Community Solar enters next phase; Solar Captains hit the ground running

TNO news briefing, Liana Heath, August 29, 2026

There were smiles and sighs of relief at First Grace United Methodist Church Tuesday night as TNO’s Solar Captains gathered for the first time since a major piece of the Community solar puzzle fell into place.

Solar Captains Emily Riemer of St. Paul Lutheran Church (left) and Lynette D. Bates of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church (right) prepare for Community Solar sign-ups on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Photographs by Liana Heath.

Last week, the City Council approved consolidated billing, streamlining how people will see their Community Solar savings. TNO’s Nathalie Jordi shared another update with the crowd on Tuesday: TNO reached an interim agreement with Entergy New Orleans ensuring that subscribers to the Sisters of the Holy Family Community Solar project will see that same simple billing display “from Day 1,” even before the permanent system takes effect in March 2027.

Now, Solar Captains are hitting the ground running on the next phase for the Sisters’ solar project. Each captain is tasked with spearheading their institution’s sign-up campaign, launching in mid-September. They picked up flyers, planned announcements and deliberated on who they’ll recruit to their teams for the next phase.