NEW ORLEANS, LA (WGNO)– In efforts to improve the city’s power grid, Entergy New Orleans is upgrading the system and replacing underground transformers Downtown.

Entergy said the replacements are a proactive approach to ” increase the resiliency and reliability of the electrical system in the Central Business District”.

The new system includes network protectors and wired sensors and so that the communications center will be able to predict failures. As the system upgrades, built in alarms will alert communication systems so that crews can begin repairs as soon as possible.

The process of the replacement goes, old transformers must be lifted out of the ground by a large crane and the new one, along with the network protectors, are safely lowered below ground and connected to the grid by an underground crew.

Each transformer varies in sizes and weighs thousands of pounds.

Entergy said the replacements in the CBD and French Quarter will be difficult to plan and do because they are happening in populated areas and tight spaces. Barricades are built to protect work crews and to keep the public safe. NOPD officers will also be present for safety reasons.

In 2021,10 transformers were replaced by brand-new units, and 9 of the 15 transformer change-outs planned for this year, have already been completed.