Utility Files Application with Public Utility Commission to Join MISO
Beaumont, Texas—Entergy Texas, Inc.
today took the next step toward fulfilling its plan for meeting the future power
needs of its customers, a plan projected to provide those customers with
millions of dollars in net cost savings.
The company filed a formal change of
control request with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), a key step
in its plan to join a regional transmission organization, the Midwest
Independent Transmission System Operator, or MISO. Entergy Texas projects net
cost savings up to $225 million over a ten-year period by joining MISO. The
savings are primarily the result of MISO’s large, more efficient marketplace.
“We spent more than two years
carefully reviewing and analyzing all of our options, culminating in our
determination that MISO membership would provide the greatest benefits to our
customers,” said Joe Domino, president and chief executive of Entergy Texas.
“For decades we’ve worked to plan for
the power needs of tomorrow while meeting the demands of today. The proposal to
join MISO is one that will allow us to serve our customers’ needs with enhanced
reliability and greater efficiency. MISO has world-class reliability tools and a
large, mature market that is expected to provide enhanced reliability and allow
for a more efficient commitment and dispatch of available generation resources.”
Entergy Texas is seeking to transfer
operational control of its transmission assets to MISO with a target
implementation date of December 2013. Under the proposed plan, MISO would assume
control of transmission planning, the commitment and dispatch of generation that
is offered into MISO’s markets, and congestion management. Under the MISO
proposal, Entergy Texas would retain ownership if its transmission and
generation facilities and would continue to be southeast Texas’ electricity
provider; among other functions, MISO would direct the commitment and dispatch
of generation offered into MISO’s markets and would administer transmission
service over Entergy Texas’ transmission facilities.
Domino said, “By joining MISO’s
efficient market, Entergy Texas is creating a more efficient electrical system
while enhancing reliability and affordability for our customers.” Initially
announced in April 2011, Entergy Texas’ decision to join MISO followed extensive
study of all available options to affordably and reliably meet the long-term
energy needs of its customers.
Entergy Texas, Inc. provides
electricity to more than 400,000 customers in 27 counties. It is a subsidiary of
Entergy Corporation. Entergy is an integrated energy company engaged primarily
in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns
and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric
generating capacity and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United
States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in
Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
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For a Frequently Asked Questions document, visit
http://entergy.com/rto/faq.pdf
For more information, Entergy’s online address is
www.entergy.com
Twitter: @EntergyTX
The Midwest
Independent Transmission System Operator is a non-profit 501(C)(4) organization
that ensures reliable operation of, and equal access to, interconnected,
high-voltage power lines in 12 U.S. states and the Canadian province of
Manitoba.
www.midwestiso.org.
In this news release, and from time to time, Entergy Corporation makes
certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Except to the extent required by the
federal securities laws, Entergy undertakes no obligation to publicly update or
revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise.
Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. There
are factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including (a) those
factors discussed in: (i) Entergy’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2010 and (ii) Entergy’s other reports and filings made under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, (b) uncertainties associated with rate proceedings,
formula rate plans and other cost recovery mechanisms, (c) uncertainties
associated with efforts to remediate the effects of major storms and recover
related restoration costs, (d) nuclear plant relicensing, operating and
regulatory risks, including any changes resulting from the nuclear crisis in
Japan following its catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, and (e) legislative and
regulatory actions, and conditions in commodity and capital markets during the
periods covered by the forward-looking statements, in addition to other factors
described elsewhere in this release and in subsequent securities filings.