Beginning next year, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources will go under a name change. DNR spokesperson Patrick Courreges said the state agency will be known as The Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources because it reflects how the agency’s role has expanded over the years. He said they oversee much more than oil and gas now.
“And we still do that, but we do more than that now. “You look at our efforts in hydrogen, and our partners that our agency is leading, with Oklahoma and Arkansas the Halo group,” said Courreges.
The department also oversees solar and wind energy projects.
Another reason for the name change is the agency’s application for federal funds from the US Department of Energy. Courreges said some of those federal funds are funneled through DNR for rebates on energy-efficient changes to homes.
“It seems important to make sure when we’re competing for these grants when we’re out there calling for Louisiana’s spot in it, that they understand yes we are basically the state version of the DOE,” said Courreges.
Another issue that prompted the name change, Courreges said DNR is often mistaken by those out of state as the wildlife agency for Louisiana.
“I get calls about fishing licenses, hunting licenses, and boat registrations pretty commonly because many, many other states their Department of Natural Resources does what our Department of Wildlife and Fisheries does,” said Courreges.
The name change will be official when the next governor is sworn-in in January because the department will have to update its letterhead and more at the same time.
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