Lake Charles Cogeneration and Entergy are still talking — or are they?

Lake Charles Cogeneration and Entergy are still talking about synthetic gas. Or not, depending on whom you ask. After Entergy walked away from two years of negotiations to buy LCC’s fuel made from pet coke, the firms were expected to return to the table two months ago after the Louisiana Public Service Commission asked them to. They are now scheduled to report back in May. The two are at odds over the terms of the contract, which would require a 30-year purchase agreement from Entergy. Meanwhile, the City of Lake Charles is left wondering what the outcome might mean for the future of the $2 billion project. LCC Project Manager Doug Barba says negotiations continue, but that the matter has yet to be resolved. But Entergy spokesman Philip Allison says the company hasn’t had any communication from Lake Charles Cogen “since the LPSC staff sent them a letter outlining the issues that the Commission wanted them to address.” And what happens if the two sides can’t reach an agreement? To read the full story, click here. — Penny Font