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We Aspire

Hazardous Waste Generation
NPDES Exceedances
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“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” – Leonardo da Vinci
“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”

Meeting the Challenge

Be the Cleanest Power Generator in America

We aspire to be the cleanest power generator in America – one that voluntarily adheres to greenhouse gas emission levels and conserves natural resources in as many ways as possible. Entergy is the second-cleanest utility generator among the top 10 U.S. generators, due largely to our portfolio of clean nuclear and natural gas generation resources. In 2001, we became the first U.S. utility to voluntarily commit to stabilize our greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2008, for the seventh year in a row, Entergy was named to the exclusive Dow Jones Sustainability Index, which recognizes the top 10 percent of the biggest 2,500 companies worldwide based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria. This year marks the third consecutive year we were the only U.S. utility listed on the World Index. Entergy was also named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for the fourth consecutive year, every year since its inception.

Our 2008 Environmental Performance

We execute against a comprehensive set of environmental initiatives every year to ensure we are responsible stewards of the natural resources that are impacted by our business. For 2008, key highlights of our environmental performance include:

  • Our cumulative CO2 emissions for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008 were 120.2 million tons, 6 percent better than our stabilization goal of 127.7 million tons. Our stabilization goal was established in the second voluntary commitment we made to stabilize our CO2 emissions from 2006 to 2010 at 20 percent below year 2000 levels. We continue to meet our cumulative emissions goal even as we continue to increase our electric production. Entergy prepares a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory annually and uses an independent, third-party auditor to verify our inventory.
  • We established an energy efficiency team responsible for implementing initiatives systemwide to reduce energy demand. In 2008, more than 22 different demand-side initiatives were identified and under development.
  • We joined with other investor-owned electric companies to form the Electric Utility Industry Sustainable Supply Chain Alliance, which is working with the Edison Electric Institute to improve the environmental performance of non-fuel suppliers. The Alliance is expected to engage suppliers to improve impacts on air emissions, water consumption, landfill reduction and energy efficiency.

Our comprehensive environmental strategy includes initiatives to stabilize CO2 emissions, restore coastal wetlands, promote energy efficiency, improve communities from an environmental perspective and encourage recycling. Further details on these initiatives as well as our efforts to build a clean generation portfolio can be found in this section of our sustainability report.

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Greenhouse Gas Commitment

Investing in Clean Generation Technologies

Entergy is the second-largest nuclear generation operator in the United States. We operate 11 units – both utility and non-utility – located in the Northeast, Midwest and South. We also manage the operations of the Cooper Nuclear Station in Nebraska under a service agreement.

Our team of managers, operators and engineers is focused first on the safety and security of our nuclear units and only after that is assured, on productivity improvements. Their dedication to operational excellence in 2008 resulted in the highest level of generating output from our non-utility nuclear fleet since Entergy took ownership of these assets.

In 2008, Entergy Arkansas, Inc. completed its acquisition of the Ouachita Power Facility and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C. completed its acquisition of the Calcasieu Generating Facility. Both are modern, efficient and flexible natural gas-fired generation resources located in Louisiana. They are just the latest example of our efforts to transform our utility generation portfolio by investing in clean and efficient technologies that can deliver reliable, affordable power to our customers.

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Stabilizing CO2 Emissions

In 2001, we made our first voluntary commitment to stabilize our CO2 emissions at year 2000 levels. We successfully completed that commitment in 2005 with emission levels that were 23 percent better than our target. Subsequently we made our second voluntary five-year commitment – this time to stabilize our CO2 emissions from 2006 through 2010 to 20 percent below year 2000 levels. From 2006 to 2008, we have performed better than our cumulative stabilization commitment. Since we made our first stabilization commitment in 2001, we have emitted 324.7 million tons of CO2, which is nearly 18 percent below our cumulative stabilization goal for the eight-year period.

We achieved this performance by taking a comprehensive approach to emissions stabilization. We pursue a variety of internal and external projects, including equipment upgrades, sustainable forestry initiatives and innovative emission reduction trades.

Entergy joined with 15 other companies in 2008 as a founding member of the American Carbon Registry, one of the largest online registries for voluntary and pre-compliance carbon markets in the United States. The registry will serve to provide transparency over ownership claims concerning emission reductions, support market transactions of verified emission reductions, record validated greenhouse gas emissions profiles and document the environmental integrity of registered greenhouse gas emissions.

We believe our eight-year track record of leading by example and stabilizing emissions makes Entergy a credible advocate for action on the climate change issue. In last year’s sustainability report, we presented guidelines we believe should shape U.S. carbon policy. Those guidelines are:

  • Take meaningful action now to slow, stop and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Use market forces intelligently – preferably a cap-and-trade system or carbon tax – to find the most efficient solutions.
  • Be realistic about carbon prices. We believe $50 per ton by the 2020 to 2025 timeframe is in the right range to encourage the development of clean generating technology.
  • Support research and development to develop a technology fix for existing coal plants.
  • Understand the social effects. We need to build in permanent low-income protection funded by CO2 allowance sales or CO2 tax revenues.

Throughout 2008, Entergy leaders met with leaders in industry, government and non-governmental organizations to present and explain our guidelines, and help shape the debate on carbon policy. In particular, we have attempted to highlight the importance of finding a technology fix for conventional coal plants, the single largest source of CO2 emissions worldwide. We believe that finding an affordable post-combustion, carbon-capture solution for conventional coal plants should be a central goal of U.S. research and development and policy-making action.

Our environmental strategies and efforts to address climate change have earned recognition from a number of distinguished environmental organizations. In addition to being named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, we were also named to the prestigious Climate Disclosure Leadership Index in 2008, the fifth consecutive year we have received this recognition, and the SAM Sustainability Yearbook, which recognizes the top 15 percent of companies in each sector worldwide.

Promoting Energy Efficiency

Promoting and facilitating efficient use of energy among our customers is essential to our sustainable development efforts. Energy efficiency initiatives can reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the generation of wasted energy and lower energy bills for customers, which is especially important for our low-income customers.

Recognizing the powerful benefits associated with energy efficiency, Entergy created an Energy Efficiency Task Force to identify initiatives that can reduce systemwide energy demand by a goal of 300 megawatts. To date, 22 initiatives have been identified and are under development.

In addition, our utilities continue their efforts to drive more efficient use of energy among customers.

  • Entergy Arkansas, Inc. offers residential energy efficiency programs focused on weatherization for energy-inefficient homes, encouraging the use of compact fluorescent lighting and time-of-use rate. For commercial, industrial and public entity customers, an energy efficiency solutions representative can help direct the customer to the best energy efficiency solution based on the their unique needs. Cash incentives are available to offset the cost of certain upgrades.
  • Entergy Mississippi, Inc. is proposing a First Step pilot program where employees will teach students, low-income and elderly customers how to assess energy usages in their homes or small businesses. While supplies last, Entergy Mississippi will send a weatherization kit – with weather stripping, caulking, a low-flow showerhead or compact fluorescent light bulb – to customers who complete an assessment.
  • Entergy New Orleans, Inc. launched a $2 million energy efficiency pilot program that lets customers choose from a list of certified insulation or heating, ventilating and air conditioning contractors on the Entergy New Orleans Web site to receive rebates for work such as insulating attics, sealing air ducts, reducing air leakage and modernizing heating and air-conditioning systems.
  • Entergy Texas, Inc. has invested $23.4 million from 2002 to 2008 in its Energy Efficiency program, which has achieved 38.1 MW of peak demand savings and over 127.878 MWh of energy savings. Entergy Texas also participates in energy efficiency efforts that specifically target low-income customers in order to reduce their energy consumption and the related economic burden. In addition, Entergy Texas assisted in weatherizing 3,318 homes for its low-income customers; distributed more than 91,000 compact fluorescent lights; distributed fans and energy-efficient air-conditioning units through its Beat the Heat program; and responded to more than 100,000 requests for energy conservation brochures and other educational material.

We also secured 13,500 pledges from Entergy employees and customers during our 2008 Change-a-Light campaign to replace at least one incandescent bulb for an energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulb. Since most participants pledged to replace multiple bulbs, the campaign is expected to result in approximately 35,000 bulbs being replaced. In addition, through the Change-a-Light campaign Entergy helped purchase 10,000 compact fluorescent bulbs, which are expected to reduce 1,200 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

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Restoring Coastal Wetlands

Our service territories, including our corporate headquarters and the homes of many of our customers and employees, lie along the U.S. Gulf Coast – an area susceptible to powerful hurricanes, massive flooding and the ongoing loss of wetlands. At Entergy, we recognize the urgency and importance of restoring coastal wetlands, which act as a natural buffer against a hurricane storm surge.

We are working with and have provided funding to Restore America’s Estuaries, a national alliance of community-based conservation organizations from the East, West and Gulf coasts. Its mission is to preserve the nation’s network of estuaries by protecting and restoring the lands and water essential to the richness and diversity of coastal life.

Supporting Recycling and Pollution Prevention

Recycling and pollution prevention are key elements of our comprehensive environmental strategy. We strive to reduce the impact that our operations – from our power generation plants to our corporate offices – have on the environment. In 2008, we took the following steps to recycle and reduce pollution:

  • We sold or recovered more than 18.4 million pounds of scrap material, reducing the quantity of scrap sent to landfills.
  • We recycled or sold more than 878,000 tons of coal ash, which is 91 percent of the amount we generated in 2008. Our ash-recycling rate is more than double the industry average. As a result, our local communities face lower risk from waste storage sites. When the ash is recycled in ready-mix concrete, roofing shingles and aggregate for road construction, it reduces the environmental impact associated with the production of these materials.
  • In 2008, we converted 423 tons of copy paper to 30 percent recycled-content paper, which resulted in 3,047 fewer trees used, 2,121 million BTUs less energy used and 267,688 pounds less of CO2 equivalent emissions. In addition, we started to promote the use of recycled paper for stationery, envelopes and business cards, which resulted in the use of 2,828 pounds of recycled-content paper.
  • We recycled 921 pounds of rechargeable batteries from 99 Entergy locations enrolled in Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation’s “Call2Recycle” program.
  • We generated 46.0 tons of hazardous waste compared to 62.3 tons generated in 2007, a decrease of more than 25 percent.
  • We had 17 NPDES exceedances, down more than 50 percent from 35 exceedances in 2007, and our compliance rate was 99.97 percent. Our proactive efforts to monitor key parameters in our plants continue to drive significant improvements in this area.
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Emissions From Entergy-Owned Generation
SO2
NOx
Hg
CO2
Note: Mercury emissions presented here were calculated using an EPA AP42 emission factor making the data consistent with the Annual Emission Inventory mercury mass emissions reported to state permitting agencies. Data from past sustainability reports used ICR emission rates. Mercury emissions from 2004 to 2008 have been restated here using an EPA AP42 emission factor for consistency.
Note: The CO2 emission numbers previously published for 2006, 2007 and 2008 were corrected as a result of a voluntary, third-party greenhouse gas inventory verification audit that was conducted in late 2008/early 2009. The audit revealed the need for revisions related to carbon footprint and ownership share adjustments.
Entergy Electric Production and Product Fossil Intensity
2008 Emissions Avoided Through Nuclear Generation
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The organizations that received Environmental Stewardship Grants in 2008 were:

Arkansas
Mid-American Science Museum
American Land Conservancy
City of Arkadelphia
University of Arkansas Cooperative
    Extension Service

Louisiana
Nature Conservancy
Louisiana State University Foundation
    on behalf of the LSU School of the Coast
    and Environment
City of Bogalusa
Trailblazer Resource Conservation and
    Development Area, Inc.
Louisiana Art and Science Museum, Inc.
Friends of a Studio in the Woods
Parkway Partners Program
St. Paul’s Episcopal School
University of New Orleans Pontchartrain
    Institute for Environmental Sciences
My House, Inc.
Middle School Advocates, Inc.

Massachusetts
Friends of Ellisville Marsh, Inc.
National Marine Life Center, Inc.
Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, Inc.
Town of Dennis
The Wildlands Trust of Southeastern
    Massachusetts
Michigan
Van Buren Conservation District

Mississippi
Mississippi Lower Delta Partnership
Mississippi Cultural Crossroads
Girl Scout Council of Middle Mississippi
Clinton Community Nature Center Association

New Hampshire
Clean Air Cool Planet, Inc.

New York
Research Foundation of City University of
    New York and Queens College of CUNY
Oswego Country Soil and Water
    Conservation District
Rocking the Boat, Inc.
Oswego County Sportsmen’s Foundation, Inc.
Historic Hudson Valley

Texas
Nature Conservancy
Big Thicket Association
Environmental Learning and
    Research Center, Inc.
Houston Advanced Research Center
Ice House Museum and Cultural Center, Inc.

Vermont
Northwoods Stewardship Center
Kids Saving The Planet
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