Natchitoches Mayor Ronnie Williams Jr. addressed public questions about rising power bills at the Aug. 11 City Council meeting, explaining how changes in the wholesale energy market led the city to enter a new contract with the Louisiana Energy and Power Authority (LEPA).

Williams said the city’s longtime wholesale electricity provider, CLECO, made a “calculated decision” to exit the wholesale market, influenced by its pending sale and a shift toward prioritizing larger, more profitable customers, such as data centers. As a result, CLECO did not submit a bid to renew Natchitoches’ contract, which expired in June 2025.

In fall 2024, the city began seeking a new power supplier, bringing in Lafayette-based consultant Frank Ledoux to evaluate options. Four companies — Constellation, BP, Southwestern Electric, and LEPA — submitted bids. LEPA ultimately offered the most favorable long-term terms, even factoring in potential price swings from capacity market purchases.

“We voted to bring LEPA on to do our power at a certain rate,” Williams said. “Even after they went to market and those rates increased, those increased rates are still lower than the rest of the bids.”

While rates have risen since the city joined LEPA, Williams noted that they remain among the lowest in Louisiana, and in recent years Natchitoches has even recorded the lowest rates in the state. He emphasized that the latest increases were driven by market conditions rather than a city decision to raise rates.

Williams said Louisiana’s fast-growing data center industry has had an indirect effect on smaller municipalities like Natchitoches, as the state’s power supply is increasingly redirected toward large-scale, high-revenue customers. Although Natchitoches is not getting a data center, it still must purchase power at current market rates.

“If we still generated our own electricity, we wouldn’t be exposed to this vulnerability,” Williams said, adding that high maintenance costs forced the city to close its power plant years ago. He said the city will explore ways to reduce exposure to market volatility in future discussions with LEPA, including the possibility of local generation.

The meeting also covered economic development priorities. Several new business openings and expansions are underway in the retail and service sectors, reflecting confidence in the local economy despite nationwide uncertainty.

Infrastructure upgrades are a key part of the city’s growth strategy. Targeted improvements to water, sewer, and road systems are being made in areas identified for commercial expansion, with the goal of making development-ready sites more attractive to investors.

Tourism remains a major economic driver, and the city is working to improve visitor experiences through downtown enhancements and upcoming events designed to increase foot traffic for local businesses.

Workforce readiness is a priority and the city and the Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce are exploring partnerships with educational institutions to ensure residents are prepared for jobs in emerging industries.