Resilence
New Orleans faces an existential threat from sea level rise and climate change. Simple solutions are available but need funding to effectively solve our problems. The time is now to act before the crisis becomes unsolveable. The city council must get off the sidelines and start tackling these critical issues that face our city's future.
Entergy
Jackson supports making Entergy pay for its constant daytime outages. Entergy paid $1.5 billion back to shareholders but refuses to invest in a reliable grid. He supports no rate increases until Entergy agrees to invest in their infrastructure. Also, he advocates returning Entergy New Orleans to public control, ensuring the utility serves residents first. He supports prohibiting new fossil fuel generation and creating microgrids for hurricane preparedness.
Fortified Roofs
Homeowners are struggling under the weight of rising insurance premiums. The city must match recent federal funding for fortified roofs. The state program is inadequate for the state, let alone New Orleans. In just 2024, 11,000 applicants applied to the state program with only 3,000 available grants. Also, the state must pass a mandatory reduction of insurance premiums for installing these stronger roofs.
Solar Grants
New Orleans residents pay high rates for electricity, but the region has plentiful sunny days. Jackson supports creating solar grants and loans to get systems installed on needy households. Solar power is a cheap and environmentally friendly way to reduce power consumption and save the environment. Also, the city should invest in large scale backup batteries to fortify the grid from power blackouts.
Sewerage and Water Board
Jackson advocates for more city council members being on the SWBNO Board of Supervisors. He supports a drainage fee on nonprofit property owners. Half of the city is owned by nonprofits, but they do not pay drainage fees. This lack of funding hobbles SWB’s ability to repair the aging water infrastructure throughout the city. Jackson will hold the construction division accountable for opening streets and never patching the roadway once work is completed.
Community Lighthouses
In conjunction with local nonprofits, community lighthouses exist throughout the East Bank to provide solar powered safe places after a hurricane. Jackson pledges to get three built in Algiers where there are currently none. There are several community centers that could accept solar power and backup batteries. The West Bank deserves the same facilities as across the river.