About
Advancing Louisiana's
Energy Future
Enhancing power infrastructure and laying the foundation for statewide energy resilience through strategic investments.
With a $250 million investment from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program and matching funds from the State of Louisiana, HERO represents a generational opportunity to enhance the resiliency and reliability of energy transmission, storage, and distribution infrastructure throughout the state.
Louisiana: The Home of Energy Resilience
Louisiana is the heart of one of the most productive energy regions in the United States. Its abundant natural resources, legacy of energy leadership, and specialized workforce are the foundation of an energy economy designed to lead energy innovation and production.
These strengths, combined with the state's exposure to weather-related outages and increased demand for energy production and export, position Louisiana to deliver reliable, resilient, and secure energy across the state.
Louisiana’s Energy Advantage
- Competitive power environments driven by abundant generation and predictable access
- Access to one of the most capable and connected logistics platforms in the nation
- World-class workforce primed for investment and growth
- Industrial ecosystem designed to execute efficiently, manage costs, and sustain long-term needs
Program Structure
Federal Funding Authority
Match Funding Provider
Program Administrator
Program Advisors and Partners
Industry and subject matter experts- Energy providers and utilities
- Workforce and research institutions
- DOE National Laboratories
- Local organizations and government
Beneficiaries
Investments in Louisiana’s energy infrastructure benefit the public and private stakeholders who rely on resilient, abundant, and secure energy.
Program Approach
By improving grid resiliency and reliability through modernized power infrastructure, Louisiana will drive proactive energy innovation, strengthen critical and strategic assets, improve economic and social stability, and support national energy security priorities.
Resilience Projects
Resilience projects are designed to invest in the energy infrastructure that powers critical operations, strategic assets, and essential economic activity across Louisiana.
Integrated Energy Planning
Integrated Energy Planning (IEP) brings stakeholders together to identify opportunities to strengthen energy resilience, reduce risks of prolonged outages, and develop a replicable and scalable model for innovative, locally-supported energy planning.
The IEP process is expected to launch in 2026.
Program Progress
DOE Announces GRIP Funding
DOE committed $10.5 billion in funding for energy grid resiliency projects over a five-year period, the largest single direct investment in critical power infrastructure in U.S. history.
Louisiana Receives Funding Allocation
C&E was awarded $250 million in GRIP funds, matched by the State of Louisiana, resulting in $500 million in funding allocations to strengthen energy resilience and creating the Louisiana HERO Program.
C&E Partners with DOE
C&E finalized an agreement with DOE to formally administer the Louisiana HERO Program.
HERO Program Launches
C&E officially launched the Louisiana HERO Program, advancing the $500 million initiative to strengthen energy resilience across Louisiana.
HERO Pilot Hubs Identified
C&E identified the first set of HERO pilot hubs, selecting shovel-ready energy resiliency projects across Louisiana and soliciting federal grant applications from potential subrecipients.
First Funding Opportunity Opens
The Louisiana HERO Program, supported by C&E, launched a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to announce funding for Integrated Energy Planning (IEP), a robust local planning process to identify place-based opportunities to improve energy resiliency and potential areas of investment for future projects.
HERO Supports IEP Applications
C&E, hosted ten virtual webinars and regional meetings, offering resources and technical assistance to 100 stakeholders across the Acadiana, Bayou, Capital, Central, Northeast, Northwest, and Southwest regions of the state.
C&E closed the IEP NOFO on August 14, 2025, and the deadline for application submissions closed on October 17, 2025.
C&E Begins the Selection Process
C&E began the selection process for IEP and pilot project applications.
C&E Prepares to Implement the HERO Program
C&E delivered technical assistance to IEP and pilot project applicants to prepare applications for DOE submission, developed technical assistance materials to facilitate program implementation, and created the IEP Toolkit to support IEP planning efforts.
C&E also hosted an IEP Pre-Grant Agreement Webinar on January 22, 2026, providing applicants an overview of the IEP planning process requirements.