January 25, 2018, marked a historic day for the Mississippi Delta and for Entergy Mississippi. Early that morning, Entergyimploded the Delta Steam Electric Station.This generating plant in Cleveland had served our customers for more than half a century.
On Sunday, we will celebrate a birthday. It is not Entergy Mississippi’s birthday, but a very important birthday in the life of our company. The State of Mississippi celebrates its bicentennial on December 10. This 200thbirthday is a good time to reflect on the pain and progress of our past and celebrate the hopes and aspirations of our future.
Mississippi rates were second-lowest in thecountry
Deep in the woods, off the beaten path and nestled in a bend of the Mississippi River sits a remote place most Mississippians have never seen but that has helped them live, work and play every day for more than 30 years. It is one of our state’s greater success stories…but one that is rarely told.
For many of us, the holiday season is a time for festive gatherings with family and friends and a time to reflect on our blessings. However, for our vulnerable low-income elderly and disabled neighbors, the onset of the winter months can bring anxiety and hardships as those on fixed incomes struggle to afford electricity bills. The stress of this situation can lead to health dangers as well as safety issues.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, more than 300,000 Entergy Mississippi customers were in the dark. Power restoration took 11 days, engaged more than 4,200 linemen and support personnel and cost more than $89 million.
At Entergy Mississippi, we believe there are four key expectations Mississippians have for their electric utility companies:
Infrastructure can be a scary word.
Please allow me to share with you some good news about your power bill. While your own electricity usage is still the biggest driver in your bill, the rates that are set for the cost of that power are very important as well. Entergy Mississippi, Inc. recently announced its third rate reduction in 2015. With this latest reduction, our rates are now more than 22% below the national average – giving our customers some of the lowest electricity rates in the country (see chart).
It’s been almost five years since the flood of 2011. We are now in the midst of another flood watch, and the Mississippi, Big Black and Yazoo Rivers are set to crest next week. As the flood waters are predicted not to rise as high as they did in 2011, we don’t expect any major issues. However, we are prepared.