Central Louisiana News

Yesterday afternoon, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) visited SLEMCO, the Southwest Louisiana Electric Membership Cooperation, at their headquarters in Lafayette. He met employees and thanked them for their work in maintaining Louisiana's electrical infrastructure.

“When a truck hits a light pole or a hurricane moves through a town, it’s crews from co-ops like SLEMCO that get the lights back on,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Their speed, thoroughness, and commitment provide relief to families and give them a reason to stay in Louisiana. They’re unsung but appreciated people who make our economy work.”

During his visit, Cassidy discussed hardening Louisiana’s electrical grid, an initiative supported by his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The IIJA included $65 billion to strengthen the grid and bolster American energy, with nearly $250 million allocated last October to the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources for an energy resilience initiative.

Cassidy is also an advocate for reliable, affordable energy produced in Louisiana. In July, he amended the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 to enhance America’s domestic energy supply. This included provisions from his Offshore Energy Security Act and LNG Security Act aimed at increasing offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf and expediting liquefied natural gas export permits.

Additionally, Cassidy addressed topics such as flood insurance, inflation, and dyslexia education with SLEMCO employees. Katherine Domingue, CEO and General Manager of SLEMCO, welcomed him.

“We appreciated Senator Cassidy’s visit immensely,” said Ms. Domingue. “Because SLEMCO is a leading electric utility provider in Louisiana, forging strong relationships with our elected officials in Washington is critical. Two-way communication between SLEMCO and lawmakers like Senator Cassidy is the best way we can make certain our customers are protected from industry challenges like grid reliability, grid cybersecurity and federal agency decisions that will directly affect their family budgets.”