From the article:

"Solar panels have blanketed the southern side of the roof of Thomas Koch's Fontainebleau area home since summer, but he wasn't able to harvest any electricity from them until early last month because of delays in getting a special meter activated.

The meter must pass muster with Entergy, the utility that ultimately stands to lose business from customers like Koch who switch to solar power."

"Koch is among the city's first homeowners to install a solar energy system to help power his house. Just 16 "net meters, " special electricity meters that allow property owners to sell power back to the utility, are in operation in the city, according to Entergy New Orleans Inc. Most have been installed since Jan. 1, 2008, when a lucrative state tax credit -- considered the nation's most generous solar incentive -- took effect."

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From the article:

"When renewable energy startup Free Flow Power Corp. was looking for a site to locate a branch office, the company's executives were torn between two locations: Baton Rouge and St. Louis.

The office needed to be close to the Mississippi River to oversee the company's future plan of placing underwater turbines in the river that would use the flow of the water to harness energy. Baton Rouge and St. Louis, executives thought, both seemed like reasonable places to locate the young workers the company intends to employ, said John Guidroz, Free Flow's director of project development."

"So far the site's founders, several local business owners, say they've persuaded four companies to either start a business in New Orleans or move a portion of it to the city. In addition to Free Flow Power, Startup New Orleans had a hand in steering to the city AudioSocket Inc., a Seattle-based independent music licensing firm; fashion company LiaMolly; and Jonathan Bender Enterprises, a real estate development, construction and property management firm."

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From the article:

"At a December 17th event hosted by Global Green, a small group of new local businesses came together to promote their individual companies as well as to promote the rise of sustainable business in New Orleans. “Sustainable Style: Green Gifts and Interiors” was one of a series of monthly panel discussions hosted by Global Green on issues related to sustainability and the rebuilding of New Orleans. This discussion had a special holiday theme and the businesses involved-- New Orleans Bamboo, Spruce Eco-Studio, Unique Products, Green by Design and Nica Naturals-- promoted their environmentally sustainable products as holiday gift ideas. The usual casual networking of business affairs ensued, but there was a distinct air of camaraderie and holiday cheer, and a deeper invested interest by all parties to work together to help make New Orleans a greener city."

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From the article:

"The massive power plant spill that inundated a town in eastern Tennessee with coal ash has local environmental groups redoubling their cries that Entergy Louisiana should seek alternatives to retrofitting a unit at its Little Gypsy plant in Montz to burn coal rather than natural gas.."

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From the article:

"Investigations done by USA Today show that many schoolchildren may be exposed to high levels of toxic chemicals and a number of the schools with the highest rankings can be found here in Louisiana."

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From the article:

"A federal court in a decision released Friday threw out a final rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that provided exemptions from the Clean Air Act for industrial facilities going through startup, shutdown or malfunction.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued the decision on a lawsuit filed by Earthjustice on behalf of several environmental groups including the Sierra Club, Environmental Integrity Project, Coalition for a Safe Environment, Friends of Hudson and the Louisiana Environmental Action Network."

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