Difference between revisions of "Entergy"

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==SourceWatch Resources==
 
==SourceWatch Resources==
 
*[[Clean and Safe Energy Coalition]]
 
*[[Clean and Safe Energy Coalition]]
 +
*[[Indian Point (Nuclear Power Station)]]
 +
*[[New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance]]
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*[[Nuclear Energy Institute]]
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*[[Patrick Moore on Nuclear Power]]
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*[[Potomac Communications Group]]
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*[[Quinn Gillespie & Associates]]
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*[[Vermont Energy Partnership]]
  
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==

Revision as of 21:33, 26 February 2007

Entergy describes itself as an "integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. ... Entergy delivers electricity to 2.6 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $10 billion and approximately 14,000 employees." [1] Entergy is also "the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States." [2]

Previous to naming itself "Entergy" in May 1989 -- a name the company describes as "a composite of the words 'enterprise,' 'energy' and 'synergy'" -- the company had done business as the Arkansas Light and Power Company, Mississippi Power and Light Company, Louisiana Power Company, Electric Power and Light Corporation, and Middle South Utilities, Inc. [3]

Companies

Companies within the Entergy corporate structure include: [4]

  • Entergy Arkansas
  • Entergy New Orleans
  • Entergy Louisiana
  • Entergy Mississippi
  • Entergy Texas
  • Entergy Nuclear

Entergy Nuclear

Entergy owns and operates 10 nuclear power plants: [5]

  • Arkansas Nuclear One Unit One and Unit Two - Russellville, Ark.
  • Grand Gulf Nuclear Station - Port Gibson, Miss.
  • River Bend - St. Francisville, La
  • Waterford 3 - Taft, La.
  • Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station - Plymouth, Mass.
  • James A. FitzPatrick - Oswego, N.Y.
  • Indian Point Energy Center Unit Two and Unit Three - Buchanan, N.Y.
  • Vermont Yankee - Vernon, Vt.

Entergy also "provides management support for the Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville, Neb." The company won a license extension for its Arkansas Nuclear One Unit One plant in 2001, allowing the plant to operate until 2034. The company's license renewal applications for its Vermont Yankee and Pilgrim nuclear plants are pending, as of February 2007. [6]

Entergy is promoting the expansion of nuclear power in the United States in various ways: [7]

[T]he company is among the leaders of the NuStart Energy Development consortium, which is working to get the nation’s first Construction and Operating License for a new nuclear reactor in three decades.
Entergy is also one of three U.S. nuclear operating companies that have applied for an early site permit (ESP), a preliminary permit designed to qualify a site for a new nuclear unit. Entergy’s application was judged complete in 2005 by the NRC’s (Nuclear Regulatory Commission's) review staff. Entergy is in line to be the first nuclear company in the nation to be granted an early site permit, qualifying Grand Gulf in Port Gibson, Miss., for a second nuclear unit. The NRC is scheduled to complete its review of Entergy’s ESP application and issue the permit in early 2007. Since all the site-specific engineering and environmental work involved in an early site permit is the initial section of a Construction and Operating License (COL), getting the ESP will give NuStart a head start in preparing a COL for the Grand Gulf site.

Perhaps with an eye towards its nuclear plant holdings, "Entergy has pledged to cap greenhouse gases by partnering with the Environmental Defense Fund." [8]

Lobbying

According to the Lobbyist.info online database (accessed February 26, 2007; sub req'd), Entergy's in-house lobbying staff include Trevin Dalton, Jerald V. Halvorsen, and Ann L. Pride. [9]

The company's outside lobbyists and consultants include EOP Group on budget and appropriations issues; KPMG on taxation; McGlotten & Jarvis on nuclear energy and safety / consumer issues; Daryl Owen Associates on nuclear power, taxation, and utility issues; Quinn Gillespie & Associates on banking; and Ryan, Phillips, Utrecht & MacKinnon on nuclear energy and environmental issues. [10]

Entergy spent $1,373,885 on lobbying in 2004, according to the Center for Public Integrity. Outside lobbying firms retained by Entergy since 1998 include the Palmetto Group, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, WPP Group, Fleishman-Hillard, David Sibley, Federalist Group (now Ogilvy Government Relations), Capitol Hill Consulting Group, KPMG, Darryl Owen Associates, National Environmental Strategies Company, McGlotten & Jarvis, Baker & Botts, Edward W. Rissing, and The Allbaugh Company. [11]

The company also runs a political action committee, headed by Trevin Dalton, the Entergy Corporation PAC (EnPAC). [12] According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Entergy gave $498,227 to federal candidates and parties during the 2004 election cycle (61% to Republicans), and $459,258 during the 2006 cycle (55% to Republicans). Most of the money was given through EnPAC. [13] [14] [15]

Public Relations

In May 2002, Jack O'Dwyer's Newsletter reported that "Burson-Marsteller is handling the public and media uproar over the safety of New York's Indian Point nuclear plant for the facility's owner Entergy Corp. ... The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in its annual review of the nation's 103 reactors released last month, gave the Indian Point 2 reactor its lowest performance rating. Larry Gottlieb, director of communications for New Orleans-based Entergy, said B-M was hired 'mainly for the Indian Point issues, but its work now includes handling the overall image of the company.'" [16]

The following year, Entergy "hired Giuliani Partners to counsel its northeast nuclear division on security and crisis management issues," reported Jack O'Dwyer's Newsletter, noting that "Burson-Marsteller [still] does PR for Entergy." [17]

In 1997, Entergy was one of five utility companies to form "TVA Watch" or "TVA Reform Alliance," a group critical of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The utilities' group hired the PR firm Dittus Communications, "to wage a campaign against TVA using, in some respects, incorrect and misleading statements and information," according to a complaint from then-TVA General Counsel Edward Christenbury. (Source: Kent Faulk, "TVA Urges Probe of Utility Group," Birmingham News (Alabama), April 17, 1997)

PR Awards

Entergy won "PR Campaign of the Year 2006" for "Surviving Hurricanes Katrina and Rita - the Communications Challenge of a Lifetime." In the wake of the hurricanes, "Entergy's corporate communications team" needed to highlight "its progress under intense media scrutiny, and "win the sympathy and patience of customers frustrated after living days or weeks without electricity," wrote PR Week. The company used "news releases, daily media updates, press conferences, and periodic briefings for government officials." For internal communications, Entergy set up "an information line ... with recorded messages, newsletters, e-mails, IEStormNet website, and EntergyRadio.com," as well as producing a video "to rally employees." [18]

In 2004, Entergy was a runner-up for the "Community Relations Campaign of the Year," for its campaign "Preparing for a Nuclear Plant Emergency: Community emergency planning for Indian Point on behalf of Entergy Corporation and government." The PR firm RF Binder Partners worked on the campaign for Entergy. [19] [20]

In 2001, Entergy was nominated for the Public Relations Society of America's Silver Anvil Award, for its campaign titled, "Entergy Ice Storm Outage Response: Heroes on Ice."

Executive Management

From the company's website (accessed February 26, 2007): [21]

Contact Information

Website: http://www.entergy.com
http://www.entergy-nuclear.com/

SourceWatch Resources

External Links

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