Aging Campus Power Grid Triggers Class Disruptions and Student Frustration at Southern University

Persistent electrical grid failures at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have caused severe disruptions to academic schedules and campus life, according to a report by Capital B. Students at the historically Black university have experienced frequent class cancellations, loss of basic services, and heat strain, leaving many frustrated over paying tuition and living expenses for unreliable infrastructure.

First-year pre-nursing student Cherie Allen told Capital B that power outages cost her more than a week of instruction during her first month on campus. Allen, an 18-year-old New York native who chose Southern to follow in the footsteps of her great-grandmother, described arriving early for a 9:30 a.m. class only to learn it was canceled due to a blackout without prior university notification. She explained that the ongoing disruptions have forced her to consider transferring, despite her deep family connection to the institution.

The university's infrastructure issues stem from decades of deferred maintenance and severe underfunding, according to school leaders and state officials cited by Capital B. Southern University Chancellor John Pierre estimated that repairing the campus electrical grid could cost nearly $60 million. Pierre noted that mid-October temperatures hovering around 90 degrees created extra strain on aging campus transformers. Although the university spent over $2 million on immediate transformer repairs, long-term solutions remain underfunded.

Capital B reported that Southern University operates as a single-metered campus connected to utility provider Entergy. Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis explained that because the entire Baton Rouge campus relies on a single meter and lacks an internal electrical department or diagnostic technology, identifying localized failures is extremely difficult. Lewis noted he helped secure over $9 million in energy efficiency funds for the school, but pointed out that the university had not previously requested legislative funding specifically for electrical infrastructure. Last year, Southern requested $19 million from state lawmakers for campus infrastructure, but received $6.6 million in one-time funding directed to other priorities.

Historically, Southern University has received significantly less state support per student compared to Louisiana State University, its predominantly white land-grant counterpart. Federal officials previously estimated that Southern was shortchanged by $1.12 billion in state funding between 1987 and 2020, capital that could have supported facility upgrades. Students like 25-year-old electrical engineering sophomore Rodney Anderson expressed frustration, telling Capital B that students who borrow money to attend college should at least be guaranteed electricity as a basic necessity.

Beyond academic delays, students have had to leave campus dormitories to find basic necessities like hot showers and air conditioning at off-campus homes during prolonged blackouts, student Sontee Myles told Capital B. While Chancellor Pierre stated that the university is working to repair campus Wi-Fi and minimize student impact, student frustration remains high. Community organizers, including Frederick Bell from the Alliance for Affordable Energy, suggested exploring alternative options such as a solar-powered microgrid to build long-term energy resilience on campus.