USGBC Louisiana 2017 Green Report Online

Energy Production
Louisiana energy production is dominated by fossil fuel
combustion with 48% coming from petroleum and 37%
from natural gas. Coal, nuclear, renewable sources, and
importation of electricity from out of state add 3 to 5%
each.
Renewable energy
Louisiana obtains less than 4% of its net electricity by
generation from renewable sources compared to 10%
nationally. Biomass is abundant in Louisiana, and
electricity generated from wood and wood waste accounts
for more than two-thirds of the state's renewable
generation. Hydroelectric power provides almost all of the
remaining renewable generation. Sugar cane waste, called
bagasse, and other agricultural residues can provide
additional biomass resources. Facilities to convert bagasse
into pellets for power plant fuel and other products are
being developed.
Louisiana has a small amount of distributed (customersited,
small-scale) solar photovoltaic (PV) generation,
which provided all of the state's solar electricity generation
in 2015. State tax credits for installation of distributed solar
systems, which were first available in 2008, are fully
subscribed and the program will end on mid 2017.
Louisiana has little wind potential. In 2013, the state
legislature repealed state tax credits for the development of
wind systems.
The Louisiana Public Service Commission initiated a
renewable energy pilot program in 2010 to determine
whether a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) was suitable
for the state. In 2013, the commission concluded that
Louisiana did not need a mandatory RPS. Louisiana has
other policies designed to encourage renewable energy
and energy efficiency, including voluntary electric utility
efficiency programs, energy standards for public buildings,
and net metering. Distributed installations of up to 25
kilowatts using solar PV, wind, biomass, and other
renewable technologies are eligible for utility net metering,
but total consumer capacity connected to the system is
limited to 0.5% of each utility's load. Because customer
demand for distributed connections has exceeded that
limit, the state is considering how to accommodate
additional distributed facilities.
Energy Use
The energy consumption is dominated by industrial users,
who account for 71% of the state total resulting in an
industrial consumption that is 6½ times the national per
capita average.
Residential and commercial energy usage is near the
national per capita averages. Per capita transportation
usage is about 60% above the national average.
Analysis by US Energy Information Administration