Company’s activities help strengthen communities, create jobs and boost the
economy
JACKSON, Miss. – Research of
Entergy’s activities in Mississippi paints a picture of an investor-owned
utility that not only lights up the homes and businesses of more than 400,000
Mississippians, but also lights up the entire state economy.
Entergy’s total economic impact in
Mississippi reaches almost $1 billion, and the low-cost electricity it provides
for customers helps encourage business growth and job creation.
“Entergy’s first priority is
providing safe, reliable and low-cost electricity for our customers,” said Haley
Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. “Our residential rates are 29
percent below the national average and 18 percent below the state average. Lower
rates not only allow our customers to have more available income for other
necessities like food and gasoline, but they also give Mississippi an advantage
in competing for economic development projects.”
Entergy is one of Mississippi’s
largest taxpayers, paying more than $100 million in state and local taxes, as
well as one of the largest private employers, with a workforce of 2,000 and an
annual payroll of $228 million.
Over the last five years, Entergy’s
construction projects in the state — building customer service centers,
upgrading distribution and transmission equipment and renovating facilities —
have yielded more than $972 million in economic impact. Entergy’s many
activities in Mississippi helped create an additional 4,000 indirect jobs,
further boosting payrolls and tax revenues.
“Each dollar spent by Entergy ripples
through the state economy, triggering employment, new income, production and
spending in virtually every industry sector,” said Michael D. Larsen, president
of Global Strategies, Inc., a Mississippi-based economic development and
organizational consulting firm.
At Entergy’s request, Global
Strategies, Inc. quantified the statewide economic impact of the utility’s
operations in Mississippi. Financial and operations data for the 2010 fiscal
year formed the primary-source information for the analysis.
Jackson serves as the national
headquarters for Entergy’s nuclear energy and transmission operations, which has
helped build the metro area into a hub for engineering talent from across the
country.
Entergy Mississippi also actively
supports and invests in community-based organizations, charities, events and
activities. In 2010, Entergy’s $2 million in philanthropy and community
investments in Mississippi created 60 jobs and made an economic impact of $4
million.
“Entergy can always be counted on to
provide leadership and resources that help build stronger communities,” said
Blake Wilson, president of the Mississippi Economic Council. “Over the years,
Entergy’s support has been a significant factor in statewide efforts to improve
education, economic development and quality-of-life issues that are crucial to
Mississippi’s future.”
Entergy Mississippi has invested
nearly $150 million in upgrades to its distribution and transmission system over
the last five years. An extensive power upgrade completed this year at its Grand
Gulf Nuclear Station in Port Gibson made the facility the largest single-unit
nuclear reactor in the country and a long-term source of safe, reliable and
emission-free energy for Mississippians.
Entergy Mississippi, Inc. provides
electricity to more than 435,000 customers in 45 counties. It is a subsidiary of
Entergy Corporation. Entergy Corporation 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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entergy-mississippi.com
Twitter: @EntergyMS
facebook.com/EntergyMS
