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T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
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F r i d ay, a p r i l 25, 2025
Land in St. Landry leased for wind farms
$2.00X
2025 LEGISLATURE
Bill revived to curb nursing home suits Legislation would shield management companies
BY ANDREA GALLO Staff writer
Louisiana’s nursing homes rank among the nation’s worst, clocking high rates of pressure sores, concerns about overprescription of antipsychotic medications and dire shortages of staff. But state lawmakers took the first step at a hearing Wednesday night in curtailing lawsuits against management companies for nursing homes — and other health care companies — who dictate their levels of staffing and spending. Senate Bill 134 from Sen. Thomas Pressly, RShreveport, would change the definition of health care provider in Louisiana, lumping in administrative, staffing and custodial services under the term. It would also expand the definition of malpractice to include administrative duties, staffing and care performed in a “supporting capacity.” The changes to the definitions are meant to prevent lawsuits citing administrative negligence against nursing home management companies,
ä See BILL, page 9A
PROVIDED PHOTO
Mississippi got its first wind farm last year, when AES began producing electricity at its 184-megawatt Delta wind project located on private property in Tunica County. According to public records, at least five utility-scale wind projects are in development in Louisiana.
At least five land-based projects are in development BY BLAKE PATERSON
Staff writer
Private wind developers are quietly inking lease agreements with landowners in parts of rural Louisiana for what could be the state’s first land-based wind farms, even as President Donald Trump takes aim at renewable energy projects in general and the wind industry in particular. According to public records, at least five utility-scale wind projects are in development in Louisiana. Two of those projects are based in St. Landry Parish in Acadiana. Three others are in Madison, Tensas and West Carroll parishes in the northeastern part of the state. As of yet, no wind turbines have been erected in Louisiana, and the projects are likely years away from coming online. But they signal a new wave of interest in wind development in Louisiana, made possible
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“Onshore wind is a readily deployable, utility-scale renewable energy resource that can help meet this existing demand by Louisiana businesses and attract new investments.” JENNy NETHERTON, senior program manager at the Southeastern Wind Coalition by taller turbines and technological advances that are allowing developers to access faster winds. St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard said landowners have signed lease agreements with two separate developers, AES Corporation, a Virginia-based power company that operates on four continents, and Toronto-based Cordelio Power, which has projects across Canada and the U.S. The wind farms could provide a new source
of revenue for both landowners and local governments, he said. They could also help attract new investments to Louisiana from industries that are transitioning away from planet-warming fossil fuels and toward renewable energy, economic development officials say. The deals come as the wind industry is facing an uncertain future. On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order temporarily halting offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and pausing the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for all wind projects. Last week, the Trump administration ordered construction to stop on a fully permitted offshore wind project in the Northeast that would provide power to half a million New York homes. The wind industry also relies
ä See WIND, page 9A
CAN YOU SOLVE THE BUDGET?
Everybody’s a critic when it comes to government. Especially taxes and spending. Now you can try to crack the riddle of Louisiana’s budget for yourself, playing both governor and Legislature.As the real officials gather at the State Capitol to debate raising or cutting taxes — and spending — you can do the same. Just go to solvethebudget.com and answer yes-or-no questions. The Solve the Budget feature is a collaboration among the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana,The Advocate|The Times-Picayune and the LSU Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs.
Business ...................10A Commentary ................7B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....4D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
Saturday, April 26th @2:30PM / Lee-Hines Stadium
SENIOR NIGHT ALL FOR SOUTHERN
100TH yEAR, NO. 299
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