mid-City had eight hours of electricity a day. That’s a luxury right this moment; nearly a million people in Louisiana have been without service since Hurricane Ida made landfall.

Residents at St. Peter Apartments can charge their phones and run appliances thanks to a 178-kilowatt solar array on the roof and a battery downstairs. “We were able to give folks...