Entergy and the Environment

On an emissions-per-megawatt-produced basis, Entergy is one of the cleanest utilities in the U.S. Direct carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from Entergy’s power plants are measured by continuous emissions monitors and are reported and verified in accordance with detailed federal quality assurance regulations. Entergy strives to continually lower its emissions profile from the electric generating fleet through nuclear uprates and gas turbine power development strategies.

• In 2001, Entergy partnered with Environmental Defense and became the first domestic utility to voluntarily enact a five-year plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 2000 levels. Entergy beat the original target by 23 percent while increasing sales 21 percent during the same period.

• In 2006, Entergy made a second commitment to stabilize CO2 emissions from its power plants and controllable purchased power at 20 percent below 2000 levels through 2010. Our cumulative CO2 emissions for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008 were 122.9 million tons, 4 percent better than our stabilization goal of 127.7 million. Since we made our first stabilization commitment in 2001, we have emitted 327.4 million tons of CO2, which is nearly 17 percent below our cumulative stabilization goal for the eight-year period.

Entergy’s service area is a prime example of the physical impacts of climate change. With predictions of rising sea-levels and increased hurricane ferocity, Louisiana is in the crosshairs of global climate change’s consequences.

• Entergy established a $25 million Environmental Initiatives Fund with 80 percent dedicated to changes in Entergy-owned assets and 20 percent for the purchase of CO2 offsets (e.g., agricultural projects, geologic sequestration or enhanced oil recovery).

• Through the EIF, Entergy has made capital improvements on its existing fossil fleet, including coal plants, to improve efficiency. Improvements include increasing production from non-emitting nuclear units through capacity up-rates and increasing capacity factors, and increasing production from more efficient, low-emitting combined cycle gas turbines and combined heat and power resources.