BATON ROUGE -  Entergy Louisiana is replacing wooden utility poles with steel ones across the Baton Rouge area as part of a broader effort to make the state's power grid more resilient.

The new steel poles are designed to withstand winds of up to 140 miles an hour. WBRZ crews saw the new poles up in Brightside and Scotlandville areas.

The work is part of Entergy's Capital Region Grid Resilience Program, launched in 2025. The program is part of the company's $1.9 billion, five-year plan that includes $400 million earmarked for the Baton Rouge area alone.

That investment is expected to cover upgrades to 730 miles of power lines and the replacement of 20,000 utility poles in the capital region.

Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis said the upgrades are critical as Louisiana deals with more frequent storms.

"As we're seeing stronger storms. Ice Storms. Hurricanes. Even random thunderstorms, it's important that we have the infrastructure that can withstand the new standards," Lewis said.

Lewis said Entergy determines which neighborhoods receive upgrades first based on factors such as reliability, storm risk, and infrastructure needs.

Some longtime Baton Rouge residents said they welcome the changes.

"With the hurricanes and high winds that we have, I think it's pretty good," said Willie Jones.

Lewis said he is pushing the Public Service Commission to pass a measure requiring all Louisiana energy providers to present upgrade plans every five years.

"What they are looking at, what new technology is being invested in, how those investments should be made, so no longer is it just going to be a one-off period. I'm hoping we pass this by the end of the year," said Lewis.

WBRZ reached out to Entergy for updated numbers on how many poles have already been replaced and which neighborhoods are next, but no one was available for an interview.