Biden pledges federal help for restoring power after Hurricane Ida

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden hosts a virtual briefing on Hurricane Ida with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and governors and mayors from states and cities impacted by the storm, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building’s South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington, U.S., August 30, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

U.S. President Joe Biden held a call with Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and the CEOs of two of the largest utilities in the Gulf Coast – Leo Denault of Entergy and Tom Fanning of Southern Co – on restoring power after Hurricane Ida.

Biden committed to giving them help from the federal government to expedite power restoration efforts in Louisiana and Mississippi, the White House said in a readout of the call.