The artificial intelligence revolution and the data centers needed to power it are frequent topics of interest in the media and with policymakers. During the past two years, Amazon Web Services and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, have both announced plans to locate data center campuses within Entergy’s service area, placing the Gulf South region and Entergy in the middle of this national conversation.
Entergy Mississippi President and CEO Haley Fisackerly participated in an Executive Conversation at the POLITICO Energy Summit and on a panel at the AWS Summit, both held recently in Washington, D.C. At the summits, he explained why the Gulf South region is attractive to companies, both in AI and beyond, the challenges in adding and serving large customers, how Entergy is meeting those challenges, and the ultimate benefits large companies bring to the communities and states they select.
Gulf South region poised for growth
Fisackerly outlined some of the attributes that attract companies to our region: waterways with strong port systems, an available workforce, shovel-ready sites and proximity to high-voltage transmission lines.
“When you’re talking about that much industrial growth, you’re talking about the infrastructure needed to support it, like transmission lines and natural gas lines,” said Fisackerly. “You add to that available workforce, available land, low-cost and clean energy and it’s the perfect recipe for the growth we’re seeing in the Gulf South area.”
Fisackerly also addressed the challenges that accompany growth, like building a smarter, more resilient energy grid and investing in cleaner generation. He pointed out that the growth helps pay for these infrastructure investments, which benefit all customers and highlighted some of those investments, including new combined cycle combustion turbine plants under construction that are 33% more efficient than the plants we currently operate.
These cleaner, more efficient and low-carbon emitting plants will help Entergy provide 24/7 reliable energy at a low cost to customers and enable retirement of older, less efficient plants. The plants will be capable for capturing and transporting carbon emissions for storage and co-firing with hydrogen as a fuel source.
“You are unlocking value that is going to serve all of our customers,” Fisackerly explained. “We’re retiring older legacy units and deploying new modern technology that’s cleaner. The enhancements we’re making to the transmission service… we’re able to upgrade to newer standards, more resilient standards that benefit all customers and improve services in the area.”
Opportunities, investments require stability in policies
Attracting large businesses to our region benefits the local communities in numerous ways, including providing increased tax revenue for local schools, roads, bridges, water and other infrastructure needs, along with high-paying jobs and philanthropic support for local non-profit organizations to provide services to families and children in need.
“We are facing the greatest opportunity, I believe, in our nation’s history with the growth here,” said Fisackerly. “Energy dominance and AI dominance are going to be the key to that growth. We can do this. As with any challenge that has been thrown at this country, we can meet it. What we need is to come together, share ideas and create stability in policies. I’m not fearful of AI. I’m excited about what it is going to enable us to do. We need to create the stability and the certainty so that we know where we can make investments and move forward.”
Following the summits, Fisackerly appeared on Energy Central’s Power Perspectives Podcast, where he discussed this transformative opportunity and what it means for Entergy customers.
