Drafter 2-Senior - Nuclear

The US Energy Department has awarded Entergy $13.7 million in federal funding to enhance power delivery across Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The investment will support the deployment of advanced transmission technology across 1,125 miles of existing transmission lines. Through the DOE's SPARK programme, Entergy will implement dynamic line rating technology, targeted geographic surveys, and substation upgrades. The project aims to unlock at least a 25% increase in transfer capability on selected transmission corridors, with early modelling showing potential gains of 29% to 61% in available power capacity. The four-year initiative will help Entergy manage energy infrastructure in areas experiencing load growth from industrial development, manufacturing, and data centre expansion. The company serves more than 3 million customers through its operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

First benefits from data centers appear in Entergy Mississippi customer bills. By Editor | September 28, 2026 | New revenues from Mississippi data centers, like Amazon's, are a primary reason why Entergy Mississippi customers won't see their rates increase this summer. The Mississippi Public Service Commission recently approved a rate plan that keeps Entergy Mississippi's rates well below the national average and prevented what otherwise would have been a $4.87 per month increase in July, compared to June rates. Eliminating this increase is an early sign of how data centers are directly benefiting customers. It also represents the first of more than $2 billion in projected savings for Mississippi customers over the next two decades, thanks to Entergy's Fair Share Plus Pledge announced in March. As data center customers ramp up their operations, Entergy Mississippi expects to flow more benefits back to customers. For example, Entergy Mississippi recently filed for an additional $0.41 rate reduction that, if approved, would become effective in October. This decrease is related to the ad valorem tax adjustment and is due in part to data center revenue. Flattening rate increases helps offset increases in other areas, especially fuel that is tied to the price of natural gas. "At a time when our company is having to replace half-century old power plants to keep up with the energy needs of our almost half-million customers, these data center revenues are providing enormous benefits by covering much of those costs that our other customers would otherwise have had to bear alone," said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. "And while we also work to strengthen our power grid against more extreme Mississippi weather for the long term, data center revenues are making those investments more cost-friendly for our customers, too." Despite the significant costs required to generate power, maintain infrastructure and provide electrical service at a time of increased residential, commercial and industrial electricity demand, Entergy Mississippi's annual rate plan takes effect during the July billing cycle, offsetting those costs and keeping rates flat this summer, when customers' energy use is at its highest. Company officials say the plan also helps them to begin delivering their Superpower Mississippi cost-saving actions that provide customers with more and better power at a lower cost, including: - Cutting outages in half: The addition of new, large customers into the company's service area, such as Amazon, allows them to invest 50% more in reliability to help cut outages in half by 2030. These improvements come at no additional costs to customers. Approximately $18 million of the incremental $300 million for reliability projects that were announced last year was included and approved in the formula rate plan. - Modernizing their generation fleet: Entergy is building three combined cycle combustion turbine natural gas plants - in Greenville, Vicksburg and Ridgeland - with a combined capacity of over 2,100 megawatts. Accelerating the replacement of retired plants saves an estimated $1.3 billion in materials and equipment costs to build new power plants now, compared with building them on their original schedules. And modern natural gas plants are 40% more fuel efficient than older plants, allowing Entergy to bring cleaner and more cost-effective power generation to Mississippi. - Reducing projected bill impacts: The company's diverse generation portfolio gives them flexibility to lessen the impact on customers' bills if one fuel source spikes in price. By adding advanced power generation to their fleet, they expect to pass on to customers an estimated savings of $700 million in future fuel costs. Customers would have shouldered the costs to make these upgrades, but instead, expected bill increases will be lower than they otherwise would have been because Amazon and other large industrial customers are paying 100% of their own costs to be on the grid, plus bringing these added benefits for all customers. As the summer heat continues to rise, customers are reminded that bills are not only impacted by rates, but also energy usage. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, cooling costs can account for more than 20% of a typical household's electric bill during the year - and even more during Mississippi's hottest months. For tips on how to save money and energy, customers can visit billtoolkit.entergy.com/mississippi. "During these months of high temperatures, securing rate stability right now is perfect timing for our residential customers, when they need it most," Fisackerly said. "It is important to remember this has been a team effort. These benefits our customers will see on their power bills would not have been possible without Governor Reeves' help in recruiting one of the world's leading technology companies to our state, the Mississippi Legislature's review and approval of it, and the guidance and oversight of the Mississippi Public Service Commission," Fisackerly said.