Entergy
| File:Entergy logo.svg Entergy logo | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy |
| Founded | November 13, 1913 |
| Founder | Harvey C. Couch |
| Headquarters | New Orleans, Louisiana , United States |
Area served | Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas |
Key people | Wayne Leonard (CEO from 1998) |
| Products | Electric power generation and retail distribution |
Number of employees | 12,000+ |
| Website | entergy |
Entergy Corporation is a Fortune 500 energy conglomerate engaged in both electric power generation and retail distribution throughout the Deep South region of the United States. Based in New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy provides services to approximately 3 million customers across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The company manages around 24,000 megawatts of generating capacity, reports annual revenues near $11 billion, and employs a workforce exceeding 12,000 individuals.
History
The foundation of Entergy traces back to November 13, 1913, when Arkansas Power Company was established by Harvey C. Couch. Couch innovatively used sawdust from a lumber operation to bring electricity to rural parts of Arkansas. During the 1920s, he expanded his reach by consolidating four Mississippi electric firms into Mississippi Power and Light (1923) and founding Louisiana Power and Light (1925), which utilized natural gas resources from northern Louisiana.
At the same time, in 1922, the Electric Bond and Share Company (EBASCO), a subsidiary of General Electric under Sidney Z. Mitchell's leadership, merged various utilities to form New Orleans Public Service. In 1925, Mitchell joined forces with Couch to combine their enterprises into Electric Power and Light Corporation, with Couch assuming the presidency. This holding company governed Mississippi Power and Light, Louisiana Power and Light, New Orleans Public Service, and Arkansas Power and Light.
Following EBASCO’s defeat in a Supreme Court case concerning the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, it was dismantled in 1949. Subsequently, the four utilities were reorganized under Middle South Utilities, which later adopted the name Entergy in 1989. The company expanded its footprint by acquiring Gulf States Utilities based in Beaumont, Texas, on January 1, 1994.
During the late 1990s, Entergy sought to grow internationally by entering unregulated markets through acquisitions in Australia, Argentina, and the United Kingdom. Due to shareholder concerns, CEO Ed Lupberger was replaced by Wayne Leonard in 1998; Leonard then led efforts to divest these overseas assets.
Although headquartered continuously in New Orleans since its origins and through predecessor entities, Entergy temporarily relocated staff following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to locations such as Clinton, Mississippi, Little Rock, Arkansas, and The Woodlands, Texas. By April 2006, operations had returned to their New Orleans base.
In 2011, Entergy collaborated with Coulomb Technologies to provide complimentary electric vehicle charging stations at sixteen college campuses throughout the southern United States, starting with Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
After a Department of Justice inquiry into anti-competitive behavior, Entergy opted in 2013 to join the southern sector of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) rather than the Southwest Power Pool. This choice limited connectivity with other transmission organizations and thereby constrained access to lower-cost electricity for Entergy’s service territories. Operating as an integrated utility focused on power plant development tends to reduce incentives for expanding transmission infrastructure. Analysts observe that this strategy boosts corporate profits but results in higher expenses for consumers and diminished reliability—illustrated by rolling blackouts during Winter Storm Uri in 2021.
Subsidiaries
- Entergy Arkansas (previously known as Arkansas Power and Light Company (AP&L))
- Entergy Louisiana (formerly Louisiana Power and Light Company (LP&L))
- In 2015, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana (the former Louisiana branch of Gulf States Utilities (GSU)) was consolidated into Entergy Louisiana.
- Entergy New Orleans (formerly New Orleans Public Service, Inc. (NOPSI))
- Entergy Nuclear
- Entergy Mississippi (previously Mississippi Power and Light Company (MP&L))
- Entergy Texas (formerly the Texas operations of Gulf States Utilities (GSU))
Former subsidiary company logos
Prior to adopting the current Entergy emblem, each subsidiary featured unique logos. Following the transition from Middle South Utilities System to Entergy, a standardized logo was introduced across all entities.
Between 1967 and 1989, Louisiana Power and Light Company (now Entergy Louisiana) prominently displayed its logo on infrastructure and promotional materials. Other subsidiaries utilized similarly styled branding during that period.
Operations
Entergy provides service within southeastern Louisiana, including cities such as Lafayette and Baton Rouge; the majority of Arkansas; western regions of Mississippi; and portions of southeastern Texas, covering areas like Beaumont-Port Arthur-Orange and Conroe-Woodlands-Kingwood.
As a Fortune 500 company, Entergy owns and manages power generation facilities totaling roughly 30,000 megawatts of capacity, positioning it as the second-largest nuclear energy producer nationwide after Exelon. In 2010, the company reported revenues surpassing $11 billion and employed approximately 15,000 individuals.
The corporation’s activities are divided into two main segments: U.S. utility operations and non-utility nuclear services. The utility segment serves nearly 2.9 million customers spanning Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The nuclear segment owns six nuclear reactors and provided operational support to one additional facility:
- Michigan – Palisades Nuclear Generating Station (ceased operations in spring 2022)
- Arkansas – Arkansas Nuclear One Units 1 and 2
- Louisiana – River Bend and Waterford Nuclear Generating Stations
- Mississippi – Grand Gulf Nuclear Generating Station
- Nebraska – supported Cooper Nuclear Station until 2022
The nuclear division’s headquarters is located in Jackson, Mississippi.
Entergy runs more than 40 power plants fueled by natural gas, nuclear energy, coal, oil, and hydroelectric sources to meet the demands of its Gulf South customer base. Its transmission network distributes approximately 30,000 megawatts via over 15,700 miles of interconnected lines covering roughly 114,000 square miles.
Significantly, Entergy is the sole U.S. utility to have been included on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for nine consecutive years, demonstrating leadership in environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic performance within its industry. In 2008, it was recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Most Trustworthy Companies for excellence in governance and accounting transparency.
In 2010, the Vermont Senate passed a resolution preventing the Vermont Public Service Board from renewing the Vermont Yankee plant’s operating license for an additional 20 years. This measure did not impact ongoing operations but left room for possible future legislative reconsideration.
Entergy Texas
Entergy Texas functions as a wholly owned subsidiary initially created to prepare for deregulation in Texas. However, Entergy ultimately chose not to separate its Texas operations from the broader company network. Until 2012, its headquarters were located in Beaumont at the former Gulf States Utilities site; since then, operations have been relocated to The Woodlands.
New Orleans gas plant astroturf controversy
In 2018, Entergy New Orleans became embroiled in a dispute regarding its planned natural gas facility in East New Orleans. It was revealed that a subcontractor hired actors via Crowds on Demand to artificially generate public endorsement, resulting in allegations of astroturfing. Consequently, the New Orleans City Council imposed a $5 million penalty on Entergy New Orleans for this improper conduct.
See also
- Arkansas Power and Light Building, currently identified as the Entergy Building