ENTERGY CORP /DE/ (ETR)
SIC breadcrumb: Transportation, Communications, Electric, Gas, And Sanitary Services > Electric, Gas, And Sanitary Services > SIC 4911 Electric Services
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=65984. Latest filing source: 0000065984-26-000174.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 12,946,686,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-19 |
| Net income | 1,773,328,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-19 |
| Assets | 71,890,730,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-19 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-19. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000065984.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 10,745,650,000 | 11,487,577,000 | 11,229,073,000 | 10,302,079,000 | 13,764,237,000 | 12,147,412,000 | 11,879,653,000 | 12,946,686,000 | ||||||
| Net income | -564,503,000 | 425,353,000 | 862,555,000 | 1,258,244,000 | 1,406,653,000 | 1,118,719,000 | 1,097,138,000 | 2,362,310,000 | 1,061,184,000 | 1,773,328,000 | ||||
| Operating income | -815,231,000 | 1,360,407,000 | 469,365,000 | 1,390,497,000 | 1,769,195,000 | 1,845,626,000 | 2,050,775,000 | 2,617,975,000 | 2,651,090,000 | 3,202,278,000 | ||||
| Diluted EPS | -3.26 | 2.28 | 4.63 | 6.30 | 6.90 | 5.54 | 2.68 | 5.55 | 2.45 | 3.91 | ||||
| Operating cash flow | 2,998,699,000 | 2,623,500,000 | 2,385,247,000 | 2,816,627,000 | 2,689,866,000 | 2,300,713,000 | 2,585,490,000 | 4,294,328,000 | 4,488,510,000 | 5,150,651,000 | ||||
| Capital expenditures | 5,065,126,000 | 4,440,652,000 | 4,838,339,000 | 7,684,922,000 | ||||||||||
| Dividends paid | 611,835,000 | 628,885,000 | 647,704,000 | 711,573,000 | 748,342,000 | 775,122,000 | 841,677,000 | 918,193,000 | 981,659,000 | 1,074,151,000 | ||||
| Assets | 45,904,434,000 | 46,707,149,000 | 48,275,066,000 | 51,723,912,000 | 58,239,212,000 | 59,454,242,000 | 58,595,191,000 | 59,703,396,000 | 64,790,032,000 | 71,890,730,000 | ||||
| Stockholders' equity | 8,081,809,000 | 7,992,515,000 | 8,844,305,000 | 10,223,675,000 | 10,926,142,000 | 11,637,284,000 | 12,966,985,000 | 14,622,647,000 | 15,083,908,000 | 16,923,076,000 | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 1,187,844,000 | 781,273,000 | 480,975,000 | 425,722,000 | 1,759,099,000 | 442,559,000 | 224,164,000 | 132,548,000 | 859,703,000 | 1,928,916,000 | ||||
| Free cash flow | -2,479,636,000 | -146,324,000 | -349,829,000 | -2,534,271,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 7.97% | 19.45% | 8.93% | 13.70% | ||||||||||
| Operating margin | 14.90% | 21.55% | 22.32% | 24.73% | ||||||||||
| Return on equity | -6.98% | 5.32% | 9.75% | 12.31% | 12.87% | 9.61% | 8.46% | 16.16% | 7.04% | 10.48% | ||||
| Return on assets | -1.23% | 0.91% | 1.79% | 2.43% | 2.42% | 1.88% | 1.87% | 3.96% | 1.64% | 2.47% | ||||
| Current ratio | 1.15 | 0.65 | 0.54 | 0.54 | 0.65 | 0.59 | 0.64 | 0.57 | 0.72 | 0.74 |
Financial Charts
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-05-01. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000065984.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-Q1 | 2017-03-31 | 2,588,458,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2017-Q2 | 2017-06-30 | 2,618,550,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2017-Q3 | 2017-09-30 | 3,243,628,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2018-Q1 | 2018-03-31 | 2,723,881,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2018-Q2 | 2018-06-30 | 2,668,770,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2022-Q2 | 2022-06-30 | 0.78 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | 2.74 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | 1.47 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-03-31 | 312,299,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | 1.84 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-06-30 | 392,014,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 3.14 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 988,284,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | ||
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 76,536,000 | 0.35 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-03-31 | 76,536,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 0.23 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-06-30 | 51,732,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 3,389,100,000 | 2.99 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 2,742,305,000 | 287,162,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 2,846,874,000 | 362,422,000 | 0.82 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-03-31 | 362,422,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 3,328,849,000 | 1.05 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-06-30 | 471,954,000 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 3,812,019,000 | 1.53 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 2,958,944,000 | 240,528,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 3,187,626,000 | 390,805,000 | 0.83 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0000065984-26-000222.
Results of Operations
First Quarter 2026 Compared to First Quarter 2025
Following are income statement variances for Utility, Parent & Other, and Entergy comparing the first quarter 2026 to the first quarter 2025 showing how much the line item increased or (decreased) in comparison to the prior period.
| Utility | Parent & Other (a) | Entergy | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Thousands) | ||||||||
| 2025 Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Entergy Corporation | $489,879 | ($129,119) | $360,760 | |||||
| Operating revenues | 340,676 | 76 | 340,752 | |||||
| Fuel, fuel-related expenses, and gas purchased for resale | 266,312 | 990 | 267,302 | |||||
| Purchased power | 16,421 | 876 | 17,297 | |||||
| Other regulatory charges (credits) - net | 136,142 | — | 136,142 | |||||
| Other operation and maintenance | (32) | 930 | 898 | |||||
| Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges | — | 18,059 | 18,059 | |||||
| Taxes other than income taxes | 7,842 | (83) | 7,759 | |||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 27,293 | (107) | 27,186 | |||||
| Other income (deductions) | 194,694 | (731) | 193,963 | |||||
| Interest expense | 35,934 | 14,015 | 49,949 | |||||
| Other expenses | (6,016) | 7 | (6,009) | |||||
| Income taxes | (2,869) | (9,382) | (12,251) | |||||
| Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries and noncontrolling interests | 4,227 | — | 4,227 | |||||
| 2026 Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Entergy Corporation | $539,995 | ($155,079) | $384,916 |
(a)Parent & Other includes eliminations, which are primarily intersegment activity.
Operating Revenues
Utility
Following is an analysis of the change in operating revenues comparing the first quarter 2026 to the first quarter 2025:
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |
| 2025 operating revenues | $2,830 |
| Fuel, rider, and other revenues that do not significantly affect net income | 330 |
| Retail electric price | 57 |
| Return on construction work in progress for certain utility plant investments | 30 |
| Volume/weather | (5) |
| Effect of sale of natural gas distribution businesses | (72) |
| 2026 operating revenues | $3,170 |
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Table of Contents
Entergy Corporation and Subsidiaries
Management’s Financial Discussion and Analysis
The Utility operating companies’ results include revenues from rate mechanisms designed to recover fuel, purchased power, and other costs such that the revenues and expenses associated with these items generally offset and do not affect net income. “Fuel, rider, and other revenues that do not significantly affect net income” includes the revenue variance associated with these items.
The retail electric price variance is primarily due to:
•an increase in Entergy Arkansas’s formula rate plan rates effective January 2026;
•increases in Entergy Louisiana’s resilience plan cost recovery rider effective March 2025 and March 2026;
•an increase in Entergy Mississippi’s formula rate plan rates resulting from an increase in interim facilities rate adjustment revenues effective January 2026; and
•increases in Entergy Texas’s distribution cost recovery factor rider effective June 2025 and December 2025.
See Note 2 to the financial statements herein and in the Form 10-K for discussion of the regulatory proceedings discussed above.
The return on construction work in progress for certain utility plant investments variance represents the revenue related to the amortization of certain customer advances designed to provide a return on investment in construction work in progress for certain utility plant investments, which is recognized as the related costs are incurred.
The volume/weather variance is primarily due to the effect of less favorable weather on residential sales, substantially offset by an increase in industrial usage. The increase in industrial usage is primarily due to an increase in demand from large industrial customers, primarily in the data center, primary metals, and transportation industries.
The effect of sale of natural gas distribution businesses variance represents the decrease in operating revenues resulting from the absence of natural gas revenues at Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans following the sale of the Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans natural gas distribution businesses on July 1, 2025. The decrease in natural gas operating revenues is substantially offset in net income by the absence of operating expenses related to the Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans natural gas distribution businesses following the sale. See Note 14 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for discussion of the sale of the Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans natural gas distribution businesses on July 1, 2025.
Total electric energy sales for Utility for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 are as follows:
| 2026 | 2025 | % Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (GWh) | |||||||
| Residential | 8,057 | 8,784 | (8) | ||||
| Commercial | 6,230 | 6,243 | — | ||||
| Industrial | 15,895 | 13,833 | 15 | ||||
| Governmental | 555 | 560 | (1) | ||||
| Total retail | 30,737 | 29,420 | 4 | ||||
| Sales for resale | 2,789 | 1,634 | 71 | ||||
| Total | 33,526 | 31,054 | 8 |
See Note 12 to the financial statements herein for additional discussion of operating revenues.
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Table of Contents
Entergy Corporation and Subsidiaries
Management’s Financial Discussion and Analysis
Other Income Statement Items
Utility
Other operation and maintenance expenses decreased slightly comparing the first quarter 2026 to the first quarter 2025 primarily due to a decrease of $17 million in insurance expenses primarily due to higher nuclear insurance refunds and a decrease of $12 million in loss provisions. The decrease was substantially offset by an increase of $13 million in power delivery expenses primarily due to increased contract labor costs and an increase of $11 million in compensation and benefits costs primarily due to a revision to estimated incentive-based compensation expense in first quarter 2025.
Depreciation and amortization expenses increased primarily due to additions to plant in service, an increase in FERC jurisdictional depreciation rates at Entergy Arkansas and Entergy Louisiana effective January 2026, and an increase in nuclear depreciation rates at Entergy Louisiana effective September 2025 in accordance with the global stipulated settlement agreement approved by the LPSC in August 2024. See Note 2 to the financial statements in the Form 10-K for discussion of the Entergy Louisiana global stipulated settlement agreement.
Entergy records a regulatory charge or credit for the difference between asset retirement obligation-related expenses and nuclear decommissioning trust earnings plus asset retirement obligation-related costs collected in revenue.
Other income increased primarily due to changes in decommissioning trust fund activity, including portfolio rebalancing of decommissioning trust funds in first quarter 2026.
Interest expense increased primarily due to:
•the issuance by Entergy Arkansas of $300 million of 5.45% Series mortgage bonds in May 2025;
•the issuances by Entergy Arkansas of $500 million of 5.75% Series mortgage bonds and $500 million of 4.95% Series mortgage bonds, each in January 2026;
•the issuances by Entergy Louisiana of $750 million of 5.65% Series mortgage bonds and $750 million of 4.90% Series mortgage bonds, each in February 2026;
•the issuance by Entergy Mississippi of $600 million of 5.80% Series mortgage bonds in March 2025;
•the issuance by Entergy Texas of $500 million of 5.25% Series mortgage bonds in February 2025;
•an increase of $8 million in carrying costs on customer advances, including customer advances for construction; and
•$8 million in carrying costs in first quarter 2026 on retained net proceeds from the monetization of nuclear production tax credits.
The increase was partially offset by the repayment by Entergy Louisiana of $250 million of 4.44% Series mortgage bonds in January 2026.
Parent and Other
Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges includes an $18 million non-cash impairment charge recognized in first quarter 2026 related to the sale of the non-utility operations businesses’ interest in the Independence power plant in April 2026.
Interest expense increased primarily due to the issuances of junior subordinated debentures totaling $1.3 billion in November 2025.
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Table of Contents
Entergy Corporation and Subsidiaries
Management’s Financial Discussion and Analysis
Income Taxes
The effective income tax rate was 18.3% for the first quarter 2026. The difference in the effective income tax rate for the first quarter 2026 versus the federal statutory rate of 21% was primarily due to the amortization of excess accumulated deferred income taxes, certain book and tax differences related to utility plant items, and book and tax differences related to the allowance for equity funds used during construction, partially offset by the accrual for state income taxes.
The effective income tax rate was 21.6% for the first quarter 2025. The difference in the effective income tax rate for the first quarter 2025 versus the federal statutory rate of 21% was primarily due to the accrual for state income taxes, partially offset by certain book and tax differences related to utility plant items and book and tax differences related to the allowance for equity funds used during construction.
Income Tax Legislation and Regulation
See “MANAGEMENT’S FINANCIAL DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS - Income Tax Legislation and Regulation” in the Form 10-K for discussion of income tax legislation and regulation.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
See “MANAGEMENT’S FINANCIAL DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS - Liquidity and Capital Resources” in the Form 10-K for a discussion of Entergy’s capital structure, capital spending plans and other uses of capital, and sources of capital.
Capital Structure and Resources
Entergy’s debt to capital ratio is shown in the following table. The increase in the debt to capital ratio for Entergy Corporation is primarily due to the net issuance of long-term debt in 2026.
| March 31, 2026 | December 31, 2025 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt to capital | 65.9 | % | 64.3 | % | |
| Effect of excluding securitization bonds | (0.2 | %) | (0.2 | %) | |
| Debt to capital, excluding securitization bonds (non-GAAP) (a) | 65.8 | % | 64.1 | % | |
| Effect of subtracting cash | (1.2 | %) | (1.5 | %) | |
| Net debt to net capital, excluding securitization bonds (non-GAAP) (a) | 63.2 | % | 62.6 | % |
(a)Calculation excludes the Texas securitization bonds, which are non-recourse to Entergy Texas.
As of March 31, 2026, 20.7% of the debt outstanding is at the parent company, Entergy Corporation, and 79.3% is at the Utility segment. Net debt consists of debt less cash and cash equivalents. Debt consists of notes payable and commercial paper, finance lease obligations, and long-term debt, including the currently maturing portion. Capital consists of debt, equity, and subsidiaries’ preferred stock without sinking fund. Net capital consists of capital less cash and cash equivalents. The debt to capital ratio excluding securitization bonds and net debt to net capital ratio excluding securitization bonds are non-GAAP measures. Entergy uses the debt to capital ratios excluding securitization bonds in analyzing its financial condition and believes they provide useful information to its investors and creditors in evaluating Entergy’s financial condition because the securitization bonds are non-recourse to Entergy, as more fully described in Note 5 to the financial statements in the Form 1
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
Results of Operations
2025 Compared to 2024
Following are income statement variances for Utility, Parent & Other, and Entergy comparing 2025 to 2024 showing how much the line item increased or (decreased) in comparison to the prior period.
| Utility | Parent & Other (a) | Entergy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Thousands) | |||||||
| 2024 Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Entergy Corporation | $1,826,704 | ($771,114) | $1,055,590 | ||||
| Operating revenues | 1,082,119 | (15,086) | 1,067,033 | ||||
| Fuel, fuel-related expenses, and gas purchased for resale | 123,876 | (21,347) | 102,529 | ||||
| Purchased power | 421,069 | (19,307) | 401,762 | ||||
| Other regulatory charges (credits) - net | (155,413) | — | (155,413) | ||||
| Other operation and maintenance | 161,835 | (4,975) | 156,860 | ||||
| Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges (credits) | (118,980) | 24,641 | (94,339) | ||||
| Taxes other than income taxes | 65,496 | 220 | 65,716 | ||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 64,309 | 215 | 64,524 | ||||
| Other income (deductions) | 138,047 | 325,665 | 463,712 | ||||
| Interest expense | 186,062 | (231) | 185,831 | ||||
| Other expenses | (25,970) | 176 | (25,794) | ||||
| Income taxes | 35,607 | 81,318 | 116,925 | ||||
| Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries and noncontrolling interests | 9,462 | — | 9,462 | ||||
| 2025 Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Entergy Corporation | $2,279,517 | ($521,245) | $1,758,272 |
(a)Parent & Other includes eliminations, which are primarily intersegment activity.
Results of operations for 2024 include: (1) a $320 million ($253 million net-of-tax) settlement charge, reflected in Parent & Other above, recognized as a result of a group annuity contract purchased in 2024 to settle certain pension liabilities; (2) expenses of $151 million ($112 million net-of-tax), recorded at Utility in second quarter 2024, primarily consisting of regulatory charges to reflect the effects of an agreement in principle between Entergy Louisiana and the LPSC staff and the intervenors in July 2024 to renew Entergy Louisiana’s formula rate plan and resolve a number of other retail dockets and matters, including all formula rate plan test years prior to 2023; (3) a $132 million ($97 million net-of-tax) charge, recorded at Utility, to reflect the write-off of a previously recorded regulatory asset as a result of an adverse decision in the Entergy Arkansas opportunity sales proceeding in March 2024; and (4) a $78 million ($57 million net-of-tax) regulatory charge, recorded at Utility in first quarter 2024, primarily to reflect a settlement in principle between Entergy New Orleans and the City Council in April 2024 for additional sharing with customers of income tax benefits from the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit. See Note 11 to the financial statements for discussion of the group annuity contract and settlement charge. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Louisiana agreement in principle and the subsequently filed global stipulated settlement agreement. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Arkansas opportunity sales proceeding. See Note 3 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy New Orleans April 2024 settlement in principle and discussion of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit.
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Table of Contents
Entergy Corporation and Subsidiaries
Management’s Financial Discussion and Analysis
Operating Revenues
Utility
Following is an analysis of the change in operating revenues comparing 2025 to 2024:
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |
| 2024 operating revenues | $11,806 |
| Fuel, rider, and other revenues that do not significantly affect net income | 620 |
| Volume/weather | 235 |
| Retail electric price | 164 |
| Retail one-time bill credit | 92 |
| Return on construction work in progress for certain utility plant investments | 48 |
| Effect of sale of natural gas distribution businesses | (77) |
| 2025 operating revenues | $12,888 |
The Utility operating companies’ results include revenues from rate mechanisms designed to recover fuel, purchased power, and other costs such that the revenues and expenses associated with these items generally offset and do not affect net income. “Fuel, rider, and other revenues that do not significantly affect net income” includes the revenue variance associated with these items.
The volume/weather variance is primarily due to an increase in industrial usage and the effect of more favorable weather on residential sales. The increase in industrial usage is primarily due to an increase in demand from large industrial customers, primarily in the primary metals, petroleum refining, chlor-alkali, and technology industries.
The retail electric price variance is primarily due to:
•an increase in Entergy Arkansas’s formula rate plan rates effective January 2025;
•a decrease in Entergy Louisiana’s formula rate plan revenues for a two month period beginning in September 2025, resulting from earnings above the authorized return on common equity for the 2024 test year, partially offset by increases in Entergy Louisiana’s formula rate plan revenues, including an increase in the distribution recovery mechanism, effective September 2024;
•increases in Entergy Mississippi’s formula rate plan rates effective April 2024 and July 2024 and an increase in Entergy Mississippi’s formula rate plan rates resulting from an increase in interim facilities rate adjustment revenues effective January 2025; and
•the implementation of the distribution cost recovery factor rider effective with the first billing cycle in October 2024 and increases in the distribution cost recovery factor rider effective in December 2024 and June 2025, each at Entergy Texas.
See Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of the regulatory proceedings discussed above.
The retail one-time bill credit variance represents the disbursement of settlement proceeds in the form of a one-time bill credit provided to Entergy Arkansas’s retail customers during the August 2024 billing cycle through the Grand Gulf credit rider as a result of the System Energy settlement with the APSC. There is no effect on net income because Entergy previously recorded a regulatory liability at the time of the global black box settlement reached between System Energy and the MPSC in June 2022. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion
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Table of Contents
Entergy Corporation and Subsidiaries
Management’s Financial Discussion and Analysis
of the System Energy settlements with the APSC and the MPSC and discussion of Entergy Arkansas’s Grand Gulf credit rider.
The return on construction work in progress for certain utility plant investments variance represents the revenue related to the amortization of certain customer advances designed to provide a return on investment in construction work in progress for certain utility plant investments, which is recognized as the related costs are incurred.
The effect of sale of natural gas distribution businesses variance represents the decrease in operating revenues resulting from the absence of natural gas revenues at Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans following the sale of the Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans natural gas distribution businesses on July 1, 2025. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the sale of the Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans natural gas distribution businesses on July 1, 2025.
Total electric energy sales for Utility for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 are as follows:
| 2025 | 2024 | % Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (GWh) | |||||||
| Residential | 37,177 | 36,039 | 3 | ||||
| Commercial | 28,463 | 28,251 | 1 | ||||
| Industrial | 60,882 | 57,081 | 7 | ||||
| Governmental | 2,438 | 2,480 | (2) | ||||
| Total retail | 128,960 | 123,851 | 4 | ||||
| Sales for resale | 12,997 | 14,010 | (7) | ||||
| Total | 141,957 | 137,861 | 3 |
See Note 19 to the financial statements for additional discussion of operating revenues.
Other Income Statement Items
Utility
Purchased power includes an increase in 2025 of $34 million in costs, at Entergy Texas, related to the procurement of capacity through MISO’s annual planning resource auction, including the effect of a significant increase in MISO’s seasonal auction clearing price, due in part to the implementation of a reliability-based demand curve, for capacity transactions during the summer months. Although Entergy Texas does not have the ability to recover its MISO capacity costs incurred to date beyond the level included in base rates, in June 2025, Texas legislation established a capacity cost recovery rider mechanism that would allow for the recovery of costs related to the procurement of capacity through MISO’s annual planning resource auction outside of base rates, through a rider that is updated annually. Entergy Texas plans in second quarter 2026 to file for such a rider to recover future capacity procurement costs.
Other operation and maintenance expenses increased from $2,851 million for 2024 to $3,013 million for 2025 primarily due to:
•an increase of $76 million in power delivery expenses primarily due to higher vegetation maintenance costs;
•an increase of $33 million in loss provisions;
•an increase of $31 million in bad debt expense;
•an increase of $29 million in non-nuclear generation expenses primarily due to a higher scope of work performed during plant outages in 2025 as compared to 2024;
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•an increase of $12 million in transmission costs allocated by MISO. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the recovery of these costs;
•the expensing of $11 million at Entergy Louisiana of project costs associated with the Bayou Power Station project following Entergy Louisiana’s election in third quarter 2025 to cancel the project and evaluate an alternative transmission solution. See “MANAGEMENT’S FINANCIAL DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS - Liquidity and Capital Resources” below for discussion of Entergy Louisiana’s Bayou Power Station project; and
•several individually insignificant items.
The increase was partially offset by:
•contract costs of $47 million in 2024 related to operational performance, customer service, and organizational health initiatives;
•a $15 million gain resulting from the sale of the Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans natural gas distribution businesses on July 1, 2025, which included the derecognition of $7 million of goodwill attributed to the businesses sold; and
•a decrease of $11 million in gas operation expenses resulting from the absence of expenses following the sale of the Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans natural gas distribution businesses on July 1, 2025.
See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the sale of the Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans natural gas distribution businesses on July 1, 2025.
Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges (credits) includes:
•a $132 million charge, recorded in first quarter 2024 at Entergy Arkansas, to reflect the write-off of a previously recorded regulatory asset as a result of an adverse decision in the Entergy Arkansas opportunity sales proceeding in March 2024. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Arkansas opportunity sales proceeding; and
•a $13 million charge, recorded in third quarter 2025 at Entergy New Orleans, to reflect the write-off of retained natural gas plant assets that were not included in the sale of Entergy New Orleans’s natural gas distribution business on July 1, 2025, and which will not be recovered. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the sale of Entergy New Orleans’s natural gas distribution business on July 1, 2025.
Taxes other than income taxes increased primarily due to increases in ad valorem taxes resulting from higher assessments and millage rate increases and increases in local franchise fees as a result of higher retail revenues in 2025 as compared to 2024.
Depreciation and amortization expenses increased primarily due to additions to plant in service and increases in nuclear depreciation rates at Entergy Louisiana effective September 2024 and September 2025 in accordance with the global stipulated settlement agreement approved by the LPSC in August 2024. The increase was partially offset by the recognition of $28 million in depreciation expense in 2024 at Entergy Texas for the 2022 base rate case relate back period, effective over six months beginning January 2024. The recognition of depreciation expense for the relate back period was effective over the same period as collections from the relate back surcharge rider and resulted in no effect on net income. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Louisiana global stipulated settlement agreement. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the 2022 base rate case at Entergy Texas.
Other regulatory charges (credits) - net includes:
•the reversal in third quarter 2024 of a $92 million regulatory liability recognized for Entergy Arkansas’s obligation to return to customers the refund from the System Energy settlement with the APSC. The
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reversal of the regulatory liability offsets a reduction in gross revenues from the retail one-time bill credits provided to customers in the August 2024 billing cycle through the Grand Gulf credit rider. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the System Energy settlement with the APSC and discussion of Entergy Arkansas’s Grand Gulf credit rider;
•a regulatory credit of $16 million, recorded by Entergy Arkansas in fourth quarter 2024, to reflect the amount of the 2023 historical year netting adjustment to be collected from its customers during the 2025 rate effective period as included in the 2024 formula rate plan filing. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Arkansas 2024 formula rate plan filing;
•a regulatory credit of $28 million, recorded by Entergy Arkansas in fourth quarter 2025, to reflect the amount of the 2024 historical year netting adjustment to be collected from its customers during the 2026 rate effective period as included in the 2025 formula rate plan filing. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Arkansas 2025 formula rate plan filing;
•regulatory charges of $150 million, recorded by Entergy Louisiana in second quarter 2024, to reflect the effects of an agreement in principle between Entergy Louisiana and the LPSC staff and the intervenors in July 2024 to renew Entergy Louisiana’s formula rate plan and resolve a number of other retail dockets and matters, including all formula rate plan test years prior to 2023. The customer rate credits agreed to in the global stipulated settlement began in September 2024. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Louisiana agreement in principle and the subsequently filed global stipulated settlement agreement; and
•a regulatory charge of $78 million, recorded by Entergy New Orleans in first quarter 2024, primarily to reflect a settlement in principle between Entergy New Orleans and the City Council in April 2024 for additional sharing with customers of income tax benefits from the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit. See Note 3 to the financial statements for discussion of the April 2024 settlement in principle and discussion of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit.
In addition, Entergy records a regulatory charge or credit for the difference between asset retirement obligation-related expenses and nuclear decommissioning trust earnings plus asset retirement obligation-related costs collected in revenue.
Other income (deductions) increased primarily due to:
•an increase of $65 million in the amortization of tax gross ups on customer advances, including customer advances for construction;
•an increase in the allowance for equity funds used during construction due to higher construction work in progress in 2025, including the Orange County Advanced Power Station project, the Legend Power Station project, and the Lone Star Power Station project, each at Entergy Texas;
•an increase of $22 million in interest earned on money pool investments; and
•a $17 million true-up of Entergy Louisiana’s MISO cost recovery mechanism over-recovery balance to the 2024 formula rate plan filing, which was filed with the LPSC in May 2025. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the 2024 formula rate plan filing.
The increase was partially offset by a decrease of $17 million in intercompany dividend income from affiliated preferred membership interests related to storm cost securitizations. The intercompany dividend income on the affiliated preferred membership interests is eliminated for consolidation purposes and has no effect on net income since the investment is in another Entergy subsidiary. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy Louisiana’s storm cost securitizations.
Interest expense increased primarily due to:
•the issuance by Entergy Arkansas of $400 million of 5.45% Series mortgage bonds in May 2024 and an additional $300 million in a reopening of the same series in May 2025;
•the issuance by Entergy Louisiana of $700 million of 5.15% Series mortgage bonds in August 2024;
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•the issuance by Entergy Louisiana of $750 million of 5.80% Series mortgage bonds in January 2025;
•the issuance by Entergy Mississippi of $600 million of 5.80% Series mortgage bonds in March 2025;
•the issuance by Entergy Texas of $350 million of 5.55% Series mortgage bonds in August 2024;
•the issuance by Entergy Texas of $500 million of 5.25% Series mortgage bonds in February 2025;
•the issuance by System Energy of $300 million of 5.30% Series mortgage bonds in December 2024 and an additional $240 million in a reopening of the same series in May 2025; and
•an increase of $51 million in carrying costs on customer advances, including customer advances for construction.
The increase was partially offset by an increase in the allowance for borrowed funds used during construction due to higher construction work in progress in 2025, including the Orange County Advanced Power Station project, the Legend Power Station project, and the Lone Star Power Station project, each at Entergy Texas.
See Note 5 to the financial statements for a discussion of long-term debt.
Other expenses decreased primarily due to decreased nuclear refueling outage expenses due to the amortization of lower costs associated with the most recent outages as compared to previous outages.
Parent and Other
Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges (credits) includes the effects of recording a favorable final judgment of $20 million in fourth quarter 2024 to resolve claims in the Northstar Vermont Yankee, LLC (previously Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee) final round Vermont Yankee damages case against the DOE and the effects of recording a favorable final judgment of $7 million in fourth quarter 2024 to resolve claims in the Holtec Palisades, LLC (previously Entergy Nuclear Palisades) final round Palisades damages case against the DOE. See Note 8 to the financial statements for discussion of the spent nuclear fuel litigation.
Other income (deductions) increased primarily due to a $320 million ($253 million net-of-tax) non-cash settlement charge recognized as a result of a group annuity contract purchased in 2024 to settle certain pension liabilities. See Note 11 to the financial statements for discussion of the group annuity contract and settlement charge.
Income Taxes
The effective income tax rates were 21.9% for 2025 and 26.4% for 2024. See Note 3 to the financial statements for a reconciliation of the federal statutory rate of 21% to the effective income tax rates and for additional discussion regarding income taxes.
2024 Compared to 2023
See “MANAGEMENT’S FINANCIAL DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS - Results of Operations” in Item 7 of Entergy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 18, 2025, for discussion of results of operations for 2024 compared to 2023.
Income Tax Legislation and Regulation
On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was enacted. The OBBBA is a wide ranging update to U.S. tax and spending policy. In particular, the OBBBA modified and extended various clean energy tax incentives relevant to electric utilities, preserving production tax credits under Internal Revenue Code section 45U for existing nuclear facilities through 2032 and generally maintaining the existing phase-out schedule for new nuclear and battery storage under Internal Revenue Code sections 45Y (clean electricity production credit) or Internal Revenue Code section 48E (clean electricity investment credit). In addition, the OBBBA preserved the tax
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credits for carbon capture and sequestration facilities that meet the requirements of Internal Revenue Code section 45Q. The OBBBA also retained full transferability of all credits and preserved five-year modified accelerated cost recovery system treatment for eligible Internal Revenue Code section 45Y and 48E assets.
In contrast, the OBBBA significantly shortened the time period for solar and wind facilities to claim clean energy tax incentives. In general, solar and wind facilities must be placed in service by December 31, 2027 to qualify for the tax credits, unless construction begins by July 3, 2026, and certain safe harbor requirements are met.
In addition, the OBBBA adopted new foreign entity of concern (FEOC) rules designed to deny clean energy tax incentives to all clean energy projects beginning construction after December 31, 2025 that use equipment beyond statutory guidelines from prohibited foreign entities (entities with ties to China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea). The FEOC rules also deny these incentives to taxpayers that rely beyond certain thresholds on equity or debt held by or sold to specified foreign entities or that make payments to specified foreign entity counterparties under contracts or licensing agreements that give such counterparties “effective control” over an eligible project. These taxpayer FEOC rules will apply to taxpayers in their first taxable year following enactment of the OBBBA.
On July 7, 2025, an executive order was issued directing the U.S. Treasury to issue, among other things, new safe harbor guidance, particularly with respect to wind and solar facilities. On August 15, 2025, in response to the executive order, the U.S. Treasury released Notice 2025-42, which provides updated guidance regarding the beginning of construction requirements and termination of the wind and solar energy tax credits under sections 45Y and 48E. Notice 2025-42 provides additional guidance on these safe harbor provisions, clarifying the criteria for beginning construction and offering examples of equipment and contractual terms that will qualify a project for safe harbor treatment under the OBBBA. Notice 2025-42 states that the U.S. Treasury and the IRS are currently drafting additional guidance to address the FEOC rules.
The changes in law and federal energy policy reflected in the OBBBA could have a material effect on Entergy’s current and future resource planning, including particularly solar and wind resources, and on its results of operations, cash flows, or financial condition. Entergy may not be able to realize the anticipated benefits of federal tax credits for certain of its planned solar and battery facilities to the extent that these projects do not meet the safe harbor requirements set forth in the OBBBA. In addition, as the policy changes reflected in the OBBBA and anticipated related guidance disfavor certain renewable resource development as compared to prior law, Entergy may not be successful in achieving current or future carbon emission goals. Provisions of the OBBBA may also affect customer decisions relating to major new projects in Entergy’s service area, to the extent that project economics or the achievement of customer sustainability objectives are affected by the changes in the OBBBA.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), signed into law on August 16, 2022, significantly expanded federal tax incentives for clean energy production, including the extension of production tax credits to solar projects and certain qualified nuclear power facilities. Additionally, the IRA enacted a 1% excise tax on the buyback of public company stock and a new corporate alternative minimum tax (CAMT). Effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022, the CAMT imposes a 15% tax on the Adjusted Financial Statement Income (AFSI) on each corporation in a group of corporations that averages greater than $1 billion in AFSI over a three-year period. Taxpayers subject to the CAMT regime must pay the greater of 15% of AFSI or their regular federal tax liability. In September 2024 the IRS issued proposed regulations regarding the application of the CAMT. Entergy and the Registrant Subsidiaries are closely monitoring any potential impact associated with the expansion of federal tax incentives, the 1% excise tax, and CAMT. Based on current IRS guidance and internal forecasts, Entergy and the Registrant Subsidiaries may become subject to the CAMT beginning in the next one to three years. The U.S. Treasury is expected to issue further guidance that will clarify how the tax credit provisions and CAMT provisions will be interpreted and applied. This guidance will determine the amount of tax credits and incremental cash tax payments Entergy expects in the future as a result of the legislation. Prior to receiving this guidance, Entergy cannot adequately assess the expected future effects on its results of operations, financial position, and cash flows. Entergy is not able to predict the effects of any change to or repeal of the above tax legislation, including any
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federal tax incentives or tax credits, on its or the Registrant Subsidiaries’ results of operations, financial position, and cash flows.
In April 2023 the IRS issued Revenue Procedure 2023-15, which provides a safe harbor method of accounting that taxpayers may use to determine whether expenses to repair, maintain, replace, or improve natural gas transmission and distribution property must be capitalized and provides procedures for taxpayers to obtain automatic consent to change their method of accounting. Entergy adopted this new method of income tax accounting beginning with the 2023 federal income tax return utilizing the safe harbor method in accordance with Revenue Procedure 2023-15. The additional temporary deductions taken using the new method resulted in the recognition of deferred tax liabilities of $14.2 million for Entergy, $7.6 million for Entergy Louisiana, and $6.6 million for Entergy New Orleans in 2024.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
This section discusses Entergy’s capital structure, capital spending plans and other uses of capital, sources of capital, and the cash flow activity presented in the cash flow statement.
Recent announcements of changes to international trade policy and tariffs and further similar changes may impact Entergy’s business, operations, results of operations, and liquidity and capital resources. Potential impacts may include increases in costs associated with Entergy’s capital investments or operation and maintenance expenses; operational impacts, such as supply chain, manufacturing, cost and availability of qualified, skilled labor, or raw materials sourcing disruptions which may affect Entergy’s ability to make planned capital investments as and when expected and needed; legal uncertainties, such as potential legal or other challenges to presidential tariff authority; or broader economic risks, including changes to domestic monetary policy, shifting customer demand, impacts on customer investment decisions, and volatile or uncertain credit and capital markets, which may affect Entergy’s ability to access needed capital. The nature and extent of any such effects will depend on, among other things, the specifics of the changes that are ultimately implemented both domestically and internationally, the responses of vendors, suppliers, and other counterparties to those changes, indirect effects on the price and availability of non-tariffed goods, and the effectiveness of mitigation measures.
The Registrant Subsidiaries have incurred incremental cost increases due to certain tariff-exposed inputs, including select equipment, components, or underlying raw materials. As of the date of this Form 10-K, such increases have not had a material effect on such Registrant Subsidiaries' capital spending plans. Entergy is not able to predict any further effects of such tariffs or the effects of potential changes in regulation and law, changes to governmental programs, such as loans, grants, guarantees, and other subsidies, and trade-related governmental actions, such as tariffs and other measures, on such capital spending plans.
Capital Structure
Entergy’s debt to capital ratio is shown in the following table.
| December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt to capital | 64.3% | 65.3% | |
| Effect of excluding securitization bonds | (0.2%) | (0.2%) | |
| Debt to capital, excluding securitization bonds (non-GAAP) (a) | 64.1% | 65.1% | |
| Effect of subtracting cash | (1.5%) | (0.7%) | |
| Net debt to net capital, excluding securitization bonds (non-GAAP) (a) | 62.6% | 64.4% |
(a)Calculation excludes the Texas securitization bonds, which are non-recourse to Entergy Texas.
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As of December 31, 2025, 20.4% of the debt outstanding is at the parent company, Entergy Corporation, and 79.6% is at the Utility segment. Net debt consists of debt less cash and cash equivalents. Debt consists of notes payable and commercial paper, finance lease obligations, and long-term debt, including the currently maturing portion. Capital consists of debt, equity, and subsidiaries’ preferred stock without sinking fund. Net capital consists of capital less cash and cash equivalents. The debt to capital ratio excluding securitization bonds and net debt to net capital ratio excluding securitization bonds are non-GAAP measures. Entergy uses the debt to capital ratios excluding securitization bonds in analyzing its financial condition and believes they provide useful information to its investors and creditors in evaluating Entergy’s financial condition because the securitization bonds are non-recourse to Entergy, as more fully described in Note 5 to the financial statements. Entergy also uses the net debt to net capital ratio excluding securitization bonds in analyzing its financial condition and believes it provides useful information to its investors and creditors in evaluating Entergy’s financial condition because net debt indicates Entergy’s outstanding debt position that could not be readily satisfied by cash and cash equivalents on hand.
The Utility operating companies and System Energy seek to optimize their capital structures in accordance with regulatory requirements and to control their cost of capital while also maintaining equity capitalization at a level consistent with investment-grade debt ratings. To the extent that their operating cash flows are in excess of planned investments, cash may be used to reduce outstanding debt or may be paid as a dividend to their parent, to the extent funds are legally available to do so, or both, in appropriate amounts to maintain the capital structure. To the extent that their operating cash flows are insufficient to support planned investments, the Utility operating companies and System Energy may issue incremental debt or reduce dividends, or both, to maintain their capital structures. In addition, Entergy may make equity contributions to the Utility operating companies and System Energy to maintain their capital structures in certain circumstances such as financing of large transactions or payments that would materially alter the capital structure if financed entirely with debt and reduced dividends.
Long-term debt, including the currently maturing portion, makes up most of Entergy’s total debt outstanding. Following are Entergy’s long-term debt principal maturities and estimated interest payments as of December 31, 2025. To estimate future interest payments for variable rate debt, Entergy used the rate as of December 31, 2025. The amounts below include payments on System Energy’s Grand Gulf sale-leaseback transaction, which are included in long-term debt on the balance sheet.
| Long-term debt maturities and estimated interest payments | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029-2030 | after 2030 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||||||||||||
| Utility | $2,670 | $2,068 | $2,426 | $2,238 | $33,106 | |||||||||
| Parent & Other | 996 | 231 | 873 | 1,027 | 8,219 | |||||||||
| Total | $3,666 | $2,299 | $3,299 | $3,265 | $41,325 |
See Note 5 to the financial statements for further details of long-term debt.
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Entergy Corporation has in place a credit facility that has a borrowing capacity of $3 billion and expires in June 2030. The facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against $20 million of the total borrowing capacity of the credit facility. The commitment fee is currently 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount. Commitment fees and interest rates on loans under the credit facility can fluctuate depending on the senior unsecured debt ratings of Entergy Corporation. Although there were no borrowings under the facility for the year ended December 31, 2025, the estimated interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2025 that would have been applied to outstanding borrowings under the facility was 5.32%. The following is a summary of the amounts outstanding and capacity available under the credit facility as of December 31, 2025:
| Capacity | Borrowings | Letters of Credit | Capacity Available | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||||
| $3,000 | $— | $3 | $2,997 |
Entergy Corporation’s credit facility includes a covenant requiring Entergy to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. The calculation of this debt ratio under Entergy Corporation’s credit facility is different than the calculation of the debt to capital ratio above. Entergy is currently in compliance with the covenant and expects to remain in compliance with this covenant. If Entergy fails to meet this ratio, or if Entergy Corporation or one of the Registrant Subsidiaries (except Entergy New Orleans and System Energy) defaults on other indebtedness or is in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, an acceleration of the Entergy Corporation credit facility’s maturity date may occur. See Note 4 to the financial statements for additional discussion of the Entergy Corporation credit facility and discussion of the Registrant Subsidiaries’ credit facilities.
Entergy Corporation has a commercial paper program with a Board-approved program limit of $2 billion. As of December 31, 2025, Entergy Corporation had $637.8 million of commercial paper outstanding. The weighted-average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2025 was 4.58%.
Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each had credit facilities available as of December 31, 2025 as follows:
| Company | Expiration Date | Amount of Facility | Interest Rate (a) | Amount Drawn as of December 31, 2025 | Letters of Credit Outstanding as of December 31, 2025 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas | April 2026 | $25 million (b) | 5.67% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Arkansas | June 2030 | $300 million (c) | 4.94% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Louisiana | June 2030 | $400 million (c) | 5.07% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Mississippi | June 2030 | $300 million (c) | 4.94% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy New Orleans | June 2027 | $25 million (c) | 5.44% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Texas | June 2030 | $300 million (c) | 5.07% | — | $1.1 million |
(a)The interest rate is the estimated interest rate as of December 31, 2025 that would have been applied to outstanding borrowings under the facility.
(b)Borrowings under this Entergy Arkansas credit facility may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Arkansas’s option.
(c)The credit facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against a portion of the borrowing capacity of the facility as follows: $5 million for Entergy Arkansas; $15 million for Entergy Louisiana; $5 million for Entergy Mississippi; $10 million for Entergy New Orleans; and $25 million for Entergy Texas.
Each of the credit facilities requires the Registrant Subsidiary borrower to maintain a debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. Each Registrant Subsidiary is in compliance with this covenant.
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In addition, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each has one or more uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as a means to post collateral to support their obligations to MISO and for other purposes. The following is a summary of the uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as of December 31, 2025:
| Company | Amount of Uncommitted Facility | Letter of Credit Fee | Letters of Credit Issued as of December 31, 2025(a) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas | $25 million | 0.78% | $18.3 million | |||
| Entergy Arkansas | $75 million | 0.50% | $75.0 million | |||
| Entergy Louisiana | $125 million | 0.78% | $119.1 million | |||
| Entergy Louisiana | $45 million | 0.50% | $45.0 million | |||
| Entergy Mississippi | $65 million | 0.78% | $44.4 million (b) | |||
| Entergy Mississippi | $65 million | 0.50% | $43.0 million | |||
| Entergy New Orleans | $1 million | 1.625% | $0.5 million | |||
| Entergy Texas | $150 million | 1.250% | $59.6 million | |||
| Entergy Texas | $160 million | 1.05% | $— |
(a)As of December 31, 2025, letters of credit posted with MISO covered financial transmission rights exposure of $0.1 million for Entergy Arkansas, $0.8 million for Entergy Louisiana, $0.8 million for Entergy Mississippi, and $0.1 million for Entergy Texas. See Note 15 to the financial statements for discussion of financial transmission rights.
(b)As of December 31, 2025, the letters of credit issued for Entergy Mississippi under this facility include $43.1 million in MISO letters of credit and $1.3 million in non-MISO letters of credit outstanding.
Finance lease obligations are a minimal part of Entergy’s overall capital structure. Following are Entergy’s payment obligations under those leases.
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029-2030 | after 2030 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||||
| Finance lease payments | $25 | $23 | $20 | $28 | $53 |
Finance leases are discussed in Note 10 to the financial statements.
Operating Lease Obligations and Guarantees of Unconsolidated Obligations
Entergy has a minimal amount of operating lease obligations and guarantees in support of unconsolidated obligations. Entergy’s guarantees in support of unconsolidated obligations are not likely to have a material effect on Entergy’s financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Following are Entergy’s payment obligations as of December 31, 2025 on non-cancelable operating leases with a term over one year:
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029-2030 | after 2030 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||||
| Operating lease payments | $78 | $66 | $54 | $63 | $52 |
Operating leases are discussed in Note 10 to the financial statements.
Other Obligations
Entergy currently expects to contribute approximately $200 million to its qualified pension plans and approximately $40.9 million to its other postretirement plans in 2026, although the 2026 required pension contributions will be known with more certainty when the January 1, 2026 valuations are completed, which is
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expected by April 1, 2026. See “Critical Accounting Estimates - Qualified Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits” below and Note 11 to the financial statements for a discussion of qualified pension and other postretirement benefits funding.
Entergy has $808 million of unrecognized tax benefits net of unused tax attributes plus interest for which the timing of payments beyond 12 months cannot be reasonably estimated due to uncertainties in the timing of effective settlement of tax positions. See Note 3 to the financial statements for additional information regarding unrecognized tax benefits.
See below for discussion of the Entergy Texas build-to-suit lease arrangement for the Legend Power Station.
In addition, the Registrant Subsidiaries enter into fuel and purchased power agreements that contain minimum purchase obligations. The Registrant Subsidiaries each have rate mechanisms in place to recover fuel, purchased power, and associated costs incurred under these purchase obligations.
Capital Expenditure Plans and Other Uses of Capital
Following are the amounts of Entergy’s planned construction and other capital investments for 2026 through 2029.
| Planned construction and capital investments | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||||||
| Generation | $6,350 | $8,010 | $6,330 | $4,215 | |||||||
| Transmission | 2,380 | 2,605 | 2,325 | 1,885 | |||||||
| Distribution | 2,555 | 2,055 | 1,710 | 1,845 | |||||||
| Utility Support | 330 | 295 | 290 | 290 | |||||||
| Total | $11,615 | $12,965 | $10,655 | $8,235 |
Planned construction and capital investments refer to amounts Entergy plans to spend on routine capital projects that are necessary to support reliability of its service, equipment, or systems and to support normal customer growth. In addition to routine capital projects, they also refer to amounts Entergy plans to spend on non-routine capital investments for which Entergy is either contractually obligated, has Board approval, or otherwise expects to make to satisfy regulatory or legal requirements. Amounts include the following types of construction and capital investments:
•investments in generation projects to modernize, decarbonize, expand, and diversify the Utility operating companies’ portfolios, as well as to support customer growth, including Ironwood Power Station (formerly Lake Catherine Unit 5), Jefferson Power Station, Arkansas Cypress Solar, Segno Solar, Votaw Solar, Bogalusa West Solar, Cypress Harvest Solar, Franklin Farms Power Station Units 1 and 2, Waterford 5 Power Station, Cottonwood Power Station, Westlake Power Station, Delta Blues Advanced Power Station, Delta Solar, Penton Solar, Traceview Advanced Power Station, Vicksburg Advanced Power Station, Orange County Advanced Power Station, Lone Star Power Station, Legend Power Station, and potential construction of additional generation;
•investments in the Utility nuclear fleet;
•transmission spending to improve reliability and resilience while also supporting renewables expansion and customer growth; and
•distribution and Utility support spending to improve reliability, resilience, and customer experience through projects focused on asset renewals and enhancements and grid stability.
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The Utility’s owned and contracted generating capacity is planned on a long-term basis with an aim to enable the Utility operating companies to meet MISO target reserve requirements; however, MISO has implemented changes to its resource adequacy construct that generally move from an annual to a seasonal design and that changes the way that resources are assigned capacity credit. MISO has also recently obtained FERC approval to implement additional changes that further affect the assignment of capacity credit to resources. As a result of these changes, there may be seasonal variations in the capacity credit afforded to the Utility operating companies’ resources by MISO, and some resource types generally may be assigned less capacity credit than they have historically. MISO continues to pursue market design changes related to its resource adequacy construct. The FERC recently approved a reliability-based demand curve that, along with a tighter balance of supply and demand, has had the effect of increasing the clearing prices in the MISO planning resource auction. MISO has also received approval from the FERC for changes to the market rules governing load modifying resources, which could affect the accreditation of these resources and, as a result, the capacity positions of the Utility operating companies. These market design changes may have an effect on both the Utility operating companies’ liquidity and the capital investment needed for long-term resources. Entergy is monitoring the evolution and application of these rules, which may require the Utility operating companies to procure additional capacity credits from the MISO market and in the longer-term may impact the incremental additional supply resources needed. The Utility’s supply plan initiative will continue to seek to transform its generation portfolio with new generation resources. Opportunities resulting from the supply plan initiative, including new projects or the exploration of alternative financing sources, could result in increases or decreases in the capital expenditure estimates given above. Estimated capital expenditures are subject to periodic review and modification and may vary based on the ongoing effects of business restructuring, regulatory constraints and requirements, governmental actions, including trade-related governmental actions, such as tariffs and other measures, environmental regulations, business opportunities, market volatility, economic trends, changes in project plans, and the ability to access capital, including any changes to governmental programs, such as loans, grants, guarantees, and other subsidies. Entergy is not able to predict the effect of potential changes in regulation and law, changes to governmental programs, such as loans, grants, guarantees, and other subsidies, and trade-related governmental actions, such as tariffs and other measures, on its current and planned capital projects.
Renewables
Entergy Arkansas Special Rate Contract and Arkansas Cypress Solar
In September 2025, Entergy Arkansas filed an application with the APSC seeking approval of a long-term special rate contract between Altitude, LLC, a subsidiary of Alphabet, Inc. (Google) and Entergy Arkansas for the sale of electricity to a new large-scale data center in West Memphis, Arkansas. In October 2025 the APSC general staff filed testimony finding that based on its evaluation of Entergy Arkansas’s application and the results of the ratepayer impact measure test, the special rate contract meets the requirements of the APSC’s promotional practice rules and is in the public interest. No other parties filed testimony. In December 2025 the APSC issued an order approving the special rate contract but denying the requested ratemaking treatment of Google’s upfront payments and deferring a decision on the treatment under the contract pricing providing for the deferral and amortization of the investment tax credits from the Arkansas Cypress Solar facility (discussed below). Also in December 2025, Entergy Arkansas filed a petition with the APSC regarding these findings, noting that they would require renegotiation of the special rate contract. In January 2026 the APSC issued an order maintaining its position on the ratemaking treatment of Google’s upfront payments but reversing itself on the treatment of the Arkansas Cypress Solar facility investment tax credits and allowing those to be used in the pricing of the Arkansas Cypress Solar facility to Google as provided for in the contract.
In September 2025, Entergy Arkansas filed an application with the APSC seeking a certificate of environmental compatibility and public need for the construction and operation of the Arkansas Cypress Solar facility, a planned 600 MW solar photovoltaic array with a 350 MW battery energy storage system and associated transmission facilities interconnecting at Entergy Arkansas’s White Bluff substation. The estimated cost of the project is $1,602 million. Entergy Arkansas is seeking public interest and prudence findings from the APSC no later than 180 days from the filing, pursuant to Act 373 of 2025, to construct the Arkansas Cypress Solar facility in
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support of its long-term special rate contract with Google. In October 2025 the APSC general staff and the Arkansas Attorney General filed responsive testimony opposing the project cost and seeking additional information. Subsequently, the APSC general staff submitted supplemental testimony to update its initial conclusion and recommendations, noting that the Arkansas Cypress Solar facility is a reasonable project and recommending the APSC approve the project under certain conditions. Entergy Arkansas proposes to recover the costs of constructing the Arkansas Cypress Solar facility through the Generating Arkansas Jobs Act rider. A hearing was held in December 2025, and an APSC decision is due in March 2026. Subject to receipt of required regulatory approval and other conditions, the facility is expected to be in service by the end of 2028. See “Retail Rate Proceedings – Filings with the APSC (Entergy Arkansas) – Retail Rates - Generating Arkansas Jobs Act Rider” in Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Generating Jobs Act rider, which was approved by the APSC in October 2025.
Bogalusa West Solar
In July 2025, Entergy Louisiana filed an application seeking LPSC approval and certification of the Bogalusa West Solar facility, a 200 MW single axis tracking solar photovoltaic power facility in Washington Parish, Louisiana. In October 2025 the LPSC voted to grant Entergy Louisiana’s application and approve the Bogalusa West Solar facility. The facility is expected to be in service by 2028.
Cypress Harvest Solar
In February 2026, Entergy Louisiana filed an application seeking LPSC approval and certification for the Cypress Harvest Solar facility, a 200 MW solar facility to be located in Iberville Parish. Entergy Louisiana requested that the LPSC consider the request at its April 2026 meeting.
Delta Solar
In December 2024 the Bolivar County Board of Supervisors approved Entergy Mississippi’s plans to construct, own, and operate the Delta Solar facility, an 80 MW solar facility to be located in Bolivar County, Mississippi. The Delta Solar facility is estimated to cost $157.2 million, inclusive of estimated transmission interconnection costs. Construction of the Delta Solar facility qualifies for pre-certification under Mississippi legislation providing for the pre-certification of construction of certain types of facilities that directly or indirectly provide electric service to customers who own certain data processing center projects as specified in the legislation. The project costs will be reviewed for prudence by the MPSC following the completion of construction. Construction is in progress, and the Delta Solar facility is expected to be in service by the end of 2027.
Penton Solar
In May 2025 the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors approved Entergy Mississippi’s plans to construct, own, and operate the Penton Solar facility, a 190 MW solar facility to be located in DeSoto County, Mississippi. The Penton Solar facility is estimated to cost $327.2 million, inclusive of estimated transmission interconnection and upgrade costs. Construction of the Penton Solar facility qualifies for pre-certification under Mississippi legislation providing for the pre-certification of construction of certain types of facilities that directly or indirectly provide electric service to customers who own certain data processing center projects as specified in the legislation. The project costs will be reviewed for prudence by the MPSC following the completion of construction. Construction is in progress, and the Penton Solar facility is expected to be in service by early 2028.
Segno Solar and Votaw Solar
In July 2024, Entergy Texas filed an application seeking PUCT approval to amend Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate the Segno Solar facility, a 170 MW solar facility to be located in Polk County, Texas, and the Votaw Solar facility, a 141 MW solar facility to be located in
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Hardin County, Texas. In August 2025, Entergy Texas filed, and the ALJs with the State Office of Administrative Hearings granted, an unopposed motion to withdraw the application. In September 2025, Entergy Texas and Entergy Louisiana entered into assignment and assumption agreements pursuant to which Entergy Texas assigned, and Entergy Louisiana assumed, certain interests in the Segno Solar and Votaw Solar facilities, and the associated assets were transferred in third quarter 2025 from Entergy Texas to Entergy Louisiana for approximately $42.1 million, which included adjustments per the assignment and assumption agreements.
In December 2025, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC seeking approval and certification to construct the Segno Solar facility and Votaw Solar facility. The application asks that the LPSC approve, subject to certain ongoing discussions, allocation of the two facilities to a designated renewable resources subscription to Entergy Louisiana’s Rider Geaux Zero, and further asserts that the two solar resources fall below certain breakeven parameters established in connection with the LPSC’s order allowing Entergy Louisiana to procure up to 3 GW of solar resources, thus supporting that the resources should be certified as being in the public interest. The application requests consideration by the LPSC at or before its August 2026 meeting. A procedural schedule has been set with a hearing scheduled for July 2026. The Segno Solar facility and the Votaw Solar facility are expected to be in service by 2029.
Other Generation and Transmission
Ironwood Power Station
In November 2024, Entergy Arkansas filed an application with the APSC seeking a certificate of environmental compatibility and public need for the construction and operation of Ironwood Power Station (formerly Lake Catherine Unit 5), a 446 MW simple cycle natural gas combustion turbine facility to be located at the existing Lake Catherine facility site in Hot Spring County, Arkansas. The facility will primarily be powered by natural gas, and it will also be enabled for future carbon capture and storage and for hydrogen co-firing optionality. In December 2024 other parties, including the APSC general staff, filed testimony opposing the resource, although the APSC general staff recognized the capacity need for the resource. Entergy Arkansas filed testimony in January 2025 further supporting its application, and in February 2025 the opposing parties filed responsive rebuttal testimony continuing to dispute the estimated costs and to dispute that Entergy Arkansas performed a market solicitation sufficient to demonstrate that this resource is the most reasonable option for customers. Also in February 2025, Entergy Arkansas filed surrebuttal testimony responding to the opposing parties’ testimony. A hearing was held in March 2025, and in April 2025 the APSC issued an order approving certification of the facility. The order also provided a presumption of prudence finding with respect to a benchmark project cost. In May 2025, Entergy Arkansas filed a motion for clarification concerning the appropriate calculation of the benchmark that was below the estimated cost of Ironwood Power Station and was based upon older technology and dated pricing. Entergy Arkansas will have the opportunity to present later all actual costs to the APSC for review and a prudence determination of final costs, including costs incremental to the benchmark. In June 2025, Entergy Arkansas filed its independent monitor proposal with the APSC and is awaiting direction on the proposal and the motion for clarification. Entergy Arkansas proposes to recover the costs of constructing Ironwood Power Station through the Generating Arkansas Jobs Act rider. The facility is expected to be in service by the end of 2028. See “Retail Rate Proceedings – Filings with the APSC (Entergy Arkansas) – Retail Rates - Generating Arkansas Jobs Act Rider” in Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Generating Jobs Act rider, which was approved by the APSC in October 2025.
Jefferson Power Station
In August 2025, Entergy Arkansas filed an application with the APSC seeking a certificate of environmental compatibility and public need for the construction and operation of Jefferson Power Station, an approximately 754 MW natural gas-fired combined cycle combustion turbine facility to be located in Jefferson County, Arkansas. The facility will primarily be powered by natural gas, and it will also be enabled for future carbon capture and storage and for hydrogen co-firing optionality. The estimated cost of the project is $1,602
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million. In September 2025 other parties, including the APSC general staff, filed testimony opposing the resource pending further information, although the APSC general staff recognized the capacity need for the resource and that Entergy Arkansas had satisfied the statutory requirements for a certificate of environmental compatibility and public need. Much of the opposition focused on the fact that the resource was not identified through a competitive solicitation. Entergy Arkansas filed testimony further supporting its application in September and October 2025. A hearing was held in October 2025 and November 2025. In January 2026 the APSC issued its order finding that Entergy Arkansas had demonstrated a need for the resource but had not met its burden with respect to supporting the prudence of the costs to construct the resource. The APSC acknowledged that the costs would be greater if Entergy Arkansas waited to pursue the resource. The APSC authorized Entergy Arkansas to proceed with Jefferson Power Station as a strategic investment with estimated costs set at a benchmark, which the APSC erroneously believed reflected the current cost estimate but is, in fact, $90 million below the cost presented. Entergy Arkansas is evaluating whether to make a request for rehearing to correct the benchmark. Additionally, the APSC found that Entergy Arkansas should conduct all-source competitive solicitations moving forward with a limited exception for certain resources associated with customer growth projects. Entergy Arkansas proposes to recover the costs of constructing Jefferson Power Station through the Generating Arkansas Jobs Act rider. Subject to receipt of required regulatory approval and other conditions, the facility is expected to be in service by the end of 2029. See “Retail Rate Proceedings – Filings with the APSC (Entergy Arkansas) – Retail Rates - Generating Arkansas Jobs Act Rider” in Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Generating Jobs Act rider, which was approved by the APSC in October 2025.
Bayou Power Station
In March 2024, Entergy Louisiana filed an application seeking LPSC approval and certification that the public convenience and necessity would be served by the construction of the Bayou Power Station, a 112 MW aggregated capacity floating natural gas power station with black-start capability in Leeville, Louisiana and an associated microgrid that would serve nearby areas, including Port Fourchon, Golden Meadow, Leeville, and Grand Isle. In its application, Entergy Louisiana noted that the estimated cost of the Bayou Power Station was $411 million, including estimated costs of transmission interconnection and other related costs. In October 2024, Entergy Louisiana filed a motion to suspend the procedural schedule in this proceeding in order to evaluate certain recent developments related to the project including potential changes to the estimated cost of the project. In October 2025, Entergy Louisiana filed with the LPSC a motion to dismiss its application without prejudice, noting that this project has been canceled and that Entergy Louisiana is evaluating an alternative transmission solution. In November 2025 the LPSC granted the motion and dismissed the application, without prejudice. In third quarter 2025, Entergy Louisiana expensed $10.8 million of project costs related to the Bayou Power Station project.
Entergy Louisiana Additional Generation and Transmission Resources
In October 2024, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC seeking approval of a variety of generation and transmission resources proposed in connection with establishing service to a new data center to be developed by a subsidiary of Meta Platforms, Inc. in north Louisiana, for which an electric service agreement has been executed. The filing requested LPSC certification of three new combined cycle combustion turbine generation resources totaling 2,262 MW, each of which will be enabled for future carbon capture and storage, a new 500 kV transmission line, and 500 kV substation upgrades. Two of the new combined cycle combustion turbine generation resources are to be located at Franklin Farms in north Louisiana (Franklin Farms Power Station Units 1 and 2). The application also requested approval to implement a corporate sustainability rider applicable to the new customer. The corporate sustainability rider contemplates the new customer contributing to the costs of the future addition of 1,500 MW of new solar and energy storage resources, agreements involving carbon capture and storage at Entergy Louisiana’s existing Lake Charles Power Station, and potential future wind and nuclear resources. The combined cost of Franklin Farms Power Station Units 1 and 2 is estimated to be approximately $2,387 million. In testimony filed with its application, Entergy Louisiana noted that the third new generation resource, Waterford 5 Power Station, is expected to have an estimated cost similar to the cost of each of Franklin Farms Power Station Units 1 and 2. Also in its testimony, Entergy Louisiana noted that the cost of the new 500 kV transmission line is estimated
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to be $546 million. Entergy Louisiana anticipates funding the incremental cost to serve the customer through direct financial contributions from the customer and the revenues it expects to earn under the electric service agreement. The electric service agreement also contains provisions for termination payments that will help ensure that there is no harm to Entergy Louisiana and its customers in the event of early termination. A directive was issued at the LPSC’s November 2024 meeting for the matter to be decided by October 2025. In February 2025 intervenors filed a motion asking the LPSC to deny Entergy Louisiana’s requested exemption from the LPSC’s order addressing competitive solicitation procedures and further asking the LPSC to dismiss the application. The ALJ issued an order denying the motion to dismiss the application and deferring the LPSC’s consideration of the motion regarding the competitive solicitation procedures until the hearing. In March 2025 the same intervenors filed a motion requesting the LPSC to require the customer and its parent company to be joined as parties to the proceeding or dismiss the application. In April 2025 the ALJ issued an order denying the March 2025 motion, and the moving parties filed a motion asking the LPSC to review and reverse the ALJ’s decision.
In February 2025, Entergy Louisiana filed supplemental testimony with the LPSC stating that the third combined cycle combustion turbine resource presented in the October 2024 application (Waterford 5 Power Station) would be sited at Entergy Louisiana’s Waterford site in Killona, Louisiana, alongside existing Entergy Louisiana generation resources. The testimony also notes that Entergy Louisiana is negotiating with the customer in response to the customer’s request to increase the load associated with its project in north Louisiana. The testimony indicates further that the additional load can be served without additional generation capacity beyond what was presented in the October 2024 application, but that additional transmission facilities, which will be funded directly by the customer, are needed to serve this additional load.
In April 2025 and May 2025 the LPSC staff and certain intervenors each filed their direct testimony and cross-answering testimony, respectively. The LPSC staff’s testimony discussed the significant projected benefits associated with the data center project; however, both the LPSC staff and such intervenors also identified purported risks associated with constructing the requested resources based on the terms and conditions under which the customer would be taking service. Both the LPSC staff and such intervenors also recommended that the LPSC impose certain conditions on its approval which, if adopted, would support approval of Entergy Louisiana’s application. The LPSC staff’s recommendations included a condition that would require, under specified circumstances, certain sharing of net revenues from service to the project with Entergy Louisiana’s other customers. The LPSC staff also recommended that the LPSC deny approval of the corporate sustainability rider terms providing for the customer to supply funding toward the cost of installing carbon capture and storage infrastructure at Entergy Louisiana’s Lake Charles Power Station. The Louisiana Energy Users Group and other intervenors recommended that the LPSC require various changes to the terms of the electric service agreement with the customer that would shift additional risk and cost to the customer rather than Entergy Louisiana’s broader customer base. Certain intervenors also challenged approval on the basis that Entergy Louisiana did not conduct a request for proposals to procure the proposed generation resources to serve the customer’s project; these intervenors also advocated that Entergy Louisiana be required to procure more renewable generation and evaluate transmission alternatives rather than proceeding with development of all of the proposed new generation resources. In May 2025, Entergy Louisiana filed its rebuttal testimony responding to the direct and cross-answering testimony of the LPSC staff and intervenors. The rebuttal testimony expressed support for or no opposition to the LPSC’s adoption of certain of the proposed recommendations and identified why other proposed recommendations should not be adopted. In addition, the rebuttal testimony stated that the negotiations related to the increase in the load amount for the customer’s project had concluded and that a rider to the electric service agreement reflecting this increase had been executed. In advance of the July 2025 hearing, Entergy Louisiana reached a settlement agreement with the LPSC staff and three separate intervenors. In August 2025 the LPSC issued an order accepting the settlement agreement. Franklin Farms Power Station Units 1 and 2 are expected to be in service in 2028, and Waterford 5 Power Station is expected to be in service in 2029. In January 2026, several months after the LPSC order became final, certain intervenors filed a motion asking the LPSC to investigate the financing arrangements that the customer implemented for its data center project and to initiate a prudence review. The motion questions whether the credit protections for the customer’s obligations under the electric service agreement are adversely affected by the change in the customer’s financial structure and asks the LPSC to initiate a review of whether Entergy Louisiana withheld
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relevant information from the LPSC at the time of the LPSC’s order. Entergy Louisiana filed its opposition to the motion in February 2026.
Amite South Transmission Projects
In March 2024, Entergy Louisiana filed an application seeking an exemption determination, or alternatively, a certificate of public convenience and necessity, for a transmission project that includes a new 500 kV/230 kV Commodore substation and an approximately 60-mile 230 kV line connecting the new Commodore substation to the Waterford substation. The project, which was approved by MISO in the 2023 MISO Transmission Expansion Plan, also includes certain common elements with, and right-of-way acquisition for, a future transmission project in the same area consisting of 500 kV elements. The estimated cost of the project is $498.8 million. In February 2025, Entergy Louisiana and the LPSC staff jointly filed, for consideration by the LPSC, an uncontested stipulated settlement agreement resolving all issues in the proceeding. In the motion requesting approval of the uncontested stipulated settlement agreement, the parties requested a settlement hearing in March 2025. The LPSC approved the uncontested stipulated settlement agreement in March 2025 and thereby granted certification of the project.
In December 2024, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC seeking a certificate of public convenience and necessity for a 500 kV transmission project that includes the construction of a new 84-mile Commodore to Churchill 500 kV transmission line, the expansion of the Waterford 500 kV substation, the construction of a new Churchill 500 kV substation and improvements to the Churchill 230 kV substation, and the conversion of the existing 230 kV Waterford to Churchill transmission line to 500 kV, forming a 500 kV loop into the Downstream of Gypsy load pocket. The project, which was approved by MISO in the 2023 MISO Transmission Expansion Plan, shares common elements with a future transmission project in the same area consisting of 230 kV elements. The estimated cost of the project is $954.7 million. In April 2025 the LPSC staff and the Louisiana Energy Users Group, an intervenor, filed direct testimony. The LPSC staff’s testimony recommends LPSC approval of the project. The Louisiana Energy Users Group’s testimony opines that Entergy Louisiana has shown that there is a need for additional transmission investment in the West Bank area of Amite South but recommends that the LPSC withhold approval pending further analysis, including analysis of potential lower cost alternatives to the proposed project, and also pending Entergy Louisiana demonstrating that it has contributions in aid of construction from the customers whose block load additions would be enabled by the proposed transmission project in amounts sufficient to substantially, if not fully, cover the revenue requirement of the proposed project. In June 2025, Entergy Louisiana filed rebuttal testimony. A hearing was held in August 2025. In November 2025 the presiding ALJ issued a proposed recommendation granting the application and the requested certification. The Louisiana Energy Users Group filed exceptions to the proposed recommendation, and the LPSC staff and Entergy Louisiana filed responses in opposition to those exceptions. In December 2025 the ALJ issued a final recommendation granting the application and the requested certification. In December 2025 the LPSC issued an order adopting the final recommendation granting the application and the requested certification.
Cottonwood Power Station
In December 2025, Entergy Louisiana filed an application seeking LPSC approval and a certificate of convenience and necessity to acquire the Cottonwood combined cycle combustion turbine facility, a 1,263 MW combined cycle facility in Deweyville, Texas that was originally placed in commercial service in 2003. The filing seeks findings from the LPSC that the costs of the acquisition, including the approximately $1.5 billion purchase price and $309.3 million in capital upgrades and maintenance items needed to bring Cottonwood into alignment with Entergy Louisiana’s fleet standards with respect to operations and safety, are eligible for recovery in customer rates. The application requests an LPSC decision by October 2026. A procedural schedule has been set with a hearing scheduled for September 2026. The acquisition is currently targeted to occur in January 2027.
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Babel - Webre 500 kV Transmission Project
In December 2025, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC seeking a certificate of public convenience and necessity for a 500 kV transmission project that includes the construction of a new 147-mile Babel to Webre 500 kV transmission line, the reconstruction of the Webre 500 kV switching station in Louisiana, and coordination with Entergy Texas of the construction of an approximately 4-mile 500 kV transmission line in Texas. The project was approved by MISO in the 2025 MISO Transmission Expansion Plan and has an estimated cost of $1,238 million and an estimated in-service date of August 2029. The application requests an LPSC decision by June 2026.
Waterford 6 Power Station and Westlake Power Station
In February 2026, Entergy Louisiana filed an application seeking LPSC approval and certification to construct two 754 MW combined cycle combustion turbine generators, the Waterford 6 Power Station and the Westlake Power Station, to be located at Entergy Louisiana’s existing Waterford site near Killona, Louisiana and existing Roy S. Nelson site in Westlake, Louisiana, respectively. In its application, Entergy Louisiana noted the estimated costs are approximately $2,027 million for the Waterford 6 Power Station and $2,091 million for the Westlake Power Station. Entergy Louisiana asked that the LPSC consider the requests in the application at or before its December 2026 meeting. The estimated in-service dates for the Waterford 6 Power Station and Westlake Power Station are July 2030 and October 2030, respectively.
Entergy Mississippi Additional Generation and Transmission Resources
In March 2024, Entergy Mississippi executed a large customer supply and service agreement to serve two data center campuses located in Madison County, Mississippi in which Amazon Web Services is investing. In February 2025, Entergy Mississippi also executed a large customer supply and service agreement to serve a data center campus located in Warren County, Mississippi in which Amazon Web Services is investing. Entergy Mississippi will need generation and transmission resources to reliably serve all Entergy Mississippi customers, including the data centers. The large customer supply and service agreements also contain provisions which cover Entergy Mississippi’s incremental investment costs in the event of early termination. Entergy Mississippi anticipates recovering the incremental cost to serve the customer through the revenues it is collecting under the large customer supply and service agreements.
In May 2024 the MPSC approved Entergy Mississippi’s revisions to its formula rate plan to comply with state legislation passed in January 2024 allowing Entergy Mississippi to make interim rate adjustments, including the collection of a return on construction work in progress on a cash basis, to recover the non-fuel related annual ownership cost of certain facilities that directly or indirectly provide service to customers who own certain data processing center projects as specified in the legislation.
Delta Blues Advanced Power Station
In September 2024, Entergy Mississippi announced plans to construct, own, and operate the Delta Blues Advanced Power Station, a 754 MW combined cycle combustion turbine facility, to be located in Washington County, Mississippi. The facility will primarily be powered by natural gas, and it will also be enabled for future carbon capture and storage and for hydrogen co-firing optionality. The Delta Blues Advanced Power Station is estimated to cost $1.2 billion. Construction of the Delta Blues Advanced Power Station qualifies for pre-certification under Mississippi legislation providing for the pre-certification of construction of certain types of facilities that directly or indirectly provide electric service to customers who own certain data processing center projects as specified in the legislation. As provided for in this legislation, Entergy Mississippi began recovery of certain costs of construction of the Delta Blues Advanced Power Station through the interim facilities rate adjustments provision of its formula rate plan rider. Non-fuel revenue collected from the data center customer will be included in the formula rate plan to offset the facility’s revenue requirement. The project costs will be reviewed
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for prudence by the MPSC following the completion of construction. Construction is in progress, and the facility is expected to be in service by May 2028.
Traceview Advanced Power Station
Entergy Mississippi is constructing a 754 MW combined cycle combustion turbine facility located in the City of Ridgeland, Madison County, Mississippi. The facility will be powered primarily by natural gas, and it will also be enabled for future carbon capture and storage and for hydrogen co-firing optionality. The project is estimated to cost in excess of $1 billion. Construction of the Traceview Advanced Power Station qualifies for pre-certification under Mississippi legislation providing for the pre-certification of construction of certain types of facilities that directly or indirectly provide electric service to customers who own certain data processing center projects as specified in the legislation. As provided for in this legislation, Entergy Mississippi will begin recovery of certain costs of construction of the Traceview Advanced Power Station through the interim facilities rate adjustments provision of its formula rate plan rider. Non-fuel revenue collected from the data center customer will be included in the formula rate plan to offset the facility’s revenue requirement. The project costs will be reviewed for prudence by the MPSC following the completion of construction. The facility is expected to be in service in 2029.
Vicksburg Advanced Power Station
In October 2025, Entergy Mississippi announced plans to construct, own, and operate the Vicksburg Advanced Power Station, a 754 MW combined cycle combustion turbine facility, to be located in the City of Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi. The facility will be powered primarily by natural gas, and it will also be enabled for future carbon capture and storage and for hydrogen co-firing optionality. The Vicksburg Advanced Power Station is estimated to cost $1.2 billion. Construction of the Vicksburg Advanced Power Station qualifies for pre-certification under Mississippi legislation providing for the pre-certification of construction of certain types of facilities that directly or indirectly provide electric service to customers who own certain data processing center projects as specified in the legislation. As provided for in this legislation, Entergy Mississippi will begin recovery of certain costs of construction of the Vicksburg Advanced Power Station through the interim facilities rate adjustments provision of its formula rate plan rider. Non-fuel revenue collected from the data center customer will be included in the formula rate plan to offset the facility’s revenue requirement. The project costs will be reviewed for prudence by the MPSC following the completion of construction. Construction is in progress, and the facility is expected to be in service in August 2028.
Orange County Advanced Power Station
In September 2021, Entergy Texas filed an application seeking PUCT approval to amend Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate the Orange County Advanced Power Station, a new 1,215 MW combined cycle combustion turbine facility to be located in Bridge City, Texas at an initially-estimated expected total cost of $1.2 billion inclusive of the estimated costs of the generation facilities, transmission upgrades, contingency, an allowance for funds used during construction, and necessary regulatory expenses, among others. The project includes combustion turbine technology with dual fuel capability, able to co-fire up to 30% hydrogen by volume upon commercial operation and upgradable to support 100% hydrogen operations in the future. In December 2021 the PUCT referred the proceeding to the State Office of Administrative Hearings. In March 2022 certain intervenors filed testimony opposing the hydrogen co-firing component of the proposed project and others filed testimony opposing the project outright. Also in March 2022 the PUCT staff filed testimony opposing the hydrogen co-firing component of the proposed project, but otherwise taking no specific position on the merits of the project. The PUCT staff also proposed that the PUCT establish a maximum amount that Entergy Texas may recover in rates attributable to the project. In April 2022, Entergy Texas filed rebuttal testimony addressing and rebutting these various arguments. The hearing on the merits was held in June 2022, and post-hearing briefs were submitted in July 2022. In September 2022 the ALJs with the State Office of Administrative Hearings issued a proposal for decision recommending the PUCT approve Entergy Texas’s application for certification of Orange
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County Advanced Power Station subject to certain conditions, including a cap on cost recovery at $1.37 billion, the exclusion of investment associated with co-firing hydrogen, weatherization requirements, and customer receipt of any contractual benefits associated with the facility’s guaranteed heat rate. In October 2022 the parties in the proceeding filed exceptions and replies to exceptions to the proposal for decision. Also in October 2022, Entergy Texas filed with the PUCT information regarding a new fixed pricing option for an estimated project cost of approximately $1.55 billion associated with Entergy Texas’s issuance of limited notice to proceed by mid-November 2022. In November 2022 the PUCT issued a final order approving the requested amendment to Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate the Orange County Advanced Power Station without the investment associated with hydrogen co-firing capability, without a cap on cost recovery, and subject to certain conditions, including weatherization requirements and customer receipt of any contractual benefits associated with the facility’s guaranteed heat rate.
In December 2022, Texas Industrial Energy Consumers and Sierra Club filed motions for rehearing of the PUCT’s final order alleging the PUCT erred in granting the certification of the Orange County Advanced Power Station, in not imposing a cost cap, in including certain findings related to the reasonableness of Entergy Texas’s request for proposals from which the Orange County Advanced Power Station was selected, and in other regards. Also in December 2022, Entergy Texas filed a response to the motions for rehearing refuting the points raised therein. In January 2023 the PUCT issued letters noting that it voted to consider Texas Industrial Energy Consumers’ motion for rehearing at its upcoming January 2023 open meeting and voted not to consider Sierra Club’s motion for rehearing at an open meeting. At the January 2023 open meeting, the PUCT voted to grant Texas Industrial Energy Consumers’ motion for rehearing for the limited purpose of issuing an order on rehearing that excludes three findings related to Entergy Texas’s request for proposals. The order on rehearing does not change the PUCT’s certification of the Orange County Advanced Power Station or the conditions placed thereon in the PUCT’s November 2022 final order. Construction is in progress, and subject to receipt of required permits, the facility is expected to be in service by mid-2026.
Legend Power Station and Lone Star Power Station
In June 2024, Entergy Texas filed an application seeking PUCT approval to amend Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate the Legend Power Station, a 754 MW combined cycle combustion turbine facility, which will be enabled for future carbon capture and storage and for hydrogen co-firing optionality, to be located in Jefferson County, Texas, and the Lone Star Power Station, a 453 MW simple cycle combustion turbine facility, which will be enabled with hydrogen co-firing optionality, to be located in Liberty County, Texas. In its application, Entergy Texas noted that the Legend Power Station was expected to cost an estimated $1.46 billion and the Lone Star Power Station was expected to cost an estimated $735.3 million, in each case inclusive of the estimated costs of the generation facilities, interconnection costs, transmission network upgrades, and an allowance for funds used during construction. In July 2024 the PUCT referred the proceeding to the State Office of Administrative Hearings and, also in July 2024, the ALJ with the State Office of Administrative Hearings adopted a procedural schedule, with a hearing on the merits scheduled to begin in October 2024. In September 2024, Entergy Texas filed, and the ALJ with the State Office of Administrative Hearings granted, a motion to extend the procedural schedule in this proceeding in order to address certain developments relating to the cost and scope of the Legend Power Station and the Lone Star Power Station. In December 2024, Entergy Texas filed supplemental testimony and exhibits addressing the cost and scope developments associated with the Legend Power Station and the Lone Star Power Station in further support of its application. The cost and scope developments include cost estimate increases of $139 million for Legend Power Station and $63.7 million for Lone Star Power Station and the consideration of an alternate site for Lone Star Power Station, which would reduce the estimated cost increase of the Lone Star Power Station to $36.2 million. In March 2025, Entergy Texas filed testimony explaining that Entergy Texas planned to move forward with building the Lone Star Power Station on a more cost-effective alternative site in San Jacinto County, Texas. A hearing on the merits was held in April 2025. Also in April 2025, Entergy Texas, intervenors, and the PUCT staff filed initial briefs. In its initial brief, the PUCT staff recommended denial of Entergy Texas’s application or, in the alternative, approval subject to conditions that include a prudence review by an external consultant if actual project costs exceed
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estimated costs by more than 10%, transmission cost reporting, and weatherization of both the Legend Power Station and the Lone Star Power Station. Certain intervenors requested that the PUCT impose various conditions upon the approval of the resources, including, among others, cost recovery limitations, a direction that Entergy Texas initiate a competitive tariff proceeding to facilitate industrial sleeving, a requirement for additional regulatory approvals related to hydrogen or carbon capture and storage implementation, limits on the recovery of supplemental filing costs, and calculation of AFUDC based on an adjusted weighted average cost of capital. Reply briefs were filed in May 2025. In June 2025 the ALJs with the State Office of Administrative Hearings issued a proposal for decision, in which they recommended rejection of Entergy Texas’s application to construct the Legend Power Station and the Lone Star Power Station based upon their finding that Entergy Texas did not demonstrate the resources to be cost-effective alternatives to address the uncontested need for additional generation. In the alternative, the ALJs recommended that if the PUCT approves the resources, that conditions be imposed, including a deferral of the finding that the resources were prudently selected until Entergy Texas’s next rate case, a prudence review by an external consultant if actual project costs exceed estimated costs by more than 10%, weatherization requirements, and a requirement that Entergy Texas obtain additional regulatory approvals prior to implementing hydrogen co-firing or carbon capture and storage. The ALJs’ proposal for decision was an interim step in the certification process and was not binding upon the PUCT. Entergy Texas filed exceptions in July 2025. In September 2025 the PUCT issued a decision granting the application, subject to conditions that include a cost cap at Entergy Texas’s previously-filed modified estimated costs of $1.6 billion for the Legend Power Station and $799 million for the Lone Star Power Station, weatherization requirements, environmental compliance requirements, and a requirement to request additional authorization prior to implementing hydrogen co-firing or carbon capture and storage. In October 2025 an intervenor filed a motion for rehearing requesting that the PUCT modify the Lone Star Power Station cost cap to reflect the estimated project costs associated with a new project site, clarify that the cost cap is inclusive of transmission upgrades, and reconsider the intervenor’s prior proposal for a “soft cost cap” below the estimated project costs, and that Entergy Texas be directed to initiate a competitive tariff proceeding to facilitate industrial sleeving of purchased power. Entergy Texas filed a response to the motion for rehearing in October 2025. In December 2025 the PUCT issued an order on rehearing modifying the Lone Star Power Station cost cap to $771.5 million to reflect the estimated project costs associated with a new project site and clarifying that the cost cap is inclusive of transmission upgrades, but denying the other relief requested in the motion for rehearing. See Note 8 to the financial statements for discussion of the build-to-suit lease arrangement for the Legend Power Station. Construction is underway, and subject to receipt of required permits and other conditions, both facilities are expected to be in service by mid-2028.
Southeast Texas Area Reliability Project (SETEX)
In February 2025, Entergy Texas filed an application seeking PUCT approval to amend Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate a new single-circuit 500 kV transmission line and associated stations and 138/230 kV facilities. The transmission line is expected to be approximately 131 to 160 miles in length and the estimated cost of the project ranges from $1.3 billion to $1.5 billion, depending upon the route ultimately approved by the PUCT. Also in February 2025 the PUCT referred the proceeding to the State Office of Administrative Hearings. A hearing on the merits was held in May 2025. In July 2025 the ALJs with the State Office of Administrative Hearings issued a proposal for decision recommending the PUCT approve Entergy Texas’s application to construct SETEX and recommending the PUCT’s approval include selection of a specific route with an estimated cost of $1.4 billion. In October 2025 the PUCT issued a final order approving the requested amendment to Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate the new single-circuit 500 kV transmission line and associated stations and 138/230 kV facilities, and selecting the final route for the project, which has an estimated cost of $1.36 billion. In November 2025, multiple parties filed motions for rehearing primarily challenging the routing of the transmission line. In December 2025 the PUCT issued an order on rehearing reaffirming and providing additional support for its initial decision. Subject to receipt of required permits and other conditions, the facility is expected to be in service by the end of 2029.
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Cypress to Legend 500 kV Transmission Line
In May 2025, Entergy Texas filed an application seeking PUCT approval to amend Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate a new single-circuit 500 kV transmission line. The transmission line is expected to be approximately 40 to 49 miles in length and the estimated cost of the project ranges from $392.7 million to $436.2 million, depending on the route ultimately approved by the PUCT. In June 2025 the PUCT referred the proceeding to the State Office of Administrative Hearings and a hearing on the merits was held in August 2025. In October 2025 the ALJs with the State Office of Administrative Hearings issued a proposal for decision recommending the PUCT approve Entergy Texas’s application to construct the transmission line and recommending the PUCT’s approval include selection of a specific route with an estimated cost of $398.7 million. In December 2025 the PUCT issued a final order approving the requested amendment to Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate the new single-circuit 500 kV transmission line, and selecting the final route previously recommended. In February 2026, landowners not party to the PUCT proceeding filed in the 345th District Court of Travis County, Texas a petition for declaratory relief and temporary and permanent injunction against the PUCT’s final order. The petition, which names the PUCT, its commissioners, and Entergy Texas as defendants, challenges Entergy Texas’s notice, the application of the PUCT’s notice rule, and the PUCT order’s approval of a route the petitioner’s assert was not adequately noticed. Entergy Texas expects to file an answer disputing all aspects of the petition by the applicable deadline. Subject to receipt of required permits and other conditions, the facility is expected to be in service by the end of 2028.
Resilience and Grid Hardening
Entergy Louisiana
In December 2022, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC seeking a public interest finding regarding Phase I of Entergy Louisiana’s Future Ready resilience plan and approval of a rider mechanism to recover the program’s costs. Phase I in the December 2022 application reflected the first five years of a ten-year resilience plan and included investment of approximately $5 billion, including hardening investment, transmission dead-end structures, enhanced vegetation management, and telecommunications improvement. In April 2024 the LPSC approved a framework which includes an initial five-year resilience plan providing for an investment of approximately $1.9 billion with cost recovery via a forward-looking rider with semi-annual true-ups. The plan is subject to specified reporting requirements and includes a performance review of the hardened assets. The LPSC order approving the framework does not include any restrictions on Entergy Louisiana’s ability to file applications for approval of additional investments in resilience.
The LPSC had previously opened a formal rulemaking proceeding in December 2021 to investigate efforts to improve resilience of electric utility infrastructure. In April 2023 the LPSC staff issued a draft rule in the rulemaking proceeding related to a requirement to file a grid resilience plan. The procedural schedule entered in the rulemaking proceeding contemplated adoption of a final rule in October 2023, but this did not occur, and a new date has not been set.
The LPSC also has pending rulemakings addressing issues related to pole viability and grid maintenance practices. In December 2023, in those rulemakings, the LPSC staff issued a report and recommendation proposing to impose significant new reporting and compliance obligations related to jurisdictional utilities’ distribution and transmission operations, including new obligations related to grid hardening plans, pole inspections, pole replacement, vegetation management, storm restoration plans, new reliability metrics, software for handling customer complaints and complaint resolution, required use of drone technology, and new penalties and incentives for reliability performance and for compliance with the new obligations. In February 2024, Entergy Louisiana and other parties filed comments on the LPSC staff’s report. These rulemakings were formally closed in August 2025 without the adoption of any rules or obligations being promulgated by the LPSC.
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Entergy New Orleans
In October 2021 the City Council passed a resolution and order establishing a docket and procedural schedule with respect to system resiliency and storm hardening. In July 2022, Entergy New Orleans filed with the City Council a response identifying a preliminary plan for storm hardening and resiliency projects, including microgrids, to be implemented over ten years at an approximate cost of $1.5 billion. In February 2023 the City Council approved a revised procedural schedule requiring Entergy New Orleans to make a filing in April 2023 containing a narrowed list of proposed hardening projects. In April 2023, Entergy New Orleans filed the required application and supporting testimony seeking City Council approval of the first phase (five years and $559 million) of a ten-year infrastructure hardening plan totaling approximately $1 billion. Entergy New Orleans also sought, among other relief, City Council approval of a resilience and storm hardening cost recovery rider to recover from customers the costs of the infrastructure hardening plan. In February 2024 the City Council approved a resolution authorizing Entergy New Orleans to implement a resilience project to be partially funded by $55 million of matching funding through the DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program. The resolution also required Entergy New Orleans to submit, no later than July 2024, a revised resilience plan consisting of projects over a three-year period. In March 2024, Entergy New Orleans filed with the City Council for approval the requested three-year resilience plan, which included $168 million in hardening projects. The three-year resilience plan was to be in addition to the previously authorized resilience project to be partially funded by the DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program. In October 2024 the City Council approved a resolution authorizing a two-year resilience plan totaling $100 million and approved the requested resilience and storm hardening cost recovery rider. In December 2024, Entergy New Orleans notified the City Council of the subset of hardening projects from the revised three-year resilience plan to be included in the two-year resilience plan. Entergy New Orleans implemented the approved resilience and storm hardening cost recovery rider effective with the first billing cycle of January 2025. In December 2025, the City Council issued a resolution establishing certain metrics and reporting requirements for the approved hardening projects. Also in December 2025, Entergy New Orleans filed an application and supporting testimony seeking the City Council’s approval of the second phase of its infrastructure hardening plan totaling approximately $400 million over a five-year period (2027 to 2031). Entergy New Orleans also sought, among other relief, the City Council’s approval to continue to use the resilience and storm hardening cost recovery rider to recover from customers the costs of the plan. Entergy New Orleans requested the City Council approve the application by October 2026.
Entergy Texas
In June 2024, Entergy Texas filed an application with the PUCT requesting approval of Phase I of its Texas Future Ready Resiliency Plan, a set of measures to begin accelerating the resiliency of Entergy Texas’s transmission and distribution system. Phase I is comprised of projects totaling approximately $335.1 million, including approximately $137 million of projects to be funded by Entergy Texas and approximately $198 million of projects contingent upon Entergy Texas’s receipt of grant funds in that amount from the Texas Energy Fund. The projects in Phase I include distribution and transmission hardening and modernization projects and targeted vegetation management projects to mitigate the risk of wildfire. These projects are expected to be implemented within approximately three years of PUCT approval. In January 2025 the PUCT unanimously approved Phase I of Entergy Texas’s Texas Future Ready Resiliency Plan, including the approximately $137 million of projects to be funded by Entergy Texas and application of performance metrics consistent with the unopposed settlement. The PUCT clarified that, while not part of Entergy Texas’s Phase I plan, Entergy Texas is permitted to pursue the remaining $198 million of identified projects and Texas Energy Fund grant funding for those projects. In February 2025 the PUCT issued an order adopting a new rule establishing the procedures for application to the grant fund. In July 2025, Entergy Texas submitted an application for approximately $200 million in grant funding from the Texas Energy Fund to implement the resilience projects originally included in its Texas Future Ready Resiliency Plan. In October 2025 the PUCT voted to approve the approximately $200 million grant request in full. The portion of the projects funded by Entergy Texas will be eligible for recovery through Entergy Texas’s transmission or distribution cost recovery factor riders, as applicable.
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Dividends and Stock Repurchases
Declarations of dividends on Entergy Corporation common stock are made at the discretion of the Board. Among other things, the Board evaluates the level of Entergy Corporation common stock dividends based upon earnings per share from the Utility segment and the Parent and Other portion of the business, financial strength, and future investment opportunities. In January 2026 the Board declared a dividend of $0.64 per share. Entergy paid $1,074 million in 2025, $982 million in 2024, and $918 million in 2023 in cash dividends on its common stock.
In accordance with Entergy’s stock-based compensation plans, Entergy periodically grants stock options, restricted stock, performance units, and restricted stock units to key employees, which may be exercised to obtain shares of Entergy Corporation common stock. According to the plans, these shares can be newly issued shares, treasury stock, or shares purchased on the open market. Entergy’s management has been authorized by the Board to repurchase on the open market shares up to an amount sufficient to fund the exercise of grants under the plans.
In addition to the authority to fund grant exercises, the Board has authorized share repurchase programs to enable opportunistic purchases in response to market conditions. In October 2010 the Board granted authority for a $500 million share repurchase program. As of December 31, 2025, $350 million of authority remains under the $500 million share repurchase program. The amount of repurchases may vary as a result of material changes in business results or capital spending or new investment opportunities, or if limitations in the credit markets continue for a prolonged period.
Sources of Capital
Entergy’s sources to meet its capital requirements and to fund potential investments include:
•internally generated funds;
•cash on hand ($1,929 million as of December 31, 2025);
•storm reserve escrow accounts;
•debt and equity issuances in the capital markets, including debt issuances to refund or retire currently outstanding or maturing indebtedness;
•bank financing under new or existing facilities or commercial paper; and
•sales of assets.
Circumstances such as weather patterns, fuel and purchased power price fluctuations, and unanticipated expenses, including unscheduled plant outages and storms, could affect the timing and level of internally generated funds in the future. In addition to the financings necessary to meet capital requirements and contractual obligations, the Registrant Subsidiaries expect to continue, when economically feasible, to retire higher-cost debt and replace it with lower-cost debt if market conditions permit.
Provisions within the organizational documents relating to preferred stock or membership interests of certain of Entergy Corporation’s subsidiaries could restrict the payment of cash dividends or other distributions on their common and preferred equity. All debt and preferred equity issuances by the Registrant Subsidiaries require prior regulatory approval and their debt issuances are also subject to requirements set forth in bond indentures and other agreements. Entergy believes that the Registrant Subsidiaries have sufficient capacity under these tests to meet foreseeable capital needs for the next twelve months and beyond.
The FERC has jurisdiction over securities issuances by the Utility operating companies and System Energy. The City Council has concurrent jurisdiction over Entergy New Orleans’s securities issuances with maturities longer than one year. The APSC has concurrent jurisdiction over Entergy Arkansas’s issuances of securities secured by Arkansas property, including first mortgage bond issuances. No regulatory approvals are necessary for Entergy Corporation to issue securities. The current FERC-authorized short-term borrowing limits and long-term financing authorization for Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy
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are effective through January 2027. The current FERC-authorized short-term borrowing limit and long-term financing authorization for Entergy Arkansas is effective through February 2028. Entergy Arkansas has obtained first mortgage bond/secured financing authorization from the APSC that extends through December 2027. Entergy New Orleans also has obtained long-term financing authorization from the City Council that extends through December 2027. Entergy Louisiana and System Energy each has obtained long-term financing authorization from the FERC that extends through January 2027 for issuances by the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities. Entergy Arkansas has obtained long-term financing authorization from the FERC that extends through February 2028 for issuances by its nuclear fuel company variable interest entity. In addition to borrowings from commercial banks, the Registrant Subsidiaries may also borrow from the Entergy system money pool and from other internal short-term borrowing arrangements. The money pool is an intercompany cash management program that makes possible intercompany borrowing and lending arrangements, and the money pool and the other internal borrowing arrangements are designed to reduce Entergy’s subsidiaries’ dependence on external short-term borrowings. Borrowings from internal and external short-term borrowings combined may not exceed the FERC-authorized limits. See Notes 4 and 5 to the financial statements for further discussion of Entergy’s borrowing limits, authorizations, and amounts outstanding.
Equity Issuances and Equity Distribution Program
In January 2021, Entergy Corporation entered into an equity distribution sales agreement with several counterparties establishing an at the market equity distribution program, pursuant to which Entergy Corporation may offer and sell from time to time shares of its common stock. The sales agreement provides that, in addition to the issuance and sale of shares of Entergy Corporation common stock, Entergy Corporation may enter into forward sale agreements for the sale of its common stock. The aggregate number of shares of common stock sold under this sales agreement and under any forward sale agreement may not exceed an aggregate gross sales price of $4.5 billion. As of December 31, 2025, Entergy Corporation has utilized the equity distribution program either to sell or to enter into forward sale agreements with respect to shares of common stock with an aggregate gross sales price of approximately $2.8 billion, of which approximately $2.6 billion of aggregate gross sales price was the subject of forward sale agreements, subject to adjustment pursuant to the forward sale agreements. Entergy Corporation settled certain of its then-outstanding forward sale agreements for cash proceeds of $131 million in 2023 and $1,138 million in 2025. There were no settlements of forward sale agreements for the year ended December 31, 2024.
In March 2025, Entergy Corporation marketed an equity offering of 17.8 million shares of Entergy Corporation common stock. In lieu of issuing equity at the time of the offering, Entergy Corporation entered into forward sale agreements with several forward counterparties. The forward sale agreements require Entergy Corporation to, at its election on or prior to September 30, 2026, either (1) physically settle the transactions by issuing the total of 17.8 million shares of its common stock to the forward counterparties in exchange for net proceeds at the then-applicable forward sale price specified by the agreements (initially $81.87 per share) or (2) net settle the transactions in whole or in part through the delivery or receipt of cash or shares. The forward sale price is subject to adjustment on a daily basis based on a floating interest rate factor and will decrease by other fixed amounts specified in the agreements.
In February 2026, Entergy Corporation physically settled a portion of its obligations under certain of its outstanding forward sale agreements under its at the market equity distribution program for cash proceeds of $346 million.
Entergy Corporation currently expects to issue approximately $4.4 billion of equity through 2029, which it may issue under its at the market equity distribution program or otherwise, with approximately $1.9 billion already contracted under forward sale agreements as of December 31, 2025, including under its at the market equity distribution program ($346 million of which were settled in February 2026 as described above) and the March 2025 equity offering described above. See Note 7 to the financial statements for discussion of the forward sale agreements and common stock issuances and sales under the equity distribution program.
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Entergy Texas Build-to-Suit Lease Arrangement for the Legend Power Station
In December 2025, Entergy Texas entered into a build-to-suit lease arrangement for the Legend Power Station as the lessee with a consortium of investors (the Investors). Under the terms of the arrangement, the Investors purchased the in-process Legend Power Station construction project from Entergy Texas at a cost of $359 million and will spend up to $1.45 billion (including the initial purchase price) to construct the Legend Power Station project as designed by Entergy Texas. Entergy Texas is engaged to serve as the construction agent for the Legend Power Station project. The Investors, however, control the asset during construction. If Entergy Texas defaults in its role as construction agent, the Investors have various options available to remedy the default, including by accelerating the lease balance payable by Entergy Texas, causing a sale of the Legend Power Station project to a third party, or certain other options. If there are certain changes to the terms of the PUCT approval of the Legend Power Station project or certain other circumstances outside of Entergy Texas’s control, then either the Investors or Entergy Texas could exercise the right to terminate the arrangement, in which case Entergy Texas would be required to purchase the in-process Legend Power Station project from the Investors at an amount equal to their costs incurred to date, including carrying costs. Since Entergy Texas does not control the in-process construction project, it will not recognize the asset (i.e., construction work in progress) or an associated liability during construction.
Upon the Legend Power Station’s readiness for first synchronization to the grid, expected in early 2028, a triple-net lease will commence under which Entergy Texas will have control of the Legend Power Station and receive all output from the plant. The initial term of the lease will end seven years from the closing of the arrangement, or approximately five years after the Legend Power Station’s expected readiness for first synchronization to the grid. The lease cost will be equal to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate plus a margin which is based on the credit rating of Entergy Texas, multiplied by the total costs (including carrying costs) incurred by the Investors as of the commencement of the lease. Entergy Texas will have the option to purchase the Legend Power Station at any time during the lease term at a price equal to the total cost of the plant to the Investors, plus any fees and carrying charges owed to the Investors. If the purchase price option is exercised within two years of commencement of the triple-net lease, Entergy Texas must enter into a secured note payable to the Investors for the amount of the purchase price. The note payable would be due at the end of the initial lease term, but may be prepaid at any time beginning two years after the commencement date of the lease. The note will be secured by the Legend Power Station and related equipment and collateral.
At the end of the initial lease term, Entergy Texas must exercise one of the following options: 1) renew the lease for an additional five year term, subject to unanimous consent of the Investors, 2) purchase the plant at a price equal to the total cost of the plant to Investors, plus any fees and carrying charges owed to the Investors, or 3) sell the plant on behalf of the Investors. If Entergy Texas chooses the third option, then it will owe or be owed any difference between the total cost of the plant to Investors and the sale price.
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Cash Flow Activity
As shown in Entergy’s Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 were as follows:
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period | $860 | $133 | $224 | ||||
| Net cash provided by (used in): | |||||||
| Operating activities | 5,150 | 4,488 | 4,294 | ||||
| Investing activities | (7,109) | (5,849) | (4,629) | ||||
| Financing activities | 3,028 | 2,088 | 244 | ||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | 1,069 | 727 | (91) | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at end of period | $1,929 | $860 | $133 |
2025 Compared to 2024
Operating Activities
Net cash flow provided by operating activities increased $662 million in 2025 primarily due to:
•higher collections from Utility customers;
•the receipt of $547 million in proceeds from the transfer of 2024 nuclear and solar production tax credits to third parties in 2025. See Note 3 to the financial statements for discussion of the nuclear and solar production tax credits;
•an increase of $401 million in receipts from advance payments related to customer agreements in 2025, of which $366 million is recorded as current liabilities and included within changes in other working capital accounts; and
•one-time bill credits of $92 million in 2024 to Entergy Arkansas’s retail customers through the Grand Gulf credit rider as a result of the System Energy settlement with the APSC. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the System Energy settlement agreement with the APSC and Entergy Arkansas’s Grand Gulf credit rider.
The increase was partially offset by higher fuel and purchased power payments, an increase of $124 million in interest paid, and the timing of payments to vendors. See Note 2 to the financial statements for a discussion of fuel and purchased power cost recovery.
Investing Activities
Net cash flow used in investing activities increased $1,260 million in 2025 primarily due to:
•an increase of $2,154 million in non-nuclear generation construction expenditures primarily due to higher spending by Entergy Arkansas on the Ironwood Power Station (formerly Lake Catherine Unit 5) project and the Jefferson Power Station project, by Entergy Louisiana on the Franklin Farms Power Station Units 1 and 2 project, by Entergy Mississippi on the Delta Blues Advanced Power Station project, the Vicksburg Advanced Power Station project, the Traceview Advanced Power Station project, and the Penton Solar project, and by Entergy Texas on the Legend Power Station project, the Lone Star Power Station project, and the Orange County Advanced Power Station project;
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•an increase of $400 million in distribution construction expenditures primarily due to increased investment in the resilience of the Utility distribution system;
•an increase of $234 million in transmission construction expenditures primarily due to higher capital expenditures as a result of increased development in the Utility service area and increased spending on various transmission projects in 2025;
•an increase of $115 million in nuclear construction expenditures primarily due to increased spending on various nuclear projects in 2025;
•a decrease of $79 million in proceeds received in 2025 as compared to 2024 from the DOE resulting from litigation regarding spent nuclear fuel storage costs. See Note 8 to the financial statements for discussion of the spent nuclear fuel storage litigation;
•cash collateral of $95 million posted in 2025 to support Entergy Arkansas’s and Entergy Louisiana’s obligations to MISO; and
•an increase of $43 million in decommissioning trust fund investment activity.
The increase was partially offset by:
•the receipt of $484 million in proceeds from the sale of the Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans natural gas distribution businesses on July 1, 2025. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the sale of the Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans natural gas distribution businesses on July 1, 2025;
•the initial and substantial completion payments totaling approximately $393 million in 2024 for the purchase of the Driver Solar facility by Entergy Arkansas;
•the receipt of $359 million in proceeds from the sale of assets related to Entergy Texas’s Legend Power Station project in 2025. See Note 8 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Texas build-to-suit lease arrangement for the Legend Power Station;
•the initial and substantial completion payments totaling approximately $240 million in 2024 for the purchase of the West Memphis Solar facility by Entergy Arkansas;
•the initial and substantial completion payments totaling approximately $186 million in 2024 for the purchase of the Walnut Bend Solar facility by Entergy Arkansas;
•a decrease of $68 million in information technology capital expenditures primarily due to decreased spending on various technology projects in 2025;
•a decrease of $57 million in nuclear fuel purchases due to variations from year to year in the timing and pricing of fuel reload requirements, materials and services deliveries, and the timing of cash payments during the nuclear fuel cycle; and
•net receipts from storm reserve escrow accounts of $32 million in 2025 compared to net payments to storm reserve escrow accounts of $17 million in 2024.
See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the Driver Solar facility, the West Memphis Solar facility, and the Walnut Bend Solar facility purchases.
Financing Activities
Net cash flow provided by financing activities increased $940 million in 2025 primarily due to:
•$1,136 million in net proceeds from the issuance of common stock in settlement of forward contracts under the at the market equity distribution program in 2025. There were no issuances of common stock under the at the market equity distribution program in 2024; and
•an increase of $638 million in net customer advances for construction related to transmission, distribution, and generator interconnection agreements.
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The increase was partially offset by:
•long-term debt activity providing approximately $2,249 million of cash in 2025 compared to providing approximately $2,845 million of cash in 2024;
•a decrease of $100 million in proceeds received from treasury stock issuances in 2025 due to a smaller amount of previously repurchased Entergy Corporation common stock issued in 2025 to satisfy stock option exercises as compared to 2024;
•an increase of $92 million in common stock dividends paid in 2025 as a result of an increase in the dividend paid per share in 2025 as compared to 2024 and an increase in the number of shares outstanding; and
•an increase of $59 million in net repayments of commercial paper in 2025 as compared to 2024.
See Note 7 to the financial statements for discussion of the equity distribution program. See Note 5 to the financial statements for details of long-term debt. See Note 4 to the financial statements for details of Entergy’s commercial paper program.
2024 Compared to 2023
See “MANAGEMENT’S FINANCIAL DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS - Liquidity and Capital Resources - Cash Flow Activity” in Item 7 of Entergy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 18, 2025, for discussion of operating, investing, and financing cash flow activities for 2024 compared to 2023.
Industrial and Commercial Customers
Entergy’s large industrial and commercial customers continually explore ways to reduce their energy costs. Entergy responds by working with industrial and commercial customers to negotiate electric service contracts with competitive rates that match specific customer needs and load profiles. Additionally, cogeneration is an option available to a portion of Entergy’s industrial customer base. Entergy actively participates in economic development, customer retention, and reclamation activities to increase industrial and commercial demand from both new and existing customers.
Rate, Cost-recovery, and Other Regulation
State and Local Rate Regulation and Fuel-Cost Recovery
The rates that the Utility operating companies charge for their services significantly influence Entergy’s financial position, results of operations, and liquidity. These companies are regulated, and the rates charged to their customers are determined in regulatory proceedings. Governmental agencies, including the APSC, the LPSC, the MPSC, the City Council, and the PUCT, are primarily responsible for approval of the rates charged to customers. Following is a summary of the Utility operating companies’ authorized returns on common equity:
| Company | Authorized Return on Common Equity | |
|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas | 9.15% - 10.15% | |
| Entergy Louisiana | 9.3% - 10.1% | |
| Entergy Mississippi | 10.25% - 12.26% | |
| Entergy New Orleans | 8.85% - 9.85% | |
| Entergy Texas | 9.57% |
Rate regulation and related regulatory proceedings and fuel and purchased power cost recovery proceedings for the Utility operating companies are discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements.
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Federal Regulation
The FERC regulates wholesale sales of electricity rates and interstate transmission of electricity, including rates for System Energy’s sales of capacity and energy from Grand Gulf to Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Mississippi, and Entergy New Orleans pursuant to the Unit Power Sales Agreement. The current return on equity under the Unit Power Sales Agreement is 9.65%. The Unit Power Sales Agreement is discussed in Note 8 to the financial statements.
Market and Credit Risk Sensitive Instruments
Market risk is the risk of changes in the value of commodity and financial instruments, or in future net income or cash flows, in response to changing market conditions. Entergy holds commodity and financial instruments that are exposed to the following significant market risks:
•The commodity price risk associated with the sale of electricity by Entergy’s non-utility operations business.
•The interest rate and equity price risk associated with Entergy’s investments in qualified pension and other postretirement benefits trust funds. See Note 11 to the financial statements for details regarding Entergy’s qualified pension and other postretirement benefits trust funds.
•The interest rate and equity price risk associated with Entergy’s investments in nuclear plant decommissioning trust funds. See Note 16 to the financial statements for details regarding Entergy’s decommissioning trust funds.
•The interest rate risk associated with changes in interest rates as a result of Entergy’s outstanding indebtedness. Entergy manages its interest rate exposure by monitoring current interest rates and its debt outstanding in relation to total capitalization, and by hedging some of its exposure to interest rates via derivative instruments. See Notes 4 and 5 to the financial statements for the details of Entergy’s debt outstanding. See Note 15 to the financial statements for further details on Entergy’s derivative instruments and hedging activities.
The Utility has limited exposure to the effects of market risk because it operates primarily under cost-based rate regulation. To the extent approved by their retail regulators, the Utility operating companies use commodity and financial instruments to hedge the exposure to price volatility inherent in their purchased power, fuel, and gas purchased for resale costs that are recovered from customers.
Entergy’s commodity and financial instruments are also exposed to credit risk. Credit risk is the risk of loss from nonperformance by suppliers, customers, or financial counterparties to a contract or agreement. Entergy is also exposed to a potential demand on liquidity due to credit support requirements within its supply or sales agreements.
Some of the agreements to sell the power produced by Entergy’s non-utility operations business contain provisions that require an Entergy subsidiary to provide credit support to secure its obligations under such agreements. The primary form of credit support used to satisfy these requirements is an Entergy Corporation guarantee. Cash and letters of credit are also acceptable forms of credit support. At December 31, 2025, based on power prices at that time, Entergy had $4 million of posted cash collateral.
In addition to the ability to post cash collateral, each of the Utility operating companies has uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as a means to post collateral to support its obligations to MISO and for other purposes. See Note 4 to the financial statements for discussion of these letter of credit facilities. As of December 31, 2025, Entergy Arkansas had $37 million of posted cash collateral and Entergy Louisiana had $58 million of posted cash collateral.
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Nuclear Matters
Entergy’s Utility business includes the ownership and operation of nuclear generating plants and is, therefore, subject to the risks related to such ownership and operation. These include risks related to: the acquisition, use, storage, and handling and disposal of high-level and low-level radioactive materials; the substantial financial requirements, both for capital investments and operational needs, including the financial requirements to address emerging issues related to equipment reliability, to position Entergy’s nuclear fleet to meet its operational goals; the performance and capacity factors of these nuclear plants; regulatory requirements and potential future regulatory changes, including changes affecting the regulations governing nuclear plant ownership, operations, license amendments, and decommissioning; the availability of interim or permanent sites for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste, including the fees charged for such disposal; the sufficiency of nuclear decommissioning trust fund assets and earnings to complete decommissioning of each site when required; and limitations on the amounts of insurance recoveries for losses in connection with nuclear plant operations and catastrophic events such as a nuclear accident.
NRC Reactor Oversight Process
The NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process is a program to collect information about plant performance, assess the information for its safety significance, and provide for appropriate licensee and NRC response. The NRC evaluates plant performance by analyzing two distinct inputs: inspection findings resulting from the NRC’s inspection program and performance indicators reported by the licensee. The evaluations result in the placement of each plant in one of the NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process Action Matrix columns: “licensee response column,” or Column 1, “regulatory response column,” or Column 2, “degraded cornerstone column,” or Column 3, “multiple/repetitive degraded cornerstone column,” or Column 4, and “unacceptable performance,” or Column 5. Plants in Column 1 are subject to normal NRC inspection activities. Plants in Column 2, Column 3, or Column 4 are subject to progressively increasing levels of inspection by the NRC with, in general, progressively increasing levels of associated costs. Continued plant operation is not permitted for plants in Column 5. All of the nuclear generating plants owned and operated by Entergy’s Utility business are currently in Column 1.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of Entergy’s financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to apply appropriate accounting policies and to make estimates and judgments that can have a significant effect on reported financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. Management has identified the following accounting estimates as critical because they are based on assumptions and measurements that involve a high degree of uncertainty, and the potential for future changes in these assumptions and measurements could produce estimates that would have a material effect on the presentation of Entergy’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
Nuclear Decommissioning Costs
Certain of the Utility operating companies and System Energy own nuclear generation facilities. Regulations require these Entergy subsidiaries to decommission the nuclear power plants after each facility is taken out of service, and cash is deposited in trust funds during the facilities’ operating lives in order to provide for this obligation. Entergy conducts periodic decommissioning cost studies to estimate the costs that will be incurred to decommission the facilities. The following key assumptions have a significant effect on these estimates.
•Timing - In projecting decommissioning costs, two assumptions must be made to estimate the timing of plant decommissioning. First, the date of the plant’s retirement must be estimated for those plants that do not have an announced shutdown date. The estimate may include assumptions regarding the possibility that the plant may have an operating life shorter than the operating license expiration. Second, an assumption must be made regarding whether all decommissioning activity will proceed immediately upon plant
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retirement, or whether the plant will be placed in SAFSTOR status. SAFSTOR is decommissioning a facility by placing it in a safe, stable condition that is maintained until it is subsequently decontaminated and dismantled to levels that permit license termination, normally within 60 years from permanent cessation of operations. A change of assumption regarding either the period of continued operation, the use of a SAFSTOR period, or whether Entergy will continue to hold the plant or the plant is held for sale can change the present value of the asset retirement obligation.
•Cost Escalation Factors - Entergy’s current decommissioning cost studies include an assumption that decommissioning costs will escalate over present cost levels by factors ranging from approximately 2% to 3% annually. A 50-basis point change in this assumption could change the estimated present value of the decommissioning liabilities by approximately 8% to 15%. The timing assumption influences the significance of the effect of a change in the estimated inflation or cost escalation rate because the effect increases with the length of time assumed before decommissioning activity ends.
•Spent Fuel Disposal - Federal law requires the DOE to provide for the permanent storage of spent nuclear fuel, and legislation has been passed by Congress to develop a repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The DOE has not yet begun accepting spent nuclear fuel and is in non-compliance with federal law. The DOE continues to delay meeting its obligation and Entergy’s nuclear plant owners are continuing to pursue damage claims against the DOE for its failure to provide timely spent fuel storage. Until a federal site is available, however, nuclear plant operators must provide for interim spent fuel storage on the nuclear plant site, which can require the construction and maintenance of dry cask storage sites or other facilities. The costs of developing and maintaining these facilities during the decommissioning period can have a significant effect (as much as an average of 20% to 30% of total estimated decommissioning costs). Entergy’s decommissioning studies include cost estimates for spent fuel storage. These estimates could change in the future, however, based on the expected timing of when the DOE begins to fulfill its obligation to receive and store spent nuclear fuel. See Note 8 to the financial statements for further discussion of Entergy’s spent nuclear fuel litigation.
•Technology and Regulation - Over the past several years, more practical experience with the actual decommissioning of nuclear facilities has been gained and that experience has been incorporated into Entergy’s current decommissioning cost estimates. Given the long duration of decommissioning projects, additional experience, including technological advancements in decommissioning, could be gained and affect current cost estimates. In addition, if regulations regarding nuclear decommissioning were to change, this could affect cost estimates.
•Interest Rates - The estimated decommissioning costs that are the basis for the recorded decommissioning liability are discounted to present value using a credit-adjusted risk-free rate. When the decommissioning liability is revised, increases in cash flows are discounted using the current credit-adjusted risk-free rate. Decreases in estimated cash flows are discounted using the credit-adjusted risk-free rate used previously in estimating the decommissioning liability that is being revised. Therefore, to the extent that a revised cost study results in an increase in estimated cash flows, a change in interest rates from the time of the previous cost estimate will affect the calculation of the present value of the revised decommissioning liability.
Revisions of estimated decommissioning costs that decrease the liability also result in a decrease in the asset retirement cost asset. Revisions of estimated decommissioning costs that increase the liability result in an increase in the asset retirement cost asset, which is then depreciated over the asset’s remaining economic life. See Note 9 to the financial statements for further discussion of asset retirement obligations.
Utility Regulatory Accounting
Entergy’s Utility operating companies and System Energy are subject to retail regulation by their respective state and local regulators and to wholesale regulation by the FERC. Because these regulatory agencies set the rates the Utility operating companies and System Energy are allowed to charge customers based on allowable costs, including a reasonable return on equity, the Utility operating companies and System Energy apply accounting standards that require the financial statements to reflect the effects of rate regulation, including the recording of regulatory assets and liabilities. Regulatory assets represent incurred costs that have been deferred because they are
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probable of future recovery from customers through regulated rates. Regulatory liabilities represent (1) revenue or gains that have been deferred because it is probable such amounts will be credited to customers through future regulated rates, (2) billings in advance of expenditures for approved regulatory programs, or (3) refunds ordered by regulators. See Note 2 to the financial statements for a discussion of rate and regulatory matters, including details of Entergy’s and the Registrant Subsidiaries’ regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities.
For each regulatory jurisdiction in which they conduct business, the Utility operating companies and System Energy assess whether the regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities continue to meet the criteria for probable future recovery or settlement at each balance sheet date and when regulatory events occur. This assessment includes consideration of recent rate orders, historical regulatory treatment for similar costs, and factors such as changes in applicable regulatory and political environments. If the assessments made by the Utility operating companies and System Energy are ultimately different than actual regulatory outcomes, it could materially affect the results of operations, financial position, and cash flows of Entergy or the Registrant Subsidiaries.
Taxation and Uncertain Tax Positions
Management exercises significant judgment in evaluating the potential tax effects of Entergy’s operations, transactions, and other events. Entergy accounts for uncertain income tax positions using a recognition model under a two-step approach with a more likely-than-not recognition threshold and a measurement approach based on the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement. Management evaluates each tax position based on the technical merits and facts and circumstances of the position, assuming the position will be examined by a taxing authority having full knowledge of all relevant information. Significant judgment is required to determine whether available information supports the assertion that the recognition threshold has been met. Additionally, measurement of unrecognized tax benefits to be recorded in the consolidated financial statements is based on the probability of different potential outcomes. Income tax expense and tax positions recorded could be significantly affected by events such as additional transactions contemplated or consummated by Entergy as well as audits by taxing authorities of the tax positions taken in transactions. Management believes that the financial statement tax balances are accounted for and adjusted appropriately each quarter, as necessary, in accordance with applicable authoritative guidance; however, the ultimate outcome of tax matters could result in favorable or unfavorable effects on the consolidated financial statements.
Certain Entergy subsidiaries have elected to apply the mark-to-market method of accounting for income tax return purposes to wholesale power purchase agreements as appropriate under the Internal Revenue Code and U.S. Treasury Regulations. The mark-to-market tax gain or loss computed each year is based on an estimated fair market valuation which includes analyses of market prices and conditions. Entergy’s and the Registrant Subsidiaries’ mark-to-market tax position could be affected by the outcome of federal and state income tax audits should taxing authorities challenge such valuations.
Entergy’s income taxes, including unrecognized tax benefits, open audits, and other significant tax matters, are discussed in Note 3 to the financial statements. See “Income Tax Legislation and Regulation” above for discussion of income tax legislation and regulation.
Qualified Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits
Entergy sponsors qualified, defined benefit pension plans, including cash balance plans and final average pay plans. Generally, plan participation is determined based on the employee’s most recent date of hire and collective bargaining agreement, where applicable. Additionally, Entergy currently provides other postretirement health care and life insurance benefits for full-time employees whose most recent date of hire or rehire is before July 1, 2014, and who reach retirement age and meet certain eligibility requirements while still working for Entergy.
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Entergy’s reported costs of providing these benefits, as described in Note 11 to the financial statements, are affected by numerous factors including the provisions of the plans, changing employee demographics, and various actuarial calculations, assumptions, and accounting mechanisms. Because of the complexity of these calculations, the long-term nature of these obligations, and the importance of the assumptions utilized, Entergy’s estimate of these costs is a critical accounting estimate for Entergy and the Registrant Subsidiaries.
Assumptions
Key actuarial assumptions utilized in determining qualified pension and postretirement health care and life insurance costs include discount rates, projected healthcare cost rates, expected long-term rate of return on plan assets, rate of increase in future compensation levels, retirement rates, expected timing and form of payments, and mortality rates.
Annually, Entergy reviews and, when necessary, adjusts the assumptions for the qualified pension and other postretirement plans. Every three-to-five years, a formal actuarial assumption experience study that compares assumptions to the actual experience of the qualified pension and postretirement health care and life insurance plans is conducted. The interest rate environment over the past few years and volatility in the financial equity markets have affected Entergy’s funding and reported costs for these benefits.
Discount rates
In selecting an assumed discount rate to calculate benefit obligations, Entergy uses a yield curve based on high-quality corporate debt with cash flows matching the expected plan benefit payments. In estimating the service cost and interest cost components of net periodic benefit cost, Entergy discounts the expected cash flows by the applicable spot rates.
Projected health care cost trend rates
Entergy’s health care cost trend is affected by both medical cost inflation and, with respect to capped costs under the plan, the effects of general inflation. Entergy reviews actual recent cost trends and projected future trends in establishing its health care cost trend rates.
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets
In determining its expected long-term rate of return on plan assets used in the calculation of benefit plan costs, Entergy reviews past performance, current and expected future asset allocations, and capital market assumptions of its investment consultant and some of its investment managers. Entergy conducts periodic asset/liability studies in order to set its target asset allocations.
In 2023, Entergy implemented a new asset allocation strategy for its pension assets, based on the funded status of each plan within the trust. The new strategy no longer focuses on targeting an overall asset allocation for the trust, but rather a target asset allocation for each plan within the trust that adjusts dynamically based on the funded status. The ultimate asset allocation for each plan is expected to be attained when the plan is 110% funded. The 2025 weighted-average target pension asset allocation is 30% equity and 70% fixed income securities, of which 66% is long duration fixed income.
In 2017, Entergy changed its asset allocation strategy for its non-taxable and taxable other postretirement assets, based on the funded status of each sub-account within each trust. The strategy no longer focuses on targeting an overall asset allocation for each trust, but rather a target asset allocation for each sub-account within each trust that adjusts dynamically based on the funded status. This strategy was reaffirmed based upon an asset/liability study in 2024. The 2025 weighted-average target postretirement asset allocation is 23% equity and 77% fixed income securities.
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See Note 11 to the financial statements for discussion of the current asset allocations for Entergy’s pension and other postretirement assets.
Costs and Sensitivities
The estimated 2026 and actual 2025 qualified pension and other postretirement costs and related underlying assumptions and sensitivities are shown below:
| Costs | Estimated 2026 | 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||
| Qualified pension cost | $66.2 | $99.3 (a) | ||
| Other postretirement income | ($2.4) | ($20.3) (a) | ||
| Assumptions | 2026 | 2025 | ||
| Discount rates | ||||
| Qualified pension | ||||
| Service cost | 5.66% | 5.75% | ||
| Interest cost | 5.06% | 5.46% | ||
| Other postretirement | ||||
| Service cost | 5.55% | 5.50% | ||
| Interest cost | 4.90% | 5.36% | ||
| Expected long-term rates of return | ||||
| Qualified pension assets | 6.25% - 6.75% Blended 6.72% | 6.00% - 7.00% Blended 6.75% | ||
| Other postretirement - non-taxable assets | 5.75% - 6.75% | 6.00% - 7.00% | ||
| Other postretirement - taxable assets - after tax rate | 4.75% | 4.75% | ||
| Weighted-average rate of increase in future compensation | 3.98% - 4.45% | 3.98% - 4.45% | ||
| Assumed health care cost trend rates | ||||
| Pre-65 retirees | 8.50% | 8.15% | ||
| Post-65 retirees | 10.63% | 10.13% | ||
| Ultimate health care cost trend rate | 4.75% | 4.75% | ||
| Year ultimate health care cost trend rate is reached and beyond | ||||
| Pre-65 retirees | 2036 | 2035 | ||
| Post-65 retirees | 2036 | 2035 |
(a) In 2025, qualified pension cost included settlement costs of $23.9 million and other postretirement income included settlement and curtailment credits of $5.2 million.
Actual asset returns have an effect on Entergy’s qualified pension and other postretirement costs. In 2025, Entergy’s actual annual return on qualified pension assets was approximately 12.50% and on other postretirement assets was approximately 11%, as compared to the 2025 expected long-term rates of return discussed above.
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The following chart reflects the sensitivity of qualified pension cost and qualified pension projected benefit obligation to changes in certain actuarial assumptions (dollars in millions):
| Actuarial Assumption | Change in Assumption | Impact on 2026 Qualified Pension Cost | Impact on 2025 Qualified Pension Projected Benefit Obligation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase/(Decrease) | ||||||
| Discount rate | (0.25%) | $4 | $103 | |||
| Rate of return on plan assets | (0.25%) | $12 | $— | |||
| Rate of increase in compensation | 0.25% | $4 | $22 |
The following chart reflects the sensitivity of postretirement benefits cost and accumulated postretirement benefit obligation to changes in certain actuarial assumptions (dollars in millions):
| Actuarial Assumption | Change in Assumption | Impact on 2026 Postretirement Benefits Cost | Impact on 2025 Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase/(Decrease) | ||||||
| Discount rate | (0.25%) | $2 | $21 | |||
| Health care cost trend | 0.25% | $2 | $11 |
Each fluctuation above assumes that the other components of the calculation are held constant.
Accounting Mechanisms
In accordance with pension accounting standards, Entergy utilizes a number of accounting mechanisms that reduce the volatility of reported pension costs. Differences between actuarial assumptions and actual plan results are deferred and are amortized into expense only when the accumulated differences exceed 10% of the greater of the projected benefit obligation or the market-related value of plan assets. If necessary, the excess is amortized over the average remaining service period of active employees. If almost all of the plan participants are inactive, as is the case for certain qualified pension plans, the excess is amortized over the remaining life expectancy of plan participants. Additionally, accounting standards allow for the deferral of prior service costs/credits arising from plan amendments that attribute an increase or decrease in benefits to employee service in prior periods. Prior service costs/credits are then amortized into expense over the average future working life of active employees. Certain decisions, including workforce reductions, plan amendments, and plant shutdowns, may significantly reduce the expense amortization period and result in immediate recognition of certain previously-deferred costs and gains/losses in the form of curtailment gains or losses. Similarly, payments made to settle benefit obligations, including lump sum benefit payments, can also result in accelerated recognition in the form of settlement losses or gains. Several Entergy subsidiaries received regulatory approval to defer the expense portion of settlement charges and amortize into expense over time. See Note 11 to the financial statements for further discussion.
Entergy calculates the expected return on pension and other postretirement benefits plan assets by multiplying the long-term expected rate of return on assets by the market-related value (MRV) of plan assets. Entergy determines the MRV of its pension plan assets, except for the long duration fixed income assets, by calculating a value that uses a 20-quarter phase-in of the difference between actual and expected returns. For the long duration fixed income assets in the pension trust and for its other postretirement benefits plan assets, Entergy uses fair value as the MRV.
Accounting standards require an employer to recognize in its balance sheet the funded status of its benefit plans. See Note 11 to the financial statements for further discussion of Entergy’s funded status.
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Employer Contributions
Entergy contributed $240 million to its qualified pension plans in 2025. Entergy estimates pension contributions will be approximately $200 million in 2026 although the 2026 required pension contributions will be known with more certainty when the January 1, 2026, valuations are completed, which is expected by April 1, 2026.
Minimum required funding calculations as determined under Pension Protection Act guidance, as amended by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, are performed annually as of January 1 of each year and are based on measurements of the assets and funding liabilities as measured at that date. Any excess of the funding liability over the calculated fair market value of assets results in a funding shortfall that must be funded over a fifteen-year rolling period. The Pension Protection Act also imposes certain plan limitations if the funded percentage, which is based on calculated fair market values of assets divided by funding liabilities, does not meet certain thresholds. For funding purposes, asset gains and losses are smoothed into the calculated fair market value of assets. The funding liability is based upon a weighted-average 24-month corporate bond rate published by the U.S. Treasury which is generally subject to a corridor of the 25-year average of prior segment rates. Periodic changes in asset returns and interest rates can affect funding shortfalls and future cash contributions.
Entergy contributed $45.2 million to its other postretirement plans in 2025 and plans to contribute $40.9 million in 2026.
Other Contingencies
As a company with multi-state utility operations, Entergy is subject to a number of federal and state laws and regulations and other factors and conditions in the areas in which it operates, which potentially subjects it to environmental, litigation, and other risks. Entergy periodically evaluates its exposure for such risks and records a provision for those matters which are considered probable and estimable in accordance with GAAP.
Environmental
Entergy must comply with environmental laws and regulations applicable to air emissions, water discharges, solid waste (including coal combustion residuals), hazardous waste, toxic substances, protected species, and other environmental matters. Under these various laws and regulations, Entergy could incur substantial costs to comply or address any impacts to the environment. Entergy conducts studies to determine the extent of any required remediation and has recorded liabilities based upon its evaluation of the likelihood of loss and expected dollar amount for each issue. Additional sites or issues could be identified which require environmental remediation or corrective action for which Entergy could be liable. The amounts of environmental liabilities recorded can be significantly affected by the following external events or conditions.
•Changes to existing federal, state, or local regulation or related policies by governmental authorities having jurisdiction over air quality, water quality, control of toxic substances and hazardous and solid wastes, and other environmental matters.
•The identification of additional impacts, sites, issues, or the filing of other complaints in which Entergy may be asserted to be a potentially responsible party.
•The resolution or progression of existing matters through the court system or resolution by the EPA or relevant state or local authority.
Litigation
Entergy is regularly named as a defendant in a number of lawsuits involving employment, customers, and injuries and damages issues, among other matters. Entergy periodically reviews the cases in which it has been named as defendant and assesses the likelihood of loss in each case as probable, reasonably possible, or remote and records liabilities for cases that have a probable likelihood of loss and the loss can be estimated. Given the
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environment in which Entergy operates, and the unpredictable nature of many of the cases in which Entergy is named as a defendant, the ultimate outcome of the litigation to which Entergy is exposed has the potential to materially affect the results of operations, financial position, and cash flows of Entergy or the Registrant Subsidiaries.
New Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 1 to the financial statements for discussion of new accounting pronouncements.
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MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000065984-25-000012.
Results of Operations
2024 Compared to 2023
Following are income statement variances for Utility, Parent & Other, and Entergy comparing 2024 to 2023 showing how much the line item increased or (decreased) in comparison to the prior period.
| Utility | Parent & Other (a) | Entergy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Thousands) | |||||||
| 2023 Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Entergy Corporation | $2,507,127 | ($150,591) | $2,356,536 | ||||
| Operating revenues | (217,142) | (50,617) | (267,759) | ||||
| Fuel, fuel-related expenses, and gas purchased for resale | (541,322) | (3,384) | (544,706) | ||||
| Purchased power | (97,538) | (31,262) | (128,800) | ||||
| Other regulatory charges (credits) - net | 132,336 | — | 132,336 | ||||
| Other operation and maintenance | 13,108 | (13,084) | 24 | ||||
| Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges (credits) | 51,813 | 12,642 | 64,455 | ||||
| Taxes other than income taxes | (2,107) | (519) | (2,626) | ||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 168,117 | 48 | 168,165 | ||||
| Other income (deductions) | 244,652 | (362,917) | (118,265) | ||||
| Interest expense | 83,012 | 61,402 | 144,414 | ||||
| Other expenses | 10,182 | 96 | 10,278 | ||||
| Income taxes | 890,512 | 181,050 | 1,071,562 | ||||
| Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries and noncontrolling interests | (180) | — | (180) | ||||
| 2024 Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Entergy Corporation | $1,826,704 | ($771,114) | $1,055,590 |
(a)Parent & Other includes eliminations, which are primarily intersegment activity.
Results of operations for 2024 include: (1) a $320 million ($253 million net-of-tax) settlement charge, reflected in Parent & Other above, recognized as a result of a group annuity contract purchased in 2024 to settle certain pension liabilities; (2) expenses of $151 million ($112 million net-of-tax), recorded at Utility in second quarter 2024, primarily consisting of regulatory charges to reflect the effects of an agreement in principle between Entergy Louisiana and the LPSC staff and the intervenors in July 2024 to renew Entergy Louisiana’s formula rate
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plan and resolve a number of other retail dockets and matters, including all formula rate plan test years prior to 2023; (3) a $132 million ($97 million net-of-tax) charge, recorded at Utility, to reflect the write-off of a previously recorded regulatory asset as a result of an adverse decision in the Entergy Arkansas opportunity sales proceeding in March 2024; and (4) a $78 million ($57 million net-of-tax) regulatory charge, recorded at Utility in first quarter 2024, primarily to reflect a settlement in principle between Entergy New Orleans and the City Council in April 2024 for additional sharing with customers of income tax benefits from the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit. See Note 11 to the financial statements for discussion of the group annuity contract and settlement charge. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Louisiana agreement in principle and the subsequently filed global stipulated settlement agreement. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Arkansas opportunity sales proceeding. See Note 3 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy New Orleans April 2024 settlement in principle and discussion of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit.
Results of operations for 2023 include: (1) a $568 million reduction, recorded at Utility, and a $275 million reduction, recorded at Parent & Other, in income tax expense as a result of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit, partially offset by $98 million ($72 million net-of-tax) of regulatory charges, recorded at Utility, to reflect credits expected to be provided to customers by Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans as a result of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit; (2) the reversal of a $106 million regulatory liability, primarily associated with the Hurricane Isaac securitization, recognized in 2017 as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, recorded at Utility, as part of the settlement of Entergy Louisiana’s test year 2017 formula rate plan filing; (3) a $129 million reduction in income tax expense as a result of Entergy Louisiana’s storm cost securitization in March 2023, partially offset by a $103 million ($76 million net-of-tax) regulatory charge, recorded at Utility, to reflect Entergy Louisiana’s obligation to provide credits to its customers as described in an LPSC ancillary order issued as part of the securitization regulatory proceeding; and (4) write-offs of $78 million ($59 million net-of-tax), recorded at Utility, as a result of Entergy Arkansas’s approved motion to forgo recovery of identified costs resulting from the 2013 ANO stator incident. See Note 3 to the financial statements for discussion of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit and discussion of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. See Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of the Entergy Louisiana formula rate plan global settlement. See Notes 2 and 3 to the financial statements for further discussion of the Entergy Louisiana March 2023 storm cost securitization. See Note 8 to the financial statements for further discussion of the ANO stator incident and the approved motion to forgo recovery.
Operating Revenues
Utility
Following is an analysis of the change in operating revenues comparing 2024 to 2023:
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |
| 2023 operating revenues | $12,023 |
| Fuel, rider, and other revenues that do not significantly affect net income | (393) |
| Retail one-time bill credit | (92) |
| Storm restoration carrying costs | (36) |
| Volume/weather | 87 |
| Retail electric price | 217 |
| 2024 operating revenues | $11,806 |
The Utility operating companies’ results include revenues from rate mechanisms designed to recover fuel, purchased power, and other costs such that the revenues and expenses associated with these items generally offset
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and do not affect net income. “Fuel, rider, and other revenues that do not significantly affect net income” includes the revenue variance associated with these items.
The retail one-time bill credit represents the disbursement of settlement proceeds in the form of a one-time bill credit provided to Entergy Arkansas’s retail customers during the August 2024 billing cycle through the Grand Gulf credit rider as a result of the System Energy settlement with the APSC. There is no effect on net income because Entergy previously recorded a regulatory liability at the time of the global black box settlement reached between System Energy and the MPSC in June 2022. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the System Energy settlements with the APSC and the MPSC and discussion of Entergy Arkansas’s Grand Gulf credit rider.
Storm restoration carrying costs, representing the equity component of storm restoration carrying costs, includes $31 million recognized by Entergy Louisiana as part of its March 2023 storm cost securitization and $5 million recognized by Entergy New Orleans as part of the City Council’s approval of the Entergy New Orleans storm cost certification report in December 2023. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the storm cost securitizations.
The volume/weather variance is primarily due to an increase in weather-adjusted residential and commercial usage, partially offset by the effect of less favorable weather on residential and commercial sales. The increase in weather-adjusted residential usage is the result of higher fixed charges, partially offset by lower volumetric rates, applied to lower usage. Adding to this was an increase in industrial usage primarily due to an increase in demand from large industrial customers, primarily in the petroleum refining and chlor-alkali industries and from new customers in the technology industry.
The retail electric price variance is primarily due to:
•an increase in Entergy Arkansas’s formula rate plan rates effective January 2024;
•increases in Entergy Louisiana’s formula rate plan revenues, including increases in the distribution and transmission recovery mechanisms, effective September 2023 and September 2024;
•increases in Entergy Mississippi’s formula rate plan rates effective April 2024 and July 2024, including the implementation of the interim facilities rate adjustment effective over six months beginning in July 2024;
•increases in Entergy New Orleans’s formula rate plan rates effective September 2023 and September 2024; and
•an increase in Entergy Texas’s base rates effective June 2023 and the implementation of the distribution cost recovery factor rider effective with the first billing cycle in October 2024, partially offset by the implementation of the generation cost recovery relate-back rider for the Hardin County Peaking Facility effective over three months beginning in May 2023.
See Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of the regulatory proceedings discussed above.
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Total electric energy sales for Utility for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 are as follows:
| 2024 | 2023 | % Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (GWh) | |||||||
| Residential | 36,039 | 36,372 | (1) | ||||
| Commercial | 28,251 | 28,221 | — | ||||
| Industrial | 57,081 | 52,807 | 8 | ||||
| Governmental | 2,480 | 2,458 | 1 | ||||
| Total retail | 123,851 | 119,858 | 3 | ||||
| Sales for resale | 14,010 | 15,189 | (8) | ||||
| Total | 137,861 | 135,047 | 2 |
See Note 19 to the financial statements for additional discussion of operating revenues.
Other Income Statement Items
Utility
Other operation and maintenance expenses increased from $2,838 million for 2023 to $2,851 million for 2024 primarily due to:
•an increase of $38 million in compensation and benefits costs primarily due to higher healthcare claims activity, including lower prescription drug rebates in 2024 as compared to 2023, and higher incentive-based accruals in 2024 as compared to 2023;
•an increase of $19 million in energy efficiency expenses primarily due to the timing of recovery from customers;
•an increase of $15 million in transmission costs allocated by MISO. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the recovery of these costs;
•the effects of recording a final judgment in first quarter 2023 to resolve claims in the ANO damages case against the DOE related to spent nuclear fuel storage costs. The damages awarded included the reimbursement of approximately $10 million of spent nuclear fuel storage costs previously recorded as other operation and maintenance expenses. See Note 8 to the financial statements for discussion of the spent nuclear fuel litigation;
•an increase of $10 million in loss provisions;
•an increase of $8 million in storm damage provisions;
•an increase of $7 million in bad debt expense; and
•a gain of $7 million on the partial sale of a service center at Entergy Texas in April 2023 as part of an eminent domain proceeding.
The increase was partially offset by:
•a decrease of $54 million in power delivery expenses primarily due to lower vegetation maintenance costs;
•a decrease of $15 million in nuclear generation expenses primarily due to a lower scope of work performed in 2024 as compared to 2023 and lower nuclear labor costs;
•a decrease of $12 million in non-nuclear generation expenses primarily due to a lower scope of work, including during plant outages, performed in 2024 as compared to 2023;
•a decrease of $10 million in information technology costs primarily due to enhancements made in 2023 to certain information technology systems; and
•a decrease of $9 million in customer service center support costs primarily due to lower contract costs.
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Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges (credits) includes:
•a $132 million charge to reflect the write-off, at Entergy Arkansas, of a previously recorded regulatory asset as a result of an adverse decision in the Entergy Arkansas opportunity sales proceeding in March 2024. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Arkansas opportunity sales proceeding; and
•the effects of Entergy Arkansas forgoing recovery of identified costs resulting from the 2013 ANO stator incident. In third quarter 2023, Entergy Arkansas recorded write-offs of its regulatory asset for deferred fuel of $68.9 million and the undepreciated balance of $9.5 million in capital costs related to the ANO stator incident. See Note 8 to the financial statements for further discussion of the ANO stator incident and the approved motion to forgo recovery.
Depreciation and amortization expenses increased primarily due to:
•additions to plant in service;
•a reduction in depreciation expense of $41 million, recorded in third quarter 2023 at System Energy, representing the cumulative difference in depreciation expense resulting from the depreciation rates used from March 2022 through June 2023 and the depreciation rates included in the depreciation amendment proceeding settlement filing approved by the FERC in August 2023;
•the recognition of $28 million in depreciation expense in 2024 at Entergy Texas for the 2022 base rate case relate back period, effective over six months beginning January 2024. The recognition of depreciation expense for the relate back period was effective over the same period as collections from the relate back surcharge rider and results in no effect on net income. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the 2022 base rate case at Entergy Texas; and
•an increase in nuclear depreciation rates at Entergy Louisiana effective September 2024 in accordance with the global stipulated settlement agreement approved by the LPSC in August 2024. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the global stipulated settlement agreement.
The increase was partially offset by a decrease in depreciation rates at System Energy effective June 2023. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Unit Power Sales Agreement depreciation amendment proceeding.
Other regulatory charges (credits) - net includes:
•the reversal in third quarter 2024 of a $92 million regulatory liability recognized for Entergy Arkansas’s obligation to return to customers the refund from the System Energy settlement with the APSC. The reversal of the regulatory liability offsets a reduction in gross revenues from the retail one-time bill credits provided to customers in the August 2024 billing cycle through the Grand Gulf credit rider. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the System Energy settlement with the APSC and discussion of Entergy Arkansas’s Grand Gulf credit rider;
•a regulatory credit of $16 million, recorded by Entergy Arkansas in fourth quarter 2024, to reflect the amount of the 2023 historical year netting adjustment included in the 2024 formula rate plan filing that it expects to collect from its customers during the 2025 rate effective period. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Arkansas 2024 formula rate plan filing;
•a regulatory charge of $103 million, recorded by Entergy Louisiana in first quarter 2023, to reflect its obligation to provide credits to its customers as described in an LPSC ancillary order issued in the Hurricane Ida securitization regulatory proceeding. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Louisiana March 2023 storm cost securitization;
•a regulatory charge of $38 million, recorded by Entergy Louisiana in fourth quarter 2023, to reflect credits expected to be provided to customers as a result of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit. See Note 3 to the financial statements for discussion of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit;
•regulatory charges of $150 million, recorded by Entergy Louisiana in second quarter 2024, to reflect the effects of an agreement in principle between Entergy Louisiana and the LPSC staff and the intervenors in
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July 2024 to renew Entergy Louisiana’s formula rate plan and resolve a number of other retail dockets and matters, including all formula rate plan test years prior to 2023. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Louisiana agreement in principle and the subsequently filed global stipulated settlement agreement;
•a regulatory charge of $60 million, recorded by Entergy New Orleans in fourth quarter 2023, to reflect credits expected to be provided to customers as a result of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit. See Note 3 to the financial statements for discussion of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit;
•a regulatory charge of $78 million, recorded by Entergy New Orleans in first quarter 2024, primarily to reflect a settlement in principle between Entergy New Orleans and the City Council in April 2024 for additional sharing with customers of income tax benefits from the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit. See Note 3 to the financial statements for discussion of the April 2024 settlement in principle and discussion of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit; and
•the reversal in third quarter 2023 of $22 million of regulatory liabilities to reflect the recognition of certain receipts by Entergy Texas under affiliated PPAs that have been resolved. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy Texas’s 2022 base rate case.
In addition, Entergy records a regulatory charge or credit for the difference between asset retirement obligation-related expenses and nuclear decommissioning trust earnings plus asset retirement obligation-related costs collected in revenue.
Other income increased primarily due to:
•changes in decommissioning trust fund activity, including portfolio rebalancing of decommissioning trust funds in 2024;
•a decrease of $56 million in non-service pension costs primarily as a result of pension settlement charges recorded in 2023 and a reduction in 2024 in the amortization of deferred pension losses as a result of an amendment to a qualified pension plan spinning-off predominantly inactive participants into a new qualified plan, extending the amortization period for deferred losses. See “MANAGEMENT’S FINANCIAL DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS - Critical Accounting Estimates” below and Note 11 to the financial statements for further discussion of pension and other postretirement benefits costs;
•an increase in the allowance for equity funds used during construction due to higher construction work in progress in 2024, including the Orange County Advanced Power Station project at Entergy Texas;
•a $15 million charge, recorded by Entergy Louisiana in first quarter 2023, for the LURC’s 1% beneficial interest in the storm trust II established as part of the March 2023 storm cost securitization; and
•an increase of $14 million in intercompany dividend income from affiliated preferred membership interests related to storm cost securitizations. The intercompany dividend income on the affiliate preferred membership interests is eliminated for consolidation purposes and has no effect on net income since the investment is in another Entergy subsidiary.
See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Louisiana storm cost securitizations.
Interest expense increased primarily due to:
•the issuance by Entergy Arkansas of $300 million of 5.30% Series mortgage bonds in August 2023;
•the issuances by Entergy Arkansas of $400 million of 5.75% Series mortgage bonds and $400 million of 5.45% Series mortgage bonds, each in May 2024;
•the issuances by Entergy Louisiana of $500 million of 5.35% Series mortgage bonds and $700 million of 5.70% Series mortgage bonds, each in March 2024;
•the issuance by Entergy Louisiana of $700 million of 5.15% Series mortgage bonds in August 2024;
•the issuance by Entergy Mississippi of $300 million of 5.85% Series mortgage bonds in May 2024;
•the issuance by Entergy Texas of $350 million of 5.80% Series mortgage bonds in August 2023; and
•the issuance by Entergy Texas of $350 million of 5.55% Series mortgage bonds in August 2024.
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The increase was partially offset by:
•the repayment by Entergy Arkansas of $375 million of 3.70% Series mortgage bonds in June 2024;
•the repayment by Entergy Louisiana of $325 million of 4.05% Series mortgage bonds in August 2023;
•the repayment by Entergy Louisiana of $300 million of 5.59% Series mortgage bonds in December 2023; and
•the repayment by Entergy Louisiana of $400 million of 5.40% Series mortgage bonds in April 2024.
See Note 5 to the financial statements for a discussion of long-term debt.
Parent and Other
Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges (credits) includes:
•the effects of recording a favorable final judgment of $20 million in fourth quarter 2024 to resolve claims in the Northstar Vermont Yankee, LLC (previously Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee) final round Vermont Yankee damages case against the DOE;
•the effects of recording a favorable final judgment of $7 million in fourth quarter 2024 to resolve claims in the Holtec Palisades, LLC (previously Entergy Nuclear Palisades) final round Palisades damages case against the DOE; and
•the effects of recording a favorable final judgment of $40 million in third quarter 2023 to resolve claims in the Indian Point 2 fourth round and Indian Point 3 third round combined damages case against the DOE.
See Note 8 to the financial statements for discussion of the spent nuclear fuel litigation.
Other income (deductions) decreased primarily due to:
•a $320 million ($253 million net-of-tax) non-cash settlement charge recognized as a result of a group annuity contract purchased in 2024 to settle certain pension liabilities. See Note 11 to the financial statements for discussion of the group annuity contract and settlement charge;
•lower non-service pension income. See “MANAGEMENT’S FINANCIAL DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS - Critical Accounting Estimates” below and Note 11 to the financial statements for further discussion of pension and other postretirement benefits costs; and
•an increase of $14 million in the amount of the elimination for consolidation purposes of intercompany dividend income from affiliated preferred membership interest, as discussed above.
Interest expense increased primarily due to the issuance of $1.2 billion of junior subordinated debentures in May 2024 and higher commercial paper balances. See Note 4 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy’s commercial paper program.
Income Taxes
The effective income tax rates were 26.4% for 2024 and (41.3%) for 2023. See Note 3 to the financial statements for a reconciliation of the federal statutory rate of 21% to the effective income tax rates and for additional discussion regarding income taxes.
2023 Compared to 2022
See “MANAGEMENT’S FINANCIAL DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS - Results of Operations” in Item 7 of Entergy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 23, 2024, for discussion of results of operations for 2023 compared to 2022.
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Income Tax Legislation and Regulation
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), signed into law on August 16, 2022, significantly expanded federal tax incentives for clean energy production, including the extension of production tax credits to solar projects and certain qualified nuclear power facilities. Additionally, the IRA enacted a 1% excise tax on the buyback of public company stock and a new corporate alternative minimum tax (CAMT). Effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022, the CAMT imposes a 15% tax on the Adjusted Financial Statement Income (AFSI) on each corporation in a group of corporations that averages greater than $1 billion in AFSI over a three-year period. Taxpayers subject to the CAMT regime must pay the greater of 15% of AFSI or their regular federal tax liability. In September 2024 the IRS issued proposed regulations regarding the application of the CAMT. Entergy and the Registrant Subsidiaries are closely monitoring any potential impact associated with the expansion of federal tax incentives, the 1% excise tax, and CAMT. Based on current IRS guidance and internal forecasts, Entergy and the Registrant Subsidiaries may be subject to the CAMT beginning in the next two to four years. The U.S. Treasury is expected to issue further guidance that will clarify how the tax credit provisions and CAMT provisions will be interpreted and applied. This guidance will determine the amount of tax credits and incremental cash tax payments Entergy expects in the future as a result of the legislation. Prior to receiving this guidance, Entergy cannot adequately assess the expected future effects on its results of operations, financial position, and cash flows.
In March and April of 2024 the IRS issued final regulations related to applicable tax credit transferability and direct pay provisions of the IRA. In June 2024 the IRS issued final regulations related to the prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements under the IRA. In December 2024 the IRS issued final regulations related to technology neutral production tax credits and investment tax credits. Entergy and the Registrant Subsidiaries are closely monitoring any potential effects associated with such federal tax incentives to assess the expected future effects on their results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition. Entergy Arkansas has accrued approximately $5 million of solar production tax credits associated with the Walnut Bend Solar facility, the Driver Solar facility, and the West Memphis Solar facility in 2024. As the value of such credits is expected to be provided to customers, a regulatory liability has been recorded for all credits recognized in 2024.
In April 2023 the IRS issued Revenue Procedure 2023-15, which provides a safe harbor method of accounting that taxpayers may use to determine whether expenses to repair, maintain, replace, or improve natural gas transmission and distribution property must be capitalized and provides procedures for taxpayers to obtain automatic consent to change their method of accounting. Entergy adopted this new method of income tax accounting beginning with the 2023 federal income tax return utilizing the safe harbor method in accordance with Revenue Procedure 2023-15. The additional temporary deductions taken using the new method resulted in the recognition of deferred tax liabilities of $14.2 million for Entergy, $7.6 million for Entergy Louisiana, and $6.6 million for Entergy New Orleans.
Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy have the potential to generate zero-emission nuclear power production tax credits for electricity generated by their respective nuclear power facilities. Based on guidance provided by the U.S. Treasury and the IRS, the nuclear production tax credits will be calculated by multiplying the kWh of qualifying electricity by $0.003, with the value of the credits decreasing ratably, or phasing out, once the annual gross receipts from the sale of nuclear power exceed a certain threshold. If certain prevailing wage requirements are satisfied, the calculation of the credit, as described in the preceding sentence, is multiplied by a factor of five. Additional guidance is needed from the U.S. Treasury and/or the IRS to determine how the value of these credits will be calculated for power generated from nuclear facilities of rate-regulated utilities. Due to the uncertainty of value, if any, of credits Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, or System Energy may receive, such credits have not been recognized for the nuclear power produced in 2024. Depending on the specifics of the expected additional guidance from the U.S. Treasury and/or the IRS, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, or System Energy may not recognize any production tax credits for their nuclear facilities, or they could recognize a significant amount each year, beginning for 2024. If the IRS does not issue any technical guidance before the due date of Entergy’s 2024 tax return, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy will be required to
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reassess the determination of the availability of such credits based on any other additional information or regulatory requests. If credits are recognized in future periods, the value of such credits is expected to be provided to customers. As such, recognition of nuclear production tax credits is not expected to have a material effect on the results of operations of Entergy, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, or System Energy.
Entergy is not able to predict the effects of any change to or repeal of the above tax legislation, including any federal tax incentives or tax credits, on its or the Registrant Subsidiaries’ results of operations, financial position, and cash flows.
Louisiana Tax Reform
In November 2024, during the Louisiana Third Special Legislative Session of 2024, the Louisiana legislature enacted comprehensive tax reform measures, including the reduction of the corporate state income tax rate to a flat 5.5% from the current highest marginal rate of 7.5%, effective January 1, 2025. Additional enacted measures include the repeal of the Louisiana corporate franchise tax effective January 1, 2026, and an increase in the state sales tax rate to 5%, effective January 1, 2025, until January 1, 2030, when the rate decreases to 4.75%. Additionally, certain digital products and services, such as remotely accessed software and information services, will be subject to sales tax effective January 1, 2025. These products and services will also be taxable at the local level. See Note 3 to the financial statements for further discussion on the 2024 Louisiana tax reform.
Entergy Wholesale Commodities Exit from the Merchant Power Business
Entergy completed its multi-year strategy to exit the merchant nuclear power business in 2022. See Note 13 to the financial statements for discussion of the exit from the merchant nuclear power business.
Shutdown and Sale of Palisades
In July 2018, Entergy entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Holtec International to sell to a Holtec subsidiary 100% of the equity interests in the subsidiary that owns Palisades and the Big Rock Point Site, with a subsequent amendment to the purchase and sale agreement in February 2020. In December 2020, Entergy and Holtec submitted a license transfer application to the NRC requesting approval to transfer the Palisades and Big Rock Point licenses from Entergy to Holtec. In February 2021 several parties filed with the NRC petitions to intervene and requests for hearing challenging the license transfer application. In March 2021, Entergy and Holtec filed answers opposing the petitions to intervene and hearing requests, and the petitioners filed replies. In March 2021 an additional party also filed a petition to intervene and request for hearing. Entergy and Holtec filed an answer to the March 2021 petition in April 2021. The NRC issued an order approving the application in December 2021, subject to the NRC’s authority to condition, revise, or rescind the approval order based on the resolution of four pending requests for hearing. These petitions and requests for hearing remained pending with the NRC at the time of the closing of the Palisades transaction in June 2022. In July 2022 the NRC issued an order granting the Michigan Attorney General’s petition hearing request. The hearing was held in February 2023. A decision from the NRC is pending. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the sale of the Palisades plant.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
This section discusses Entergy’s capital structure, capital spending plans and other uses of capital, sources of capital, and the cash flow activity presented in the cash flow statement.
Capital Structure
Entergy’s debt to capital ratio is shown in the following table. The increase in the debt to capital ratio is primarily due to the net issuance of long-term debt in 2024.
| December 31, 2024 | December 31, 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt to capital | 65.3% | 63.8% | |
| Effect of excluding securitization bonds | (0.2%) | (0.3%) | |
| Debt to capital, excluding securitization bonds (non-GAAP) (a) | 65.1% | 63.5% | |
| Effect of subtracting cash | (0.7%) | (0.1%) | |
| Net debt to net capital, excluding securitization bonds (non-GAAP) (a) | 64.4% | 63.4% |
(a)Calculation excludes the New Orleans and Texas securitization bonds, which are non-recourse to Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Texas, respectively.
As of December 31, 2024, 21.1% of the debt outstanding is at the parent company, Entergy Corporation, and 78.9% is at the Utility. Net debt consists of debt less cash and cash equivalents. Debt consists of notes payable and commercial paper, finance lease obligations, and long-term debt, including the currently maturing portion. Capital consists of debt, equity, and subsidiaries’ preferred stock without sinking fund. Net capital consists of capital less cash and cash equivalents. The debt to capital ratio excluding securitization bonds and net debt to net capital ratio excluding securitization bonds are non-GAAP measures. Entergy uses the debt to capital ratios excluding securitization bonds in analyzing its financial condition and believes they provide useful information to its investors and creditors in evaluating Entergy’s financial condition because the securitization bonds are non-recourse to Entergy, as more fully described in Note 5 to the financial statements. Entergy also uses the net debt to net capital ratio excluding securitization bonds in analyzing its financial condition and believes it provides useful information to its investors and creditors in evaluating Entergy’s financial condition because net debt indicates Entergy’s outstanding debt position that could not be readily satisfied by cash and cash equivalents on hand.
The Utility operating companies and System Energy seek to optimize their capital structures in accordance with regulatory requirements and to control their cost of capital while also maintaining equity capitalization at a level consistent with investment-grade debt ratings. To the extent that their operating cash flows are in excess of planned investments, cash may be used to reduce outstanding debt or may be paid as a dividend to their parent, to the extent funds are legally available to do so, or both, in appropriate amounts to maintain the capital structure. To the extent that their operating cash flows are insufficient to support planned investments, the Utility operating companies and System Energy may issue incremental debt or reduce dividends, or both, to maintain their capital structures. In addition, Entergy may make equity contributions to the Utility operating companies and System Energy to maintain their capital structures in certain circumstances such as financing of large transactions or payments that would materially alter the capital structure if financed entirely with debt and reduced dividends.
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Long-term debt, including the currently maturing portion, makes up most of Entergy’s total debt outstanding. Following are Entergy’s long-term debt principal maturities and estimated interest payments as of December 31, 2024. To estimate future interest payments for variable rate debt, Entergy used the rate as of December 31, 2024. The amounts below include payments on System Energy’s Grand Gulf sale-leaseback transaction, which are included in long-term debt on the balance sheet.
| Long-term debt maturities and estimated interest payments | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028-2029 | after 2029 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||||||||||||
| Utility | $1,535 | $2,540 | $1,927 | $3,490 | $29,370 | |||||||||
| Parent & Other | 917 | 855 | 90 | 810 | 5,669 | |||||||||
| Total | $2,452 | $3,395 | $2,017 | $4,300 | $35,039 |
See Note 5 to the financial statements for further details of long-term debt.
Entergy Corporation has in place a credit facility that has a borrowing capacity of $3 billion and expires in June 2029. The facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against $20 million of the total borrowing capacity of the credit facility. The commitment fee is currently 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount. Commitment fees and interest rates on loans under the credit facility can fluctuate depending on the senior unsecured debt ratings of Entergy Corporation. The estimated interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 that would have been applied to outstanding borrowings under the facility was 5.96%. The following is a summary of the amounts outstanding and capacity available under the credit facility as of December 31, 2024:
| Capacity | Borrowings | Letters of Credit | Capacity Available | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||||
| $3,000 | $— | $3 | $2,997 |
Entergy Corporation’s credit facility includes a covenant requiring Entergy to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. The calculation of this debt ratio under Entergy Corporation’s credit facility is different than the calculation of the debt to capital ratio above. Entergy is currently in compliance with the covenant and expects to remain in compliance with this covenant. If Entergy fails to meet this ratio, or if Entergy Corporation or one of the Registrant Subsidiaries (except Entergy New Orleans and System Energy) defaults on other indebtedness or is in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, an acceleration of the Entergy Corporation credit facility’s maturity date may occur.
Entergy Corporation has a commercial paper program with a Board-approved program limit of $2 billion. As of December 31, 2024, Entergy Corporation had $927.3 million of commercial paper outstanding. The weighted-average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 5.52%.
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Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each had credit facilities available as of December 31, 2024 as follows:
| Company | Expiration Date | Amount of Facility | Interest Rate (a) | Amount Drawn as of December 31, 2024 | Letters of Credit Outstanding as of December 31, 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas | April 2026 | $25 million (b) | 6.31% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Arkansas | June 2029 | $300 million (c) | 5.58% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Louisiana | June 2029 | $400 million (c) | 5.71% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Mississippi | June 2029 | $300 million (c) | 5.58% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy New Orleans | June 2027 | $25 million (c) | 6.08% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Texas | June 2029 | $300 million (c) | 5.71% | — | $1.1 million |
(a)The interest rate is the estimated interest rate as of December 31, 2024 that would have been applied to outstanding borrowings under the facility.
(b)Borrowings under this Entergy Arkansas credit facility may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Arkansas’s option.
(c)The credit facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against a portion of the borrowing capacity of the facility as follows: $5 million for Entergy Arkansas; $15 million for Entergy Louisiana; $5 million for Entergy Mississippi; $10 million for Entergy New Orleans; and $25 million for Entergy Texas.
Each of the credit facilities requires the Registrant Subsidiary borrower to maintain a debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. Each Registrant Subsidiary is in compliance with this covenant.
In addition, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each has an uncommitted standby letter of credit facility as a means to post collateral to support their obligations to MISO and for other purposes. The following is a summary of the uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as of December 31, 2024:
| Company | Amount of Uncommitted Facility | Letter of Credit Fee | Letters of Credit Issued as of December 31, 2024(a) (b) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas | $25 million | 0.78% | $18.1 million | |||
| Entergy Louisiana | $125 million | 0.78% | $46.2 million | |||
| Entergy Mississippi | $65 million | 0.78% | $33.1 million | |||
| Entergy New Orleans | $1 million | 1.625% | $0.5 million | |||
| Entergy Texas | $150 million | 1.250% | $93.4 million |
(a)As of December 31, 2024, letters of credit posted with MISO covered financial transmission rights exposure of $0.5 million for Entergy Arkansas, $0.1 million for Entergy Louisiana, $0.8 million for Entergy Mississippi, $0.1 million for Entergy New Orleans, and $0.3 million for Entergy Texas. See Note 15 to the financial statements for discussion of financial transmission rights.
(b)As of December 31, 2024, the letters of credit issued for Entergy Mississippi include $31.8 million in MISO letters of credit and $1.3 million in non-MISO letters of credit outstanding under this facility.
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Finance lease obligations are a minimal part of Entergy’s overall capital structure. Following are Entergy’s payment obligations under those leases.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028-2029 | after 2029 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||||
| Finance lease payments | $24 | $22 | $20 | $30 | $55 |
Finance leases are discussed in Note 10 to the financial statements.
Operating Lease Obligations and Guarantees of Unconsolidated Obligations
Entergy has a minimal amount of operating lease obligations and guarantees in support of unconsolidated obligations. Entergy’s guarantees in support of unconsolidated obligations are not likely to have a material effect on Entergy’s financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Following are Entergy’s payment obligations as of December 31, 2024 on non-cancelable operating leases with a term over one year:
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028-2029 | after 2029 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||||
| Operating lease payments | $77 | $69 | $58 | $65 | $48 |
Operating leases are discussed in Note 10 to the financial statements.
Other Obligations
Entergy currently expects to contribute approximately $240 million to its qualified pension plans and approximately $42.8 million to its other postretirement plans in 2025, although the 2025 required pension contributions will be known with more certainty when the January 1, 2025 valuations are completed, which is expected by April 1, 2025. See “Critical Accounting Estimates - Qualified Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits” below and Note 11 to the financial statements for a discussion of qualified pension and other postretirement benefits funding.
Entergy has $248 million of unrecognized tax benefits net of unused tax attributes plus interest for which the timing of payments beyond 12 months cannot be reasonably estimated due to uncertainties in the timing of effective settlement of tax positions. See Note 3 to the financial statements for additional information regarding unrecognized tax benefits.
In addition, the Registrant Subsidiaries enter into fuel and purchased power agreements that contain minimum purchase obligations. The Registrant Subsidiaries each have rate mechanisms in place to recover fuel, purchased power, and associated costs incurred under these purchase obligations.
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Capital Expenditure Plans and Other Uses of Capital
Following are the amounts of Entergy’s planned construction and other capital investments for 2025 through 2027.
| Planned construction and capital investments | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||||||
| Generation | $4,105 | $4,850 | $4,190 | |||||
| Transmission | 1,550 | 2,120 | 2,335 | |||||
| Distribution | 2,345 | 2,335 | 1,835 | |||||
| Utility Support | 395 | 340 | 445 | |||||
| Total | $8,395 | $9,645 | $8,805 |
Planned construction and capital investments refer to amounts Entergy plans to spend on routine capital projects that are necessary to support reliability of its service, equipment, or systems and to support normal customer growth. In addition to routine capital projects, they also refer to amounts Entergy plans to spend on non-routine capital investments for which Entergy is either contractually obligated, has Board approval, or otherwise expects to make to satisfy regulatory or legal requirements. Amounts include the following types of construction and capital investments:
•investments in generation projects to modernize, decarbonize, expand, and diversify Entergy’s portfolio, as well as to support customer growth, including St. Jacques Facility, Bayou Power Station, Delta Blues Advanced Power Station, Delta Solar, Penton Solar, Orange County Advanced Power Station, Lone Star Power Station, Segno Solar, Votaw Solar, and potential construction of additional generation;
•investments in the Utility nuclear fleet;
•transmission spending to improve reliability and resilience while also supporting renewables expansion and customer growth; and
•distribution and Utility support spending to improve reliability, resilience, and customer experience through projects focused on asset renewals and enhancements and grid stability.
For the next several years, the Utility’s owned and contracted generating capacity is projected to be adequate to meet MISO reserve requirements; however, MISO has implemented changes to its resource adequacy construct that generally move from an annual to a seasonal design and that changes the way that resources are assigned capacity credit. MISO has also recently obtained FERC approval to implement additional changes that further affect the assignment of capacity credit to resources. As a result of these changes, there may be seasonal variations in the capacity credit afforded to the Utility operating companies’ resources by MISO, and some resource types generally may be assigned less capacity credit than they have historically. MISO continues to pursue market design changes related to its resource adequacy construct. The FERC recently approved a reliability-based demand curve that may have the effect of increasing the clearing prices in the MISO planning resource auction and increasing the planning reserve margin requirement for the Utility operating companies. MISO is also pursuing changes to the market rules governing load modifying resources, which could affect the accreditation of these resources and, as a result, the capacity positions of the Utility operating companies. These market design changes may have an effect on both the Utility operating companies’ liquidity and the capital investment needed for long-term resources. Entergy is monitoring the evolution and application of these rules, which may require the Utility operating companies to procure additional capacity credits from the MISO market and in the longer-term may impact the incremental additional supply resources needed. The Utility’s supply plan initiative will continue to seek to transform its generation portfolio with new generation resources. Opportunities resulting from the supply plan initiative, including new projects or the exploration of alternative financing sources, could result in increases or decreases in the capital expenditure estimates given above. Estimated capital expenditures are subject to periodic review and modification and may vary based on the ongoing effects of business restructuring, regulatory constraints and requirements, governmental actions, including trade-related governmental actions, such as tariffs and other
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measures, environmental regulations, business opportunities, market volatility, economic trends, changes in project plans, and the ability to access capital, including any changes to governmental programs, such as loans, grants, guarantees, and other subsidies. Entergy is not able to predict the effect of potential changes in regulation and law, changes to governmental programs, such as loans, grants, guarantees, and other subsidies, and trade-related governmental actions, such as tariffs and other measures, on its current and planned capital projects.
Renewables
2021 Solar Certification and the Geaux Green Option
In November 2021, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC seeking certification of and approval for the addition of four new solar photovoltaic resources with a combined nameplate capacity of 475 megawatts (the 2021 Solar Portfolio) and the implementation of a new green tariff, the Geaux Green Option (Rider GGO). The 2021 Solar Portfolio consists of four resources that are expected to provide $242 million in net benefits to Entergy Louisiana’s customers. These resources, all of which would be constructed in Louisiana, include (i) the Vacherie Facility, a 150 megawatt resource in St. James Parish; (ii) the Sunlight Road Facility, a 50 megawatt resource in Washington Parish; (iii) the St. Jacques Facility, a 150 megawatt resource in St. James Parish; and (iv) the Elizabeth Facility, a 125 megawatt resource in Allen Parish. The St. Jacques Facility would be acquired through a build-own-transfer agreement; the remaining resources involve power purchase agreements. The Sunlight Road Facility and the Elizabeth Facility each achieved commercial operation in 2024, and the Vacherie Facility and the St. Jacques Facility originally had estimated in service dates in 2025, but are now expected to be no sooner than 2027. The filing proposed to recover the costs of the power purchase agreements through the fuel adjustment clause and the formula rate plan and the acquisition costs through the formula rate plan.
The proposed Rider GGO is a voluntary rate schedule that will enhance Entergy Louisiana’s ability to help customers meet their sustainability goals by allowing customers to align some or all of their electricity requirements with renewable energy from the resources. Because subscription fees from Rider GGO participants are expected to help offset the cost of the resources, the design of Rider GGO also preserves the benefits of the 2021 Solar Portfolio for non-participants by providing them with the reliability and capacity benefits of locally-sited solar generation at a discounted price.
In March 2022 direct testimony from Walmart, the Louisiana Energy Users Group (LEUG), and the LPSC staff was filed. Each party recommended that the LPSC approve the resources proposed in Entergy Louisiana’s application, and the LPSC staff witness indicated that the process through which Entergy Louisiana solicited or obtained the proposals for the resources complied with applicable LPSC orders. The LPSC staff and LEUG’s witnesses made recommendations to modify the proposed Rider GGO and Entergy Louisiana’s proposed rate relief. In April 2022 the LPSC staff and LEUG filed cross-answering testimony concerning each other’s proposed modifications to Rider GGO and the proposed rate recovery. Entergy Louisiana filed rebuttal testimony in June 2022. In August 2022 the parties reached a settlement certifying the 2021 Solar Portfolio and approving implementation of Rider GGO. In September 2022 the LPSC approved the settlement. Following the LPSC approval, the St. James Parish council issued a moratorium on new land use permits for solar facilities until the later of March 2023 or the completion of an environmental and economic impact study. In November 2023, St. James Parish lifted the moratorium and adopted an ordinance modifying the parish’s land use plan to establish solar as an approved land use and defining corresponding solar regulations. In March 2024 the project developer submitted a solar energy facility farm permit application to the St. James Parish planning commission to request approval for the Vacherie and St. Jacques Facilities. In June 2024 the St. James Parish council denied the application and following this denial, the project developer and one of the project’s ground lessors filed separate lawsuits seeking to overturn the council’s decision. Entergy Louisiana is currently monitoring the status of the aforementioned lawsuits and also considering alternate paths forward.
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Alternative RFP and Certification
In 2023, Entergy Louisiana made a filing to seek approval from the LPSC for an alternative to the requests for proposals (RFP) process that would enable the acquisition of up to 3 GW of solar resources on a faster timeline than the current RFP and certification process allows. The initial phase of the filing established the need for the acquisition of additional resources and the need for an alternative to the RFP process. The second phase of the filing contained the details of the proposal for the alternative competitive procurement process and the information necessary to support certification. In addition to the acquisition of up to 3 GW of solar resources, the filing also sought approval of a new renewable energy credits-based tariff, the Geaux ZERO rider. In June 2024 the LPSC issued an order approving the application. In August 2024, Entergy Louisiana issued the first RFP pursuant to this order in solicitation of solar resources that meet the requirements of the LPSC’s order. For the first RFP, the initial selection of proposals has been completed, and negotiations are in progress.
Delta Solar
In December 2024 the Bolivar County Board of Supervisors approved Entergy Mississippi’s plans to construct, own, and operate the Delta Solar facility, an 80 MW solar facility to be located in Bolivar County, Mississippi. The Delta Solar facility will cost an estimated $157.2 million, inclusive of estimated transmission interconnection costs. Construction of the Delta Solar facility qualifies for pre-certification under the State legislation providing for the pre-certification of construction of certain types of facilities that directly or indirectly provide electric service to customers who own certain data processing center projects as specified in the legislation. The Delta Solar facility is expected to be in service by the end of 2027.
Penton Solar
Entergy Mississippi plans to construct, own, and operate the Penton Solar facility, a 190 MW solar facility. The Penton Solar facility will cost an estimated $327.2 million, inclusive of estimated transmission interconnection and upgrade costs. Construction of the Penton Solar facility qualifies for pre-certification under the State legislation providing for the pre-certification of construction of certain types of facilities that directly or indirectly provide electric service to customers who own certain data processing center projects as specified in the legislation. The Penton Solar facility is expected to be in service by early 2028.
Segno Solar and Votaw Solar
In July 2024, Entergy Texas filed an application seeking PUCT approval to amend Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate the Segno Solar facility, a 170 MW solar facility to be located in Polk County, Texas, and the Votaw Solar facility, a 141 MW solar facility to be located in Hardin County, Texas. The Segno Solar facility will cost an estimated $351.6 million, and the Votaw Solar facility will cost an estimated $303.8 million, in each case inclusive of estimated transmission interconnection and upgrade costs. In September 2024 the PUCT referred the proceeding to the State Office of Administrative Hearings. In December 2024 the ALJs with the State Office of Administrative Hearings adopted a revised agreed procedural schedule, with a hearing on the merits to be held in March 2025. In January 2025 certain intervenors and the PUCT staff filed testimony opposing Entergy Texas’s application. The opposing testimony argues that the proposed generation additions will have a net cost to customers, and it also challenges the design and effectiveness of the voluntary renewable energy tariff. In addition, the opposing testimony recommends that the PUCT impose conditions on any approval of Entergy Texas’s application. The conditions that certain intervenors and the PUCT staff propose include guarantees related to customer net benefits, resource production, independent investigation of any material cost overruns, and the addition of a mandatory sleeving tariff. Entergy Texas plans to file rebuttal testimony in February 2025. A PUCT decision is expected in third quarter 2025. Subject to receipt of required regulatory approval and other conditions, the Segno Solar facility is expected to be in service by early 2027, and the Votaw Solar facility is expected to be in service by mid-2028.
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Other Generation
Lake Catherine Unit 5
In November 2024, Entergy Arkansas filed an application with the APSC seeking a certificate of environmental compatibility and public need for the construction and operation of Lake Catherine Unit 5, a 446 MW hydrogen-capable simple-cycle natural gas combustion turbine facility to be located at the existing Lake Catherine facility site in Hot Spring County, Arkansas. In December 2024 other parties, including the APSC general staff, filed testimony opposing the resource, although the APSC general staff recognized the capacity need for the resource. Entergy Arkansas filed testimony in January 2025 further supporting its application, and in February 2025 the opposing parties filed responsive rebuttal testimony continuing to dispute the estimated costs and to dispute that Entergy Arkansas performed a market solicitation sufficient to demonstrate that this resource is the most reasonable option for customers. Also in February 2025, Entergy Arkansas filed surrebuttal testimony responding to the opposing parties’ testimony. A hearing, if necessary, is scheduled for early March 2025, with an APSC decision requested by the end of March 2025. Subject to receipt of required regulatory approval and other conditions, the facility is expected to be in service by the end of 2028.
Bayou Power Station
In March 2024, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC seeking certification that the public convenience and necessity would be served by the construction of the Bayou Power Station, a 112 MW aggregated capacity floating natural gas power station with black-start capability in Leeville, Louisiana and an associated microgrid that would serve nearby areas, including Port Fourchon, Golden Meadow, Leeville, and Grand Isle. In its application, Entergy Louisiana noted that the estimated cost of the Bayou Power Station was $411 million, including estimated costs of transmission interconnection and other related costs. In October 2024, Entergy Louisiana filed a motion to suspend the procedural schedule in this proceeding in order to evaluate certain recent developments related to the project including potential changes to the estimated cost of the project. Entergy Louisiana will determine next steps for the project after fully evaluating these developments. Subject to timely approval by the LPSC and receipt of other permits and approvals, commercial operation is expected to occur by the end of 2028.
Entergy Louisiana Additional Generation and Transmission Resources
In October 2024, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC seeking approval of a variety of generation and transmission resources proposed in connection with establishing service to a new data center to be developed by a subsidiary of Meta Platforms, Inc. in north Louisiana, for which an electric service agreement has been executed. The filing requests LPSC certification of three new combined cycle combustion turbine generation resources totaling 2,262 MW, each of which will be enabled for future carbon capture and storage, a new 500 kV transmission line, and 500 kV substation upgrades. The application also requests approval to implement a corporate sustainability rider applicable to the new customer. The corporate sustainability rider contemplates the new customer contributing to the costs of the planned future addition of 1,500 MW of new solar and energy storage resources, agreements involving carbon capture and storage at Entergy Louisiana’s existing Lake Charles Power Station, and potential future wind and nuclear resources. The combined cost of the first two new combined cycle combustion turbine generation resources is estimated to be approximately $2,387 million, and these units are expected to achieve commercial operation in 2028. The third new generation resource is currently expected to have an estimated cost similar to the first two new generation resources and is expected to achieve commercial operation in 2029. The cost of the new 500 kV transmission line is estimated to be $546 million. Entergy Louisiana anticipates funding the incremental cost to serve the customer through direct financial contributions from the customer and the revenues it expects to earn under the electric service agreement. The electric service agreement also contains provisions for termination payments that will help ensure that there is no harm to Entergy Louisiana and its customers in the event of early termination. A directive was issued at the LPSC’s November 2024 meeting for the matter to be decided by October 2025. Consistent with this directive, a procedural schedule was adopted
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setting the matter for hearing in July 2025. In February 2025 intervenors filed a motion asking the LPSC to deny Entergy Louisiana’s requested exemption from the LPSC’s order addressing competitive solicitation procedures and further asking the LPSC to dismiss the application.
In February 2025, Entergy Louisiana filed supplemental testimony with the LPSC stating that the third combined cycle combustion turbine resource presented in the October 2024 application would be sited at Entergy Louisiana’s Waterford site in Killona, Louisiana, alongside existing Entergy Louisiana generation resources. The testimony also notes that Entergy Louisiana is negotiating with the customer to increase the load associated with the customer’s project in north Louisiana and that the additional load can be served without additional generation capacity beyond what was presented in the October 2024 application, but that additional transmission facilities, which will be funded directly by the customer, are needed to serve this additional load.
Entergy Louisiana Transmission Projects
In March 2024, Entergy Louisiana filed an application seeking an exemption determination, or alternatively, a certificate of public convenience and necessity, for a transmission project that includes a new 500 kV/230 kV Commodore substation and an approximately 60-mile 230 kV line connecting the new Commodore substation to the Waterford substation. The project, which was approved by MISO in the 2023 MISO Transmission Expansion Plan, also includes certain common elements with, and right-of-way acquisition for, a future transmission project in the same area consisting of 500 kV elements. The estimated cost of the project is $498.8 million. In February 2025, Entergy Louisiana and the LPSC staff jointly filed, for consideration by the LPSC, an uncontested stipulated settlement agreement resolving all issues in the proceeding. In the motion requesting approval of the uncontested stipulated settlement agreement, the parties requested a settlement hearing in March 2025.
In December 2024, Entergy Louisiana filed an application seeking a certificate of public convenience and necessity for a 500 kV transmission project that includes the construction of a new 84-mile Commodore to Churchill 500 kV transmission line, the expansion of the Waterford 500 kV substation, the construction of a new Churchill 500 kV substation and improvements to the Churchill 230 kV substation, and the conversion of the existing 230 kV Waterford to Churchill transmission line to 500 kV, forming a 500 kV loop into the Downstream of Gypsy load pocket. The project, which was approved by MISO in the 2023 MISO Transmission Expansion Plan, shares common elements with a future transmission project in the same area consisting of 230 kV elements. The estimated cost of the project is $954.7 million.
Entergy Mississippi Additional Generation and Transmission Resources
In January 2024, Amazon Web Services announced its plan to invest in two data centers located in Madison County, Mississippi. In March 2024, Entergy Mississippi executed a large customer supply and service agreement to serve the two data centers. Entergy Mississippi will need generation and transmission resources to reliably serve all Entergy Mississippi customers, including the data centers. The large customer supply and service agreement also contains provisions which cover Entergy Mississippi’s incremental investment costs in the event of early termination. In May 2024 the MPSC approved Entergy Mississippi’s revisions to its formula rate plan to comply with state legislation passed in January 2024 allowing Entergy Mississippi to make interim rate adjustments, including the collection of a return on construction-work-in-process on a cash basis, to recover the non-fuel related annual ownership cost of certain facilities that directly or indirectly provide service to customers who own certain data processing center projects as specified in the legislation. Entergy Mississippi anticipates recovering the incremental cost to serve the customer through the revenues it expects to collect under the large customer supply and service agreement.
In February 2025, Entergy Mississippi entered into a new large customer supply and service agreement with a customer. The planned capital investment estimates for 2025-2027, shown above, include amounts related to the generation and transmission resources needed to reliably serve all Entergy Mississippi customers.
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Delta Blues Advanced Power Station
In September 2024, Entergy Mississippi announced plans to construct, own, and operate the Delta Blues Advanced Power Station, a 754 MW combined-cycle combustion turbine facility, to be located in Washington County, Mississippi. The facility will primarily be powered by natural gas, and it will also be enabled for future carbon capture and storage and for hydrogen co-firing optionality. The Delta Blues Advanced Power Station will cost an estimated $1.2 billion. State legislation passed in January 2024 provides for the pre-certification of construction for certain types of facilities that directly or indirectly provide electric service to customers who own certain data processing center projects as specified in the legislation. Construction of the Delta Blues Advanced Power Station qualifies under this legislation for pre-certification. As enabled by this legislation, Entergy Mississippi began recovery of certain costs of construction of the Delta Blues Advanced Power Station through the interim facilities rate adjustments provision of its formula rate plan rider, which rates became effective in July 2024. Non-fuel revenue collected from the data center customer will be included in the formula rate plan to offset the facility’s revenue requirement. Construction is in progress and the facility is expected to be in service by the end of 2028.
Orange County Advanced Power Station
In September 2021, Entergy Texas filed an application seeking PUCT approval to amend Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate the Orange County Advanced Power Station, a new 1,215 MW combined-cycle combustion turbine facility to be located in Bridge City, Texas at an initially-estimated expected total cost of $1.2 billion inclusive of the estimated costs of the generation facilities, transmission upgrades, contingency, an allowance for funds used during construction, and necessary regulatory expenses, among others. The project includes combustion turbine technology with dual fuel capability, able to co-fire up to 30% hydrogen by volume upon commercial operation and upgradable to support 100% hydrogen operations in the future. In December 2021 the PUCT referred the proceeding to the State Office of Administrative Hearings. In March 2022 certain intervenors filed testimony opposing the hydrogen co-firing component of the proposed project and others filed testimony opposing the project outright. Also in March 2022 the PUCT staff filed testimony opposing the hydrogen co-firing component of the proposed project, but otherwise taking no specific position on the merits of the project. The PUCT staff also proposed that the PUCT establish a maximum amount that Entergy Texas may recover in rates attributable to the project. In April 2022, Entergy Texas filed rebuttal testimony addressing and rebutting these various arguments. The hearing on the merits was held in June 2022, and post-hearing briefs were submitted in July 2022. In September 2022 the ALJs with the State Office of Administrative Hearings issued a proposal for decision recommending the PUCT approve Entergy Texas’s application for certification of Orange County Advanced Power Station subject to certain conditions, including a cap on cost recovery at $1.37 billion, the exclusion of investment associated with co-firing hydrogen, weatherization requirements, and customer receipt of any contractual benefits associated with the facility’s guaranteed heat rate. In October 2022 the parties in the proceeding filed exceptions and replies to exceptions to the proposal for decision. Also in October 2022, Entergy Texas filed with the PUCT information regarding a new fixed pricing option for an estimated project cost of approximately $1.55 billion associated with Entergy Texas’s issuance of limited notice to proceed by mid-November 2022. In November 2022 the PUCT issued a final order approving the requested amendment to Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate the Orange County Advanced Power Station without the investment associated with hydrogen co-firing capability, without a cap on cost recovery, and subject to certain conditions, including weatherization requirements and customer receipt of any contractual benefits associated with the facility’s guaranteed heat rate.
In December 2022, Texas Industrial Energy Consumers and Sierra Club filed motions for rehearing of the PUCT’s final order alleging the PUCT erred in granting the certification of the Orange County Advanced Power Station, in not imposing a cost cap, in including certain findings related to the reasonableness of Entergy Texas’s request for proposals from which the Orange County Advanced Power Station was selected, and in other regards. Also in December 2022, Entergy Texas filed a response to the motions for rehearing refuting the points raised therein. In January 2023 the PUCT issued letters noting that it voted to consider Texas Industrial Energy
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Consumers’ motion for rehearing at its upcoming January 2023 open meeting and voted not to consider Sierra Club’s motion for rehearing at an open meeting. At the January 2023 open meeting, the PUCT voted to grant Texas Industrial Energy Consumers’ motion for rehearing for the limited purpose of issuing an order on rehearing that excludes three findings related to Entergy Texas’s request for proposals. The order on rehearing does not change the PUCT’s certification of the Orange County Advanced Power Station or the conditions placed thereon in the PUCT’s November 2022 final order. Construction is in progress, and subject to receipt of required permits, the facility is expected to be in service by mid-2026.
Legend Power Station and Lone Star Power Station
In June 2024, Entergy Texas filed an application seeking PUCT approval to amend Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate the Legend Power Station, a 754 MW combined-cycle combustion turbine facility, which will be enabled for future carbon capture and storage and for hydrogen co-firing optionality, to be located in Jefferson County, Texas, and the Lone Star Power Station, a 453 MW simple-cycle combustion turbine facility, which will be enabled with hydrogen co-firing optionality, to be located in Liberty County, Texas. In its application, Entergy Texas noted that the Legend Power Station was expected to cost an estimated $1.46 billion and the Lone Star Power Station was expected to cost an estimated $735.3 million, in each case inclusive of the estimated costs of the generation facilities, interconnection costs, transmission network upgrades, and an allowance for funds used during construction. As described in the application, Entergy Texas is considering alternative financing approaches for the Legend Power Station and plans to pursue the financing option that is in the best interest of its customers. In July 2024 the PUCT referred the proceeding to the State Office of Administrative Hearings and, also in July 2024, the ALJ with the State Office of Administrative Hearings adopted a procedural schedule, with a hearing on the merits scheduled to begin in October 2024. In September 2024, Entergy Texas filed, and the ALJ with the State Office of Administrative Hearings granted, a motion to extend the procedural schedule in this proceeding in order to address certain developments relating to the cost and scope of the Legend Power Station and the Lone Star Power Station. In December 2024, Entergy Texas filed supplemental testimony and exhibits addressing the cost and scope developments associated with the Legend Power Station and the Lone Star Power Station in further support of its application. The cost and scope developments include cost estimate increases of $139 million for Legend Power Station and $63.7 million for Lone Star Power Station and the consideration of an alternate site for Lone Star Power Station, which would reduce the estimated cost increase of the Lone Star Power Station to $36.2 million. Also in December 2024, the ALJ with the State Office of Administrative Hearings adopted a procedural schedule with a hearing on the merits to be held in April 2025. A PUCT decision is expected in July 2025. Subject to receipt of required regulatory approval and other conditions, both facilities are expected to be in service by mid-2028.
Resilience and Grid Hardening
Entergy Louisiana
In December 2022, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC seeking a public interest finding regarding Phase I of Entergy Louisiana’s Future Ready resilience plan and approval of a rider mechanism to recover the program’s costs. Phase I in the December 2022 application reflected the first five years of a ten-year resilience plan and included investment of approximately $5 billion, including hardening investment, transmission dead-end structures, enhanced vegetation management, and telecommunications improvement. In April 2024 the LPSC approved a framework which includes an initial five-year resilience plan providing for an investment of approximately $1.9 billion with cost recovery via a forward-looking rider with semi-annual true-ups. The plan is subject to specified reporting requirements and includes a performance review of the hardened assets. The LPSC order approving the framework does not include any restrictions on Entergy Louisiana’s ability to file applications for approval of additional investments in resilience.
The LPSC had previously opened a formal rulemaking proceeding in December 2021 to investigate efforts to improve resilience of electric utility infrastructure. In April 2023 the LPSC staff issued a draft rule in the
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rulemaking proceeding related to a requirement to file a grid resilience plan. The procedural schedule entered in the rulemaking proceeding contemplated adoption of a final rule in October 2023, but this did not occur, and a new date has not been set. The LPSC also has pending rulemakings addressing issues related to pole viability and grid maintenance practices. In December 2023, in those rulemakings, the LPSC staff issued a report and recommendation proposing to impose significant new reporting and compliance obligations related to jurisdictional utilities’ distribution and transmission operations, including new obligations related to grid hardening plans, pole inspections, pole replacement, vegetation management, storm restoration plans, new reliability metrics, software for handling customer complaints and complaint resolution, required use of drone technology, and new penalties and incentives for reliability performance and for compliance with the new obligations. In February 2024, Entergy Louisiana and other parties filed comments on the LPSC staff’s report.
Entergy New Orleans
In October 2021 the City Council passed a resolution and order establishing a docket and procedural schedule with respect to system resiliency and storm hardening. In July 2022, Entergy New Orleans filed with the City Council a response identifying a preliminary plan for storm hardening and resiliency projects, including microgrids, to be implemented over ten years at an approximate cost of $1.5 billion. In February 2023 the City Council approved a revised procedural schedule requiring Entergy New Orleans to make a filing in April 2023 containing a narrowed list of proposed hardening projects. In April 2023, Entergy New Orleans filed the required application and supporting testimony seeking City Council approval of the first phase (five years and $559 million) of a ten-year infrastructure hardening plan totaling approximately $1 billion. Entergy New Orleans also sought, among other relief, City Council approval of a resilience and storm hardening cost recovery rider to recover from customers the costs of the infrastructure hardening plan. In February 2024 the City Council approved a resolution authorizing Entergy New Orleans to implement a resilience project to be partially funded by $55 million of matching funding through the DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program. The resolution also required Entergy New Orleans to submit, no later than July 2024, a revised resilience plan consisting of projects over a three-year period. In March 2024, Entergy New Orleans filed with the City Council for approval the requested three-year resilience plan, which includes $168 million in hardening projects. The three-year resilience plan was to be in addition to the previously authorized resilience project to be partially funded by the DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program. In October 2024 the City Council approved a resolution authorizing a two-year resilience plan totaling $100 million and approved the requested resilience and storm hardening cost recovery rider. In December 2024, Entergy New Orleans notified the City Council of the subset of hardening projects from the revised three-year resilience plan to be included in the two-year resilience plan. Entergy New Orleans implemented the approved resilience and storm hardening cost recovery rider effective with the first billing cycle of January 2025.
Entergy Texas
In June 2024, Entergy Texas filed an application with the PUCT requesting approval of Phase I of its Texas Future Ready Resiliency Plan, a cost-effective set of measures to begin accelerating the resiliency of Entergy Texas’s transmission and distribution system. Phase I is comprised of projects totaling approximately $335.1 million, including approximately $137 million of projects to be funded by Entergy Texas and approximately $198 million of projects contingent upon Entergy Texas’s receipt of grant funds in that amount from the Texas Energy Fund. The projects in Phase I include distribution and transmission hardening and modernization projects and targeted vegetation management projects to mitigate the risk of wildfire. These projects are expected to be implemented within approximately three years of PUCT approval. In October 2024, Entergy Texas filed an unopposed settlement that would resolve all issues in the proceeding and the PUCT staff filed testimony in support of the unopposed settlement. In January 2025 the PUCT unanimously approved Phase I of Entergy Texas’s Texas Future Ready Resiliency Plan, including the approximately $137 million of projects to be funded by Entergy Texas and application of performance metrics consistent with the unopposed settlement. The PUCT clarified that, while not part of Entergy Texas’s Phase I plan, Entergy Texas is permitted to pursue the remaining $198 million of identified projects and Texas Energy Fund grant funding for those projects. In February 2025 the PUCT issued an
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order adopting a new rule establishing the procedures for application to the grant fund and Entergy Texas intends to pursue an application.
Dividends and Stock Repurchases
Declarations of dividends on Entergy Corporation common stock are made at the discretion of the Board. Among other things, the Board evaluates the level of Entergy Corporation common stock dividends based upon earnings per share from the Utility segment and the Parent and Other portion of the business, financial strength, and future investment opportunities. In January 2025, the Board declared a dividend of $0.60 per share. Entergy paid $982 million in 2024, $918 million in 2023, and $842 million in 2022 in cash dividends on its common stock.
In accordance with Entergy’s stock-based compensation plans, Entergy periodically grants stock options, restricted stock, performance units, and restricted stock units to key employees, which may be exercised to obtain shares of Entergy Corporation common stock. According to the plans, these shares can be newly issued shares, treasury stock, or shares purchased on the open market. Entergy’s management has been authorized by the Board to repurchase on the open market shares up to an amount sufficient to fund the exercise of grants under the plans.
In addition to the authority to fund grant exercises, the Board has authorized share repurchase programs to enable opportunistic purchases in response to market conditions. In October 2010 the Board granted authority for a $500 million share repurchase program. As of December 31, 2024, $350 million of authority remains under the $500 million share repurchase program. The amount of repurchases may vary as a result of material changes in business results or capital spending or new investment opportunities, or if limitations in the credit markets continue for a prolonged period.
Sources of Capital
Entergy’s sources to meet its capital requirements and to fund potential investments include:
•internally generated funds;
•cash on hand ($860 million as of December 31, 2024);
•storm reserve escrow accounts;
•debt and equity issuances in the capital markets, including debt issuances to refund or retire currently outstanding or maturing indebtedness;
•bank financing under new or existing facilities or commercial paper; and
•sales of assets.
Circumstances such as weather patterns, fuel and purchased power price fluctuations, and unanticipated expenses, including unscheduled plant outages and storms, could affect the timing and level of internally generated funds in the future. In addition to the financings necessary to meet capital requirements and contractual obligations, the Registrant Subsidiaries expect to continue, when economically feasible, to retire higher-cost debt and replace it with lower-cost debt if market conditions permit.
Provisions within the organizational documents relating to preferred stock or membership interests of certain of Entergy Corporation’s subsidiaries could restrict the payment of cash dividends or other distributions on their common and preferred equity. All debt and preferred equity issuances by the Registrant Subsidiaries require prior regulatory approval and their debt issuances are also subject to requirements set forth in bond indentures and other agreements. Entergy believes that the Registrant Subsidiaries have sufficient capacity under these tests to meet foreseeable capital needs for the next twelve months and beyond.
The FERC has jurisdiction over securities issuances by the Utility operating companies and System Energy. The City Council has concurrent jurisdiction over Entergy New Orleans’s securities issuances with maturities longer than one year. The APSC has concurrent jurisdiction over Entergy Arkansas’s issuances of securities secured by
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Arkansas property, including first mortgage bond issuances. No regulatory approvals are necessary for Entergy Corporation to issue securities. The current FERC-authorized short-term borrowing limits and long-term financing authorization for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy are effective through January 2027. Entergy Arkansas has obtained first mortgage bond/secured financing authorization from the APSC that extends through December 2025. Entergy New Orleans also has obtained long-term financing authorization from the City Council that extends through December 2025. Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy each has obtained long-term financing authorization from the FERC that extends through January 2027 for issuances by the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities. In addition to borrowings from commercial banks, the Registrant Subsidiaries may also borrow from the Entergy system money pool and from other internal short-term borrowing arrangements. The money pool is an intercompany cash management program that makes possible intercompany borrowing and lending arrangements, and the money pool and the other internal borrowing arrangements are designed to reduce Entergy’s subsidiaries’ dependence on external short-term borrowings. Borrowings from internal and external short-term borrowings combined may not exceed the FERC-authorized limits. See Notes 4 and 5 to the financial statements for further discussion of Entergy’s borrowing limits, authorizations, and amounts outstanding.
Equity Issuances and Equity Distribution Program
In January 2021, Entergy Corporation entered into an equity distribution sales agreement with several counterparties establishing an at the market equity distribution program, pursuant to which Entergy Corporation may offer and sell from time to time shares of its common stock. The sales agreement provides that, in addition to the issuance and sale of shares of Entergy Corporation common stock, Entergy Corporation may enter into forward sale agreements for the sale of its common stock. The aggregate number of shares of common stock sold under this sales agreement and under any forward sale agreement may not exceed an aggregate gross sales price of $3 billion. Through 2022, 2023, and 2024, Entergy Corporation utilized the equity distribution program either to sell or to enter into forward sale agreements with respect to shares of common stock with an aggregate gross sales price of approximately $2.6 billion, of which approximately $2.4 billion of aggregate gross sales price was the subject of forward sale agreements, subject to adjustment pursuant to the forward sale agreements. Entergy Corporation settled the forward sales agreements for cash proceeds of $853 million in November 2022, $48 million in November 2023, and $83 million in December 2023. There were no settlements of forward sale agreements for the year ended December 31, 2024. Entergy Corporation currently expects to issue approximately $4.7 billion of equity through 2028, which it may issue under its at the market equity distribution program or otherwise, with approximately $1.4 billion already contracted under forward sale agreements as of December 31, 2024. See Note 7 to the financial statements for discussion of the forward sales agreements and common stock issuances and sales under the equity distribution program.
Hurricane Francine
In September 2024, Hurricane Francine caused damage to the areas served by Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans. The storm resulted in widespread power outages, primarily due to damage to distribution infrastructure as a result of strong winds and heavy rain, and the loss of sales during the power outages. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy Louisiana’s December 2024 storm cost recovery filing related to Hurricane Francine.
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Cash Flow Activity
As shown in Entergy’s Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022 were as follows:
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period | $133 | $224 | $443 | ||||
| Net cash provided by (used in): | |||||||
| Operating activities | 4,488 | 4,294 | 2,585 | ||||
| Investing activities | (5,849) | (4,629) | (5,710) | ||||
| Financing activities | 2,088 | 244 | 2,906 | ||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | 727 | (91) | (219) | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at end of period | $860 | $133 | $224 |
2024 Compared to 2023
Operating Activities
Net cash flow provided by operating activities increased $194 million in 2024 primarily due to lower fuel and purchased power costs and the receipt of a $152 million advance payment in 2024 from a customer related to a generation agreement. The increase was partially offset by:
•an increase of $127 million in interest paid;
•lower collections from Utility customers, including the effect of higher deferred fuel collections in 2023; and
•one-time bill credits of $92 million in 2024 to Entergy Arkansas’s retail customers through the Grand Gulf credit rider as a result of the System Energy settlement with the APSC. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the System Energy settlement agreement with the APSC and Entergy Arkansas’s Grand Gulf credit rider.
Investing Activities
Net cash flow used in investing activities increased $1,220 million in 2024 primarily due to:
•the initial and substantial completion payments totaling approximately $393 million in 2024 for the purchase of the Driver Solar facility by Entergy Arkansas;
•an increase of $291 million in non-nuclear generation construction expenditures primarily due to higher spending by Entergy Louisiana on new generation resources in north Louisiana, by Entergy Mississippi on the Delta Blues Advanced Power Station project, and by Entergy Texas on the Legend Power Station project;
•the initial and substantial completion payments totaling approximately $240 million in 2024 for the purchase of the West Memphis Solar facility by Entergy Arkansas;
•the initial and substantial completion payments totaling approximately $186 million in 2024 for the purchase of the Walnut Bend Solar facility by Entergy Arkansas;
•an increase of $183 million in transmission construction expenditures primarily due to higher capital expenditures as a result of increased development in the Utility service area and increased spending on various transmission projects in 2024, partially offset by lower capital expenditures for storm restoration in
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2024. The decrease in storm restoration expenditures is primarily due to Hurricane Ida restoration efforts in 2023;
•net payments to storm reserve escrow accounts of $17 million in 2024 as compared to net receipts from storm reserve escrow accounts of $79 million in 2023;
•an increase of $89 million in distribution construction expenditures primarily due to increased investment in the resilience of the Utility distribution system, partially offset by lower capital expenditures for storm restoration in 2024; and
•an increase of $38 million in nuclear fuel purchases due to variations from year to year in the timing and pricing of fuel reload requirements, materials and services deliveries, and the timing of cash payments during the nuclear fuel cycle.
The increase was partially offset by:
•a decrease of $111 million in nuclear construction expenditures primarily due to decreased spending on various nuclear projects in 2024;
•an increase of $59 million in proceeds received in 2024 as compared to 2023 from the DOE resulting from litigation regarding spent nuclear fuel storage costs. See Note 8 to the financial statements for discussion of the spent nuclear fuel storage litigation;
•the substantial completion and final payments totaling approximately $35 million in 2023 for the purchase of the Sunflower Solar facility by the Entergy Mississippi tax equity partnership;
•a decrease of $28 million in facilities construction expenditures primarily due to decreased spending on various facilities projects in 2024 and the construction at Entergy Mississippi of a new transmission office in 2023; and
•a decrease of $25 million in information technology capital expenditures primarily due to decreased spending on various technology projects in 2024.
See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the Driver Solar facility, the West Memphis Solar facility, the Walnut Bend Solar facility, and the Sunflower Solar facility purchases.
Financing Activities
Net cash flow provided by financing activities increased $1,844 million in 2024 primarily due to:
•long-term debt activity providing approximately $2,845 million of cash in 2024 compared to using approximately $862 million of cash in 2023;
•an increase of $192 million in advance payments from customers for construction related to transmission, distribution, and generator interconnection agreements; and
•an increase of $127 million in proceeds received from the exercise of stock options in 2024 as compared to 2023.
The increase was partially offset by:
•proceeds from securitization of $1.5 billion received by the storm trust II at Entergy Louisiana in 2023;
•net repayments of $211 million of commercial paper in 2024 as compared to net issuances of $311 million of commercial paper in 2023;
•$131 million in net proceeds from the issuance of common stock under the at the market equity distribution program in 2023. There were no issuances of common stock under the at the market equity distribution program in 2024; and
•an increase of $63 million in common stock dividends paid in 2024 as a result of an increase in the dividend paid per share in 2024 as compared to 2023.
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See Note 5 to the financial statements for details of long-term debt. See Note 2 to the financial statements for a discussion of the Entergy Louisiana March 2023 storm cost securitization. See Note 4 to the financial statements for details of Entergy’s commercial paper program. See Note 7 to the financial statements for discussion of the equity distribution program.
2023 Compared to 2022
See “MANAGEMENT’S FINANCIAL DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS - Liquidity and Capital Resources - Cash Flow Activity” in Item 7 of Entergy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 23, 2024, for discussion of operating, investing, and financing cash flow activities for 2023 compared to 2022.
Rate, Cost-recovery, and Other Regulation
State and Local Rate Regulation and Fuel-Cost Recovery
The rates that the Utility operating companies charge for their services significantly influence Entergy’s financial position, results of operations, and liquidity. These companies are regulated, and the rates charged to their customers are determined in regulatory proceedings. Governmental agencies, including the APSC, the LPSC, the MPSC, the City Council, and the PUCT, are primarily responsible for approval of the rates charged to customers. Following is a summary of the Utility operating companies’ authorized returns on common equity:
| Company | Authorized Return on Common Equity | |
|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas | 9.15% - 10.15% | |
| Entergy Louisiana | 9.3% - 10.1% Electric; 9.3% - 10.3% Gas | |
| Entergy Mississippi | 9.91% - 11.92% | |
| Entergy New Orleans | 8.85% - 9.85% | |
| Entergy Texas | 9.57% |
Rate regulation and related regulatory proceedings and fuel and purchased power cost recovery proceedings for the Utility operating companies are discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements.
Federal Regulation
The FERC regulates wholesale sales of electricity rates and interstate transmission of electricity, including rates for System Energy’s sales of capacity and energy from Grand Gulf to Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, and Entergy New Orleans pursuant to the Unit Power Sales Agreement. The current return on equity under the Unit Power Sales Agreement is 9.65%. See Note 2 and Note 8 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy Louisiana’s divestiture from the Unit Power Sales Agreement.
Market and Credit Risk Sensitive Instruments
Market risk is the risk of changes in the value of commodity and financial instruments, or in future net income or cash flows, in response to changing market conditions. Entergy holds commodity and financial instruments that are exposed to the following significant market risks:
•The commodity price risk associated with the sale of electricity by Entergy’s non-utility operations business.
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•The interest rate and equity price risk associated with Entergy’s investments in qualified pension and other postretirement benefits trust funds. See Note 11 to the financial statements for details regarding Entergy’s qualified pension and other postretirement benefits trust funds.
•The interest rate and equity price risk associated with Entergy’s investments in nuclear plant decommissioning trust funds. See Note 16 to the financial statements for details regarding Entergy’s decommissioning trust funds.
•The interest rate risk associated with changes in interest rates as a result of Entergy’s outstanding indebtedness. Entergy manages its interest rate exposure by monitoring current interest rates and its debt outstanding in relation to total capitalization. See Notes 4 and 5 to the financial statements for the details of Entergy’s debt outstanding.
The Utility has limited exposure to the effects of market risk because it operates primarily under cost-based rate regulation. To the extent approved by their retail regulators, the Utility operating companies use commodity and financial instruments to hedge the exposure to price volatility inherent in their purchased power, fuel, and gas purchased for resale costs that are recovered from customers.
Entergy’s commodity and financial instruments are also exposed to credit risk. Credit risk is the risk of loss from nonperformance by suppliers, customers, or financial counterparties to a contract or agreement. Entergy is also exposed to a potential demand on liquidity due to credit support requirements within its supply or sales agreements.
Some of the agreements to sell the power produced by Entergy’s non-utility operations business contain provisions that require an Entergy subsidiary to provide credit support to secure its obligations under such agreement. The primary form of credit support used to satisfy these requirements is an Entergy Corporation guarantee. Cash and letters of credit are also acceptable forms of credit support. At December 31, 2024, based on power prices at that time, Entergy had liquidity exposure of $5 million under the guarantees in place supporting its non-utility operations business transactions and $3 million of posted cash collateral.
In addition, each of the Utility operating companies has uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as a means to post collateral to support its obligations to MISO and for other purposes. See Note 4 to the financial statements for discussion of these letter of credit facilities.
Nuclear Matters
Entergy’s Utility business includes the ownership and operation of nuclear generating plants and is, therefore, subject to the risks related to such ownership and operation. These include risks related to: the use, storage, and handling and disposal of high-level and low-level radioactive materials; the substantial financial requirements, both for capital investments and operational needs, including the financial requirements to address emerging issues related to equipment reliability, to position Entergy’s nuclear fleet to meet its operational goals; the performance and capacity factors of these nuclear plants; regulatory requirements and potential future regulatory changes, including changes affecting the regulations governing nuclear plant ownership, operations, license amendments, and decommissioning; the availability of interim or permanent sites for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste, including the fees charged for such disposal; the sufficiency of nuclear decommissioning trust fund assets and earnings to complete decommissioning of each site when required; and limitations on the amounts of insurance recoveries for losses in connection with nuclear plant operations and catastrophic events such as a nuclear accident.
NRC Reactor Oversight Process
The NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process is a program to collect information about plant performance, assess the information for its safety significance, and provide for appropriate licensee and NRC response. The NRC evaluates plant performance by analyzing two distinct inputs: inspection findings resulting from the NRC’s
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inspection program and performance indicators reported by the licensee. The evaluations result in the placement of each plant in one of the NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process Action Matrix columns: “licensee response column,” or Column 1, “regulatory response column,” or Column 2, “degraded cornerstone column,” or Column 3, “multiple/repetitive degraded cornerstone column,” or Column 4, and “unacceptable performance,” or Column 5. Plants in Column 1 are subject to normal NRC inspection activities. Plants in Column 2, Column 3, or Column 4 are subject to progressively increasing levels of inspection by the NRC with, in general, progressively increasing levels of associated costs. Continued plant operation is not permitted for plants in Column 5. All of the nuclear generating plants owned and operated by Entergy’s Utility business are currently in Column 1.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of Entergy’s financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to apply appropriate accounting policies and to make estimates and judgments that can have a significant effect on reported financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. Management has identified the following accounting estimates as critical because they are based on assumptions and measurements that involve a high degree of uncertainty, and the potential for future changes in these assumptions and measurements could produce estimates that would have a material effect on the presentation of Entergy’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
Nuclear Decommissioning Costs
Certain of the Utility operating companies and System Energy own nuclear generation facilities. Regulations require these Entergy subsidiaries to decommission the nuclear power plants after each facility is taken out of service, and cash is deposited in trust funds during the facilities’ operating lives in order to provide for this obligation. Entergy conducts periodic decommissioning cost studies to estimate the costs that will be incurred to decommission the facilities. The following key assumptions have a significant effect on these estimates.
•Timing - In projecting decommissioning costs, two assumptions must be made to estimate the timing of plant decommissioning. First, the date of the plant’s retirement must be estimated for those plants that do not have an announced shutdown date. The estimate may include assumptions regarding the possibility that the plant may have an operating life shorter than the operating license expiration. Second, an assumption must be made regarding whether all decommissioning activity will proceed immediately upon plant retirement, or whether the plant will be placed in SAFSTOR status. SAFSTOR is decommissioning a facility by placing it in a safe, stable condition that is maintained until it is subsequently decontaminated and dismantled to levels that permit license termination, normally within 60 years from permanent cessation of operations. A change of assumption regarding either the period of continued operation, the use of a SAFSTOR period, or whether Entergy will continue to hold the plant or the plant is held for sale can change the present value of the asset retirement obligation.
•Cost Escalation Factors - Entergy’s current decommissioning cost studies include an assumption that decommissioning costs will escalate over present cost levels by factors ranging from approximately 2% to 3% annually. A 50-basis point change in this assumption could change the estimated present value of the decommissioning liabilities by approximately 8% to 15%. The timing assumption influences the significance of the effect of a change in the estimated inflation or cost escalation rate because the effect increases with the length of time assumed before decommissioning activity ends.
•Spent Fuel Disposal - Federal law requires the DOE to provide for the permanent storage of spent nuclear fuel, and legislation has been passed by Congress to develop a repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The DOE has not yet begun accepting spent nuclear fuel and is in non-compliance with federal law. The DOE continues to delay meeting its obligation and Entergy’s nuclear plant owners are continuing to pursue damage claims against the DOE for its failure to provide timely spent fuel storage. Until a federal site is available, however, nuclear plant operators must provide for interim spent fuel storage on the nuclear plant site, which can require the construction and maintenance of dry cask storage sites or other facilities. The costs of developing and maintaining these facilities during the decommissioning period can have a
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significant effect (as much as an average of 20% to 30% of total estimated decommissioning costs). Entergy’s decommissioning studies include cost estimates for spent fuel storage. These estimates could change in the future, however, based on the expected timing of when the DOE begins to fulfill its obligation to receive and store spent nuclear fuel. See Note 8 to the financial statements for further discussion of Entergy’s spent nuclear fuel litigation.
•Technology and Regulation - Over the past several years, more practical experience with the actual decommissioning of nuclear facilities has been gained and that experience has been incorporated into Entergy’s current decommissioning cost estimates. Given the long duration of decommissioning projects, additional experience, including technological advancements in decommissioning, could be gained and affect current cost estimates. In addition, if regulations regarding nuclear decommissioning were to change, this could affect cost estimates.
•Interest Rates - The estimated decommissioning costs that are the basis for the recorded decommissioning liability are discounted to present value using a credit-adjusted risk-free rate. When the decommissioning liability is revised, increases in cash flows are discounted using the current credit-adjusted risk-free rate. Decreases in estimated cash flows are discounted using the credit-adjusted risk-free rate used previously in estimating the decommissioning liability that is being revised. Therefore, to the extent that a revised cost study results in an increase in estimated cash flows, a change in interest rates from the time of the previous cost estimate will affect the calculation of the present value of the revised decommissioning liability.
Revisions of estimated decommissioning costs that decrease the liability also result in a decrease in the asset retirement cost asset. Revisions of estimated decommissioning costs that increase the liability result in an increase in the asset retirement cost asset, which is then depreciated over the asset’s remaining economic life. See Note 9 to the financial statements for further discussion of asset retirement obligations.
Utility Regulatory Accounting
Entergy’s Utility operating companies and System Energy are subject to retail regulation by their respective state and local regulators and to wholesale regulation by the FERC. Because these regulatory agencies set the rates the Utility operating companies and System Energy are allowed to charge customers based on allowable costs, including a reasonable return on equity, the Utility operating companies and System Energy apply accounting standards that require the financial statements to reflect the effects of rate regulation, including the recording of regulatory assets and liabilities. Regulatory assets represent incurred costs that have been deferred because they are probable of future recovery from customers through regulated rates. Regulatory liabilities represent (1) revenue or gains that have been deferred because it is probable such amounts will be credited to customers through future regulated rates or (2) billings in advance of expenditures for approved regulatory programs. See Note 2 to the financial statements for a discussion of rate and regulatory matters, including details of Entergy’s and the Registrant Subsidiaries’ regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities.
For each regulatory jurisdiction in which they conduct business, the Utility operating companies and System Energy assess whether the regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities continue to meet the criteria for probable future recovery or settlement at each balance sheet date and when regulatory events occur. This assessment includes consideration of recent rate orders, historical regulatory treatment for similar costs, and factors such as changes in applicable regulatory and political environments. If the assessments made by the Utility operating companies and System Energy are ultimately different than actual regulatory outcomes, it could materially affect the results of operations, financial position, and cash flows of Entergy or the Registrant Subsidiaries.
Taxation and Uncertain Tax Positions
Management exercises significant judgment in evaluating the potential tax effects of Entergy’s operations, transactions, and other events. Entergy accounts for uncertain income tax positions using a recognition model under a two-step approach with a more likely-than-not recognition threshold and a measurement approach based on the
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largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement. Management evaluates each tax position based on the technical merits and facts and circumstances of the position, assuming the position will be examined by a taxing authority having full knowledge of all relevant information. Significant judgment is required to determine whether available information supports the assertion that the recognition threshold has been met. Additionally, measurement of unrecognized tax benefits to be recorded in the consolidated financial statements is based on the probability of different potential outcomes. Income tax expense and tax positions recorded could be significantly affected by events such as additional transactions contemplated or consummated by Entergy as well as audits by taxing authorities of the tax positions taken in transactions. Management believes that the financial statement tax balances are accounted for and adjusted appropriately each quarter, as necessary, in accordance with applicable authoritative guidance; however, the ultimate outcome of tax matters could result in favorable or unfavorable effects on the consolidated financial statements.
Certain Entergy subsidiaries have elected to apply the mark-to-market method of accounting for income tax return purposes to wholesale power purchase agreements as appropriate under the Internal Revenue Code and U.S. Treasury Regulations. The mark-to-market tax gain or loss computed each year is based on an estimated fair market valuation which includes analyses of market prices and conditions. Entergy’s and the Registrant Subsidiaries’ mark-to-market tax position could be affected by the outcome of federal and state income tax audits should taxing authorities challenge such valuations.
Entergy’s income taxes, including unrecognized tax benefits, open audits, and other significant tax matters, are discussed in Note 3 to the financial statements. See “Income Tax Legislation and Regulation” above for discussion of income tax legislation and regulation.
Qualified Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits
Entergy sponsors qualified, defined benefit pension plans, including cash balance plans and final average pay plans. Generally, plan participation is determined based on the employee’s most recent date of hire and collective bargaining agreement, where applicable. Additionally, Entergy currently provides other postretirement health care and life insurance benefits for full-time employees whose most recent date of hire or rehire is before July 1, 2014, and who reach retirement age and meet certain eligibility requirements while still working for Entergy.
Entergy’s reported costs of providing these benefits, as described in Note 11 to the financial statements, are affected by numerous factors including the provisions of the plans, changing employee demographics, and various actuarial calculations, assumptions, and accounting mechanisms. Because of the complexity of these calculations, the long-term nature of these obligations, and the importance of the assumptions utilized, Entergy’s estimate of these costs is a critical accounting estimate for Entergy and the Registrant Subsidiaries.
Assumptions
Key actuarial assumptions utilized in determining qualified pension and postretirement health care and life insurance costs include discount rates, projected healthcare cost rates, expected long-term rate of return on plan assets, rate of increase in future compensation levels, retirement rates, expected timing and form of payments, and mortality rates.
Annually, Entergy reviews and, when necessary, adjusts the assumptions for the qualified pension and other postretirement plans. Every three-to-five years, a formal actuarial assumption experience study that compares assumptions to the actual experience of the qualified pension and postretirement health care and life insurance plans is conducted. The interest rate environment over the past few years and volatility in the financial equity markets have affected Entergy’s funding and reported costs for these benefits.
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Discount rates
In selecting an assumed discount rate to calculate benefit obligations, Entergy uses a yield curve based on high-quality corporate debt with cash flows matching the expected plan benefit payments. In estimating the service cost and interest cost components of net periodic benefit cost, Entergy discounts the expected cash flows by the applicable spot rates.
Projected health care cost trend rates
Entergy’s health care cost trend is affected by both medical cost inflation and, with respect to capped costs under the plan, the effects of general inflation. Entergy reviews actual recent cost trends and projected future trends in establishing its health care cost trend rates.
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets
In determining its expected long-term rate of return on plan assets used in the calculation of benefit plan costs, Entergy reviews past performance, current and expected future asset allocations, and capital market assumptions of its investment consultant and some of its investment managers. Entergy conducts periodic asset/liability studies in order to set its target asset allocations.
In 2023, Entergy implemented a new asset allocation strategy for its pension assets, based on the funded status of each plan within the trust. The new strategy no longer focuses on targeting an overall asset allocation for the trust, but rather a target asset allocation for each plan within the trust that adjusts dynamically based on the funded status. The ultimate asset allocation for each plan is expected to be attained when the plan is 110% funded. The 2024 weighted-average target pension asset allocation is 35% equity and 65% fixed income securities, of which 61% is long duration fixed income.
In 2017, Entergy implemented a new asset allocation strategy for its non-taxable and taxable other postretirement assets, based on the funded status of each sub-account within each trust. The new strategy no longer focuses on targeting an overall asset allocation for each trust, but rather a target asset allocation for each sub-account within each trust that adjusts dynamically based on the funded status. This strategy was reaffirmed based upon an asset/liability study in 2024. The 2024 weighted-average target postretirement asset allocation is 24% equity and 76% fixed income securities.
See Note 11 to the financial statements for discussion of the current asset allocations for Entergy’s pension and other postretirement assets.
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Costs and Sensitivities
The estimated 2025 and actual 2024 qualified pension and other postretirement costs and related underlying assumptions and sensitivities are shown below:
| Costs | Estimated 2025 | 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||
| Qualified pension cost | $85.3 | $391.5 (a) | ||
| Other postretirement income | ($29.4) | ($24.3) | ||
| Assumptions | 2025 | 2024 | ||
| Discount rates | ||||
| Qualified pension | ||||
| Service cost | 5.75% | 5.08% | ||
| Interest cost | 5.46% | 4.97% | ||
| Other postretirement | ||||
| Service cost | 5.50% | 4.82% | ||
| Interest cost | 5.36% | 4.91% | ||
| Expected long-term rates of return | ||||
| Qualified pension assets | 6.00% - 7.00% Blended 6.75% | 6.75% | ||
| Other postretirement - non-taxable assets | 6.00% - 7.00% | 6.50% - 7.25% | ||
| Other postretirement - taxable assets - after tax rate | 4.75% | 5.25% | ||
| Weighted-average rate of increase in future compensation | 3.98% - 4.45% | 3.98% - 4.40% | ||
| Assumed health care cost trend rates | ||||
| Pre-65 retirees | 8.15% | 6.95% | ||
| Post-65 retirees | 10.13% | 7.88% | ||
| Ultimate health care cost trend rate | 4.75% | 4.75% | ||
| Year ultimate health care cost trend rate is reached and beyond | ||||
| Pre-65 retirees | 2035 | 2032 | ||
| Post-65 retirees | 2035 | 2032 |
(a) In 2024, qualified pension cost included settlement costs of $328 million.
Actual asset returns have an effect on Entergy’s qualified pension and other postretirement costs. In 2024, Entergy’s actual annual return on qualified pension assets was approximately 6.7% and on other postretirement assets was approximately 7%, as compared to the 2024 expected long-term rates of return discussed above.
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The following chart reflects the sensitivity of qualified pension cost and qualified pension projected benefit obligation to changes in certain actuarial assumptions (dollars in millions):
| Actuarial Assumption | Change in Assumption | Impact on 2025 Qualified Pension Cost | Impact on 2024 Qualified Pension Projected Benefit Obligation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase/(Decrease) | ||||||
| Discount rate | (0.25%) | $4 | $104 | |||
| Rate of return on plan assets | (0.25%) | $11 | $— | |||
| Rate of increase in compensation | 0.25% | $4 | $23 |
The following chart reflects the sensitivity of postretirement benefits cost and accumulated postretirement benefit obligation to changes in certain actuarial assumptions (dollars in millions):
| Actuarial Assumption | Change in Assumption | Impact on 2025 Postretirement Benefits Cost | Impact on 2024 Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase/(Decrease) | ||||||
| Discount rate | (0.25%) | $1 | $18 | |||
| Health care cost trend | 0.25% | $2 | $11 |
Each fluctuation above assumes that the other components of the calculation are held constant.
Accounting Mechanisms
In accordance with pension accounting standards, Entergy utilizes a number of accounting mechanisms that reduce the volatility of reported pension costs. Differences between actuarial assumptions and actual plan results are deferred and are amortized into expense only when the accumulated differences exceed 10% of the greater of the projected benefit obligation or the market-related value of plan assets. If necessary, the excess is amortized over the average remaining service period of active employees. If almost all of the plan participants are inactive, as is the case for certain qualified pension plans, the excess is amortized over the remaining life expectancy of plan participants. Additionally, accounting standards allow for the deferral of prior service costs/credits arising from plan amendments that attribute an increase or decrease in benefits to employee service in prior periods. Prior service costs/credits are then amortized into expense over the average future working life of active employees. Certain decisions, including workforce reductions, plan amendments, and plant shutdowns, may significantly reduce the expense amortization period and result in immediate recognition of certain previously-deferred costs and gains/losses in the form of curtailment gains or losses. Similarly, payments made to settle benefit obligations, including lump sum benefit payments, can also result in accelerated recognition in the form of settlement losses or gains. Several Entergy subsidiaries received regulatory approval to defer the expense portion of settlement charges and amortize into expense over time. See Note 11 to the financial statements for further discussion.
Entergy calculates the expected return on pension and other postretirement benefits plan assets by multiplying the long-term expected rate of return on assets by the market-related value (MRV) of plan assets. Entergy determines the MRV of its pension plan assets, except for the long duration fixed income assets, by calculating a value that uses a 20-quarter phase-in of the difference between actual and expected returns. For the long duration fixed income assets in the pension trust and for its other postretirement benefits plan assets, Entergy uses fair value as the MRV.
Accounting standards require an employer to recognize in its balance sheet the funded status of its benefit plans. See Note 11 to the financial statements for further discussion of Entergy’s funded status.
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Employer Contributions
Entergy contributed $270 million to its qualified pension plans in 2024. Entergy estimates pension contributions will be approximately $240 million in 2025 although the 2025 required pension contributions will be known with more certainty when the January 1, 2025, valuations are completed, which is expected by April 1, 2025.
Minimum required funding calculations as determined under Pension Protection Act guidance, as amended by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, are performed annually as of January 1 of each year and are based on measurements of the assets and funding liabilities as measured at that date. Any excess of the funding liability over the calculated fair market value of assets results in a funding shortfall that must be funded over a fifteen-year rolling period. The Pension Protection Act also imposes certain plan limitations if the funded percentage, which is based on calculated fair market values of assets divided by funding liabilities, does not meet certain thresholds. For funding purposes, asset gains and losses are smoothed into the calculated fair market value of assets. The funding liability is based upon a weighted-average 24-month corporate bond rate published by the U.S. Treasury which is generally subject to a corridor of the 25-year average of prior segment rates. Periodic changes in asset returns and interest rates can affect funding shortfalls and future cash contributions.
Entergy contributed $45.4 million to its other postretirement plans in 2024 and plans to contribute $42.8 million in 2025.
Other Contingencies
As a company with multi-state utility operations, Entergy is subject to a number of federal and state laws and regulations and other factors and conditions in the areas in which it operates, which potentially subjects it to environmental, litigation, and other risks. Entergy periodically evaluates its exposure for such risks and records a provision for those matters which are considered probable and estimable in accordance with GAAP.
Environmental
Entergy must comply with environmental laws and regulations applicable to air emissions, water discharges, solid waste (including coal combustion residuals), hazardous waste, toxic substances, protected species, and other environmental matters. Under these various laws and regulations, Entergy could incur substantial costs to comply or address any impacts to the environment. Entergy conducts studies to determine the extent of any required remediation and has recorded liabilities based upon its evaluation of the likelihood of loss and expected dollar amount for each issue. Additional sites or issues could be identified which require environmental remediation or corrective action for which Entergy could be liable. The amounts of environmental liabilities recorded can be significantly affected by the following external events or conditions.
•Changes to existing federal, state, or local regulation or related policies by governmental authorities having jurisdiction over air quality, water quality, control of toxic substances and hazardous and solid wastes, and other environmental matters.
•The identification of additional impacts, sites, issues, or the filing of other complaints in which Entergy may be asserted to be a potentially responsible party.
•The resolution or progression of existing matters through the court system or resolution by the EPA or relevant state or local authority.
Litigation
Entergy is regularly named as a defendant in a number of lawsuits involving employment, customers, and injuries and damages issues, among other matters. Entergy periodically reviews the cases in which it has been named as defendant and assesses the likelihood of loss in each case as probable, reasonably possible, or remote and records liabilities for cases that have a probable likelihood of loss and the loss can be estimated. Given the
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environment in which Entergy operates, and the unpredictable nature of many of the cases in which Entergy is named as a defendant, the ultimate outcome of the litigation to which Entergy is exposed has the potential to materially affect the results of operations, financial position, and cash flows of Entergy or the Registrant Subsidiaries.
New Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 1 to the financial statements for discussion of new accounting pronouncements.
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FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000065984-24-000012.
Results of Operations
2023 Compared to 2022
Following are income statement variances for Utility, Parent & Other, and Entergy comparing 2023 to 2022 showing how much the line item increased or (decreased) in comparison to the prior period.
| Utility | Parent & Other (a) | Entergy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Thousands) | |||||||
| 2022 Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Entergy Corporation | $1,406,605 | ($303,439) | $1,103,166 | ||||
| Operating revenues | (1,397,860) | (218,965) | (1,616,825) | ||||
| Fuel, fuel-related expenses, and gas purchased for resale | (878,601) | (52,670) | (931,271) | ||||
| Purchased power | (573,937) | (19,571) | (593,508) | ||||
| Other regulatory charges (credits) - net | (807,872) | — | (807,872) | ||||
| Other operation and maintenance | (61,702) | (78,544) | (140,246) | ||||
| Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges (credits) | 79,962 | 126,181 | 206,143 | ||||
| Taxes other than income taxes | 35,951 | (13,915) | 22,036 | ||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 92,806 | (8,826) | 83,980 | ||||
| Other income (deductions) | 145,999 | (5,415) | 140,584 | ||||
| Interest expense | 66,468 | 27,701 | 94,169 | ||||
| Other expenses | 23,324 | (46,611) | (23,287) | ||||
| Income taxes | (340,584) | (310,973) | (651,557) | ||||
| Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries and noncontrolling interests | 11,802 | — | 11,802 | ||||
| 2023 Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Entergy Corporation | $2,507,127 | ($150,591) | $2,356,536 |
(a)Parent & Other includes eliminations, which are primarily intersegment activity.
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Results of operations for 2023 include: (1) a $568 million reduction, recorded at Utility, and a $275 million reduction, recorded at Parent & Other, in income tax expense as a result of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit, partially offset by $98 million ($72 million net-of-tax) of regulatory charges, recorded at Utility, to reflect credits expected to be provided to customers by Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans as a result of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit; (2) the reversal of a $106 million regulatory liability, associated with the Hurricane Isaac securitization, recognized in 2017 as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, recorded at Utility, as part of the settlement of Entergy Louisiana’s test year 2017 formula rate plan filing; (3) a $129 million reduction in income tax expense as a result of the Hurricane Ida securitization in March 2023, which also resulted in a $103 million ($76 million net-of-tax) regulatory charge, recorded at Utility, to reflect Entergy Louisiana’s obligation to provide credits to its customers as described in an LPSC ancillary order issued as part of the securitization regulatory proceeding; and (4) write-offs of $78 million ($59 million net-of-tax), recorded at Utility, as a result of Entergy Arkansas’s approved motion to forgo recovery of identified costs resulting from the 2013 ANO stator incident. See Note 3 to the financial statements for further discussion of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit. See Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of the Entergy Louisiana formula rate plan global settlement. See Notes 2 and 3 to the financial statements for further discussion of the Entergy Louisiana March 2023 storm cost securitization. See Note 8 to the financial statements for further discussion of the ANO stator incident and the approved motion to forgo recovery.
Results of operations for 2022 include: (1) a regulatory charge of $551 million ($413 million net-of-tax), recorded at Utility, as a result of System Energy’s partial settlement agreement and offer of settlement related to pending proceedings before the FERC; (2) a $283 million reduction in income tax expense as a result of the Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, Winter Storm Uri, and Hurricane Ida May 2022 securitization financing, which also resulted in a $224 million ($165 million net-of-tax) regulatory charge, recorded at Utility, to reflect Entergy Louisiana’s obligation to provide credits to its customers as described in an LPSC ancillary order issued as part of the securitization regulatory proceeding; and (3) a gain of $166 million ($130 million net-of-tax), reflected in “Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges (credits),” as a result of the sale of the Palisades plant in June 2022. See Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of the System Energy settlement agreement with the MPSC. See Notes 2 and 3 to the financial statements for further discussion of the Entergy Louisiana May 2022 storm cost securitization. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the sale of the Palisades plant.
Operating Revenues
Utility
Following is an analysis of the change in operating revenues comparing 2023 to 2022:
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |
| 2022 operating revenues | $13,421 |
| Fuel, rider, and other revenues that do not significantly affect net income | (1,801) |
| Storm restoration carrying costs | (23) |
| Volume/weather | 5 |
| Retail one-time bill credit | 37 |
| Return of unprotected excess accumulated deferred income taxes to customers | 53 |
| Retail electric price | 331 |
| 2023 operating revenues | $12,023 |
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The Utility operating companies’ results include revenues from rate mechanisms designed to recover fuel, purchased power, and other costs such that the revenues and expenses associated with these items generally offset and do not affect net income. “Fuel, rider, and other revenues that do not significantly affect net income” includes the revenue variance associated with these items.
Storm restoration carrying costs, representing the equity component of storm restoration carrying costs, includes $22 million recognized by Entergy Texas as part of its April 2022 storm cost securitization, $37 million recognized by Entergy Louisiana as part of its May 2022 storm cost securitization, $31 million recognized by Entergy Louisiana as part of its March 2023 storm cost securitization, and $5 million recognized by Entergy New Orleans as part of the City Council’s approval of the Entergy New Orleans storm cost certification report in December 2023. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of storm cost securitizations.
The volume/weather variance is primarily due to the effect of more favorable weather on commercial sales and an increase in industrial usage, substantially offset by the effect of less favorable weather on residential sales. The increase in industrial usage is primarily due to an increase in demand from new customers and expansion projects, primarily in the primary metals, industrial gases, and chemicals industries, and an increase in demand from small industrial customers, substantially offset by a decrease in demand from cogeneration customers.
The retail one-time bill credit represents the disbursement of settlement proceeds in the form of a one-time bill credit provided to Entergy Mississippi’s retail customers during the September 2022 billing cycle as a result of the System Energy settlement agreement with the MPSC. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the settlement agreement and the MPSC directive related to the disbursement of settlement proceeds.
The return of unprotected excess accumulated deferred income taxes to customers resulted from activity at the Utility operating companies in response to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The return of unprotected excess accumulated deferred income taxes began in second quarter 2018. In 2022, $53 million was returned to customers through reductions in operating revenues. There was no return of unprotected excess accumulated deferred income taxes for Entergy or the Utility operating companies for 2023. There was no effect on net income as the reductions in operating revenues were offset by reductions in income tax expense. See Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of regulatory activity regarding the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
The retail electric price variance is primarily due to:
•an increase in Entergy Arkansas’s formula rate plan rates effective January 2023;
•increases in Entergy Louisiana’s formula rate plan revenues, including increases in the distribution and transmission recovery mechanisms, effective September 2022 and September 2023;
•increases in Entergy Mississippi’s formula rate plan rates effective August 2022, April 2023, and July 2023;
•an increase in Entergy New Orleans’s formula rate plan rates effective September 2022; and
•an increase in base rates, including the realignment of the costs previously being collected through the distribution and transmission cost recovery factor riders and the generation cost recovery rider to base rates, effective June 2023, at Entergy Texas.
See Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of the regulatory proceedings discussed above.
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Total electric energy sales for Utility for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 are as follows:
| 2023 | 2022 | % Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (GWh) | |||||||
| Residential | 36,372 | 37,134 | (2) | ||||
| Commercial | 28,221 | 27,982 | 1 | ||||
| Industrial | 52,807 | 52,501 | 1 | ||||
| Governmental | 2,458 | 2,512 | (2) | ||||
| Total retail | 119,858 | 120,129 | — | ||||
| Sales for resale | 15,189 | 15,968 | (5) | ||||
| Total | 135,047 | 136,097 | (1) |
See Note 19 to the financial statements for additional discussion of operating revenues.
Other Income Statement Items
Utility
Other operation and maintenance expenses decreased from $2,900 million for 2022 to $2,838 million for 2023 primarily due to:
•a decrease of $59 million in compensation and benefits costs primarily due to lower health and welfare costs, including higher prescription drug rebates in second quarter 2023, a decrease in net periodic pension and other postretirement benefits service costs as a result of an increase in the discount rates used to value the benefits liabilities, and a revision to estimated incentive compensation expense in first quarter 2023. See “Critical Accounting Estimates” below and Note 11 to the financial statements for further discussion of pension and other postretirement benefits costs;
•a decrease of $51 million in transmission costs allocated by MISO. See Note 2 to the financial statements for further information on the recovery of these costs;
•a decrease of $21 million in non-nuclear generation expenses primarily due to a lower scope of work, including during plant outages, performed in 2023 as compared to 2022;
•a decrease of $17 million in nuclear generation expenses primarily due to a lower scope of work performed in 2023 as compared to 2022 and lower nuclear labor costs;
•a decrease of $11 million in customer service center support costs primarily due to lower contract costs; and
•the effects of recording a final judgment in first quarter 2023 to resolve claims in the ANO damages case against the DOE related to spent nuclear fuel storage costs. The damages awarded include the reimbursement of approximately $10 million of spent nuclear fuel storage costs previously recorded as other operation and maintenance expenses. See Note 8 to the financial statements for discussion of the spent nuclear fuel litigation.
The decrease was partially offset by:
•an increase of $43 million in contract costs related to operational performance, customer service, and organizational health initiatives;
•an increase of $15 million in power delivery expenses primarily due to higher vegetation maintenance costs;
•an increase of $11 million in insurance expenses primarily due to lower nuclear insurance refunds received in 2023; and
•several individually insignificant items.
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Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges (credits) includes the effects of Entergy Arkansas forgoing recovery of identified costs resulting from the 2013 ANO stator incident. In third quarter 2023, Entergy Arkansas recorded write-offs of its regulatory asset for deferred fuel of $68.9 million and the undepreciated balance of $9.5 million in capital costs related to the ANO stator incident. See Note 8 to the financial statements for further discussion of the ANO stator incident and the approved motion to forgo recovery.
Taxes other than income taxes increased primarily due to increases in ad valorem taxes resulting from higher assessments.
Depreciation and amortization expenses increased primarily due to:
•additions to plant in service;
•an increase in depreciation rates at Entergy Texas, effective in June 2023. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the 2022 base rate case at Entergy Texas; and
•a reduction in depreciation expense at System Energy in 2022 related to the Grand Gulf sale-leaseback property, which resulted from the FERC order on the Grand Gulf sale-leaseback renewal complaint in December 2022. See Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of the Grand Gulf sale-leaseback renewal complaint.
The increase was partially offset by a reduction in depreciation expense of $41 million in 2023 at System Energy as a result of the approval by the FERC in August 2023 of the settlement establishing updated depreciation rates used in calculating Grand Gulf plant depreciation and amortization expenses under the Unit Power Sales Agreement. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Unit Power Sales Agreement depreciation amendment proceeding.
Other regulatory charges (credits) - net includes:
•a regulatory charge of $103 million, recorded by Entergy Louisiana in first quarter 2023, to reflect its obligation to provide credits to its customers as described in an LPSC ancillary order issued in the Hurricane Ida securitization regulatory proceeding. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Louisiana March 2023 storm cost securitization;
•a regulatory charge of $224 million, recorded by Entergy Louisiana in second quarter 2022, to reflect its obligation to provide credits to its customers as described in an LPSC ancillary order issued in the Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, Winter Storm Uri, and Hurricane Ida securitization regulatory proceeding. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Louisiana May 2022 storm cost securitization;
•a regulatory charge of $38 million, recorded by Entergy Louisiana in fourth quarter 2023, to reflect credits expected to be provided to customers as a result of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit. See Note 3 to the financial statements for discussion of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit;
•regulatory credits of $23 million, recorded by Entergy Mississippi in third quarter 2022, to reflect the effects of the joint stipulation reached in the 2022 formula rate plan filing proceeding. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Mississippi 2022 formula rate plan filing;
•regulatory credits of $18 million, recorded by Entergy Mississippi in fourth quarter 2022, to reflect that the 2022 estimated earned return was below the formula bandwidth. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy Mississippi’s formula rate plan filings;
•a regulatory charge of $60 million, recorded by Entergy New Orleans in fourth quarter 2023, to reflect credits expected to be provided to customers as a result of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit. See Note 3 to the financial statements for discussion of the resolution of the 2016-2018 IRS audit;
•the reversal in third quarter 2023 of $22 million of regulatory liabilities to reflect the recognition of certain receipts by Entergy Texas under affiliated PPAs that have been resolved. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy Texas’s 2022 base rate case; and
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•a regulatory charge of $551 million, recorded by System Energy in second quarter 2022, to reflect the effects of the partial settlement agreement and offer of settlement related to pending proceedings before the FERC. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the partial settlement agreement with the MPSC.
In addition, Entergy records a regulatory charge or credit for the difference between asset retirement obligation-related expenses and nuclear decommissioning trust earnings plus asset retirement obligation-related costs collected in revenue.
Other income increased primarily due to:
•an increase of $113 million in intercompany dividend income from affiliated preferred membership interests related to storm cost securitizations. The intercompany dividend income on the affiliate preferred membership interests is eliminated for consolidation purposes and has no effect on net income since the investment is in another Entergy subsidiary;
•an increase in the allowance for equity funds used during construction due to higher construction work in progress in 2023, including the Orange County Advanced Power Station project at Entergy Texas;
•a $32 million charge, recorded by Entergy Louisiana in second quarter 2022, for the LURC’s 1% beneficial interest in the storm trust I established as part of the May 2022 storm cost securitization as compared to a $15 million charge, recorded by Entergy Louisiana in first quarter 2023, for the LURC’s 1% beneficial interest in the storm trust II established as part of the March 2023 storm cost securitization; and
•changes in decommissioning trust fund activity, including portfolio rebalancing of decommissioning trust funds in 2022.
This increase was partially offset by:
•a decrease of $21 million in the amount of storm restoration carrying costs recognized in 2023 as compared to 2022, primarily related to Hurricane Ida; and
•lower interest income from carrying costs related to deferred fuel balances.
See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy Louisiana storm cost securitizations.
Interest expense increased primarily due to:
•the issuance by Entergy Arkansas of $425 million of 5.15% Series mortgage bonds in January 2023;
•the issuance by Entergy Louisiana of $500 million of 4.75% Series mortgage bonds in August 2022;
•the issuance by Entergy Texas of $325 million of 5.00% Series mortgage bonds in August 2022;
•the issuance by Entergy Texas of $350 million of 5.80% Series mortgage bonds in August 2023; and
•the issuance by System Energy of $325 million of 6.00% Series mortgage bonds in March 2023.
The increase was partially offset by the repayment by Entergy Louisiana of $200 million of 3.30% Series mortgage bonds in December 2022 and the repayment by System Energy of $250 million of 4.10% Series mortgage bonds in April 2023.
See Note 5 to the financial statements for a discussion of long-term debt.
Noncontrolling interests reflects the earnings or losses attributable to the noncontrolling partner of Entergy Arkansas’s tax equity partnership for the Searcy Solar facility and Entergy Mississippi’s tax equity partnership for the Sunflower Solar facility, both under HLBV accounting, and to the LURC’s beneficial interest in the Entergy Louisiana storm trusts. Entergy Mississippi recorded regulatory charges of $9 million in 2023 compared to $21 million in 2022 to defer the difference between the losses allocated to the tax equity partner under the HLBV method of accounting and the earnings/loss that would have been allocated to the tax equity partner under its
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respective ownership percentage in the partnership. See Note 1 to the financial statements for discussion of the HLBV method of accounting.
Parent and Other
Operating revenues decreased primarily due to the absence of revenues from Palisades, after it was shut down in May 2022.
Other operation and maintenance expenses decreased primarily due to the absence of expenses from Palisades, after it was shut down in May 2022.
Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges (credits) includes a gain of $166 million as a result of the sale of the Palisades plant in June 2022 and the effects of recording a final judgment of $40 million in third quarter 2023 to resolve claims in the Indian Point 2 fourth round and Indian Point 3 third round combined damages case against the DOE. See Note 8 to the financial statements for discussion of the spent nuclear fuel litigation.
Taxes other than income taxes decreased primarily due to decreases in employment taxes due to the absence of expenses from Palisades, after its sale in June 2022.
Depreciation and amortization expenses decreased primarily due to the absence of depreciation expense from Palisades, after it was shut down in May 2022.
Other income decreased primarily due to the elimination for consolidation purposes of intercompany dividend income of $113 million from affiliated preferred membership interests, as discussed above, substantially offset by losses on Palisades decommissioning trust fund investments in 2022, the timing of charitable donations, and higher non-service pension income. See “Critical Accounting Estimates – Qualified Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits” below and Note 11 to the financial statements for discussion of pension and other postretirement benefits costs.
Interest expense increased primarily due to higher variable interest rates on commercial paper and credit facilities in 2023 and higher commercial paper balances, partially offset by the redemption by Entergy of $650 million of 4.00% Series senior notes in June 2022. See Note 4 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy’s commercial paper program and credit facilities. See Note 5 to the financial statements for a discussion of long-term debt.
Other expenses decreased primarily due to the absence of decommissioning expense and nuclear refueling outage expense as a result of the shutdown and sale of Palisades in second quarter 2022.
See Note 14 to the financial statements for a discussion of the shutdown and sale of the Palisades plant.
Income Taxes
The effective income tax rates were (41.3%) for 2023 and (3.7%) for 2022. See Note 3 to the financial statements for a reconciliation of the federal statutory rate of 21% to the effective income tax rates and for additional discussion regarding income taxes.
2022 Compared to 2021
See “MANAGEMENT’S FINANCIAL DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS - Results of Operations” in Item 7 of Entergy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on February 24, 2023, for discussion of results of operations for 2022 compared to 2021.
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Income Tax Legislation and Regulation
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), signed into law on August 16, 2022, significantly expanded federal tax incentives for clean energy production, including the extension of production tax credits to solar projects and certain qualified nuclear power plants. Additionally, the IRA enacted a 1% excise tax on the buyback of public company stock and a new corporate alternative minimum tax (CAMT). Effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022, the CAMT imposes a 15% tax on the Adjusted Financial Statement Income (AFSI) on each corporation in a group of corporations that averages greater than $1 billion in AFSI over a three-year period. Taxpayers subject to the CAMT regime must pay the greater of 15% of AFSI or their regular federal tax liability. In December 2022 the IRS issued a notice which provided guidance regarding the application of the CAMT. Entergy and the Registrant Subsidiaries are closely monitoring any potential impact associated with the expansion of federal tax incentives, the 1% excise tax, and CAMT. Based on initial guidance and current internal forecasts, Entergy and the Registrant Subsidiaries may be subject to the CAMT beginning in the next two to four years. The United States Treasury Department is expected to issue further guidance that will clarify how the tax credit provisions and CAMT provisions will be interpreted and applied. This guidance will determine the amount of tax credits and incremental cash tax payments Entergy expects in the future as a result of the legislation. Prior to receiving this guidance, Entergy cannot adequately assess the expected future effects on its results of operations, financial position, and cash flows. There are no effects on the financial statements of Entergy or the Registrant Subsidiaries as of and for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
In June 2023 the IRS issued temporary and proposed regulations related to applicable tax credit transferability and direct pay provisions of the IRA. In August 2023 the IRS issued proposed regulations related to the prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements under the IRA. Entergy and the Registrant Subsidiaries are closely monitoring any potential effects associated with such federal tax incentives to assess the expected future effects on their results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition. There are no effects on the financial statements of Entergy or the Registrant Subsidiaries as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023.
In April 2023 the IRS issued Revenue Procedure 2023-15, which provides a safe harbor method of accounting that taxpayers may use to determine whether expenses to repair, maintain, replace, or improve natural gas transmission and distribution property must be capitalized and provides procedures for taxpayers to obtain automatic consent to change their method of accounting. Entergy intends to adopt this new method of income tax accounting under the safe harbor in accordance with Revenue Procedure 2023-15, which is not expected to have a significant effect on the results of operations, cash flows, or financial condition of Entergy or the Registrant Subsidiaries.
Entergy Wholesale Commodities Exit from the Merchant Power Business
Entergy completed its multi-year strategy to exit the merchant nuclear power business in 2022. See Note 13 to the financial statements for discussion of the exit from the merchant nuclear power business.
Shutdown and Sale of Palisades
In July 2018, Entergy entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Holtec International to sell to a Holtec subsidiary 100% of the equity interests in the subsidiary that owns Palisades and the Big Rock Point Site, with a subsequent amendment to the purchase and sale agreement in February 2020. In December 2020, Entergy and Holtec submitted a license transfer application to the NRC requesting approval to transfer the Palisades and Big Rock Point licenses from Entergy to Holtec. In February 2021 several parties filed with the NRC petitions to intervene and requests for hearing challenging the license transfer application. In March 2021, Entergy and Holtec filed answers opposing the petitions to intervene and hearing requests, and the petitioners filed replies. In March 2021 an additional party also filed a petition to intervene and request for hearing. Entergy and Holtec filed an answer to the March 2021 petition in April 2021. The NRC issued an order approving the application in December 2021, subject to the NRC’s authority to condition, revise, or rescind the approval order based on the resolution of
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four pending requests for hearing. These petitions and requests for hearing remained pending with the NRC at the time of the closing of the Palisades transaction in June 2022. In July 2022 the NRC issued an order granting the Michigan Attorney General’s petition hearing request. The hearing was held in February 2023. A decision from the NRC is pending. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the sale of the Palisades plant.
Planned Sale of Gas Distribution Businesses
On October 28, 2023, Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Louisiana each entered into separate purchase and sale agreements with respect to the sale of their respective regulated natural gas local distribution company businesses to two separate affiliates of Bernhard Capital Partners Management LP. Under the purchase and sale agreements, Entergy New Orleans has agreed to sell its regulated natural gas local distribution company business serving customers in the Parish of Orleans, Louisiana, and Entergy Louisiana has agreed to sell its regulated natural gas local distribution company business serving customers in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The base purchase price to be paid by the buyer of the Entergy New Orleans gas business is $285.5 million, and the base purchase price to be paid by the buyer of the Entergy Louisiana gas business is $198 million, in each case subject to certain adjustments at the closing of the transactions. Each purchase and sale agreement contains customary representations, warranties, and covenants related to the applicable business and the respective transactions. Between the date of the purchase and sale agreements and the completion of the transactions, Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Louisiana have each agreed to operate the respective gas businesses in the ordinary course of business and subject to certain operating covenants.
The transactions will proceed in two phases: (1) an “Initial Phase” prior to regulatory approvals in connection with both transactions; and (2) a “Second Phase” following regulatory approvals in connection with both transactions to the extent that certain conditions are satisfied or, where permissible, waived for both transactions. Required regulatory approvals include the approval of the City Council for the sale of the Entergy New Orleans gas business and the approval of the LPSC and the Metropolitan Council for the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge for the sale of the Entergy Louisiana gas business. Additionally, while approval of the transactions is generally not required from the FERC, the parties will seek a waiver of the FERC’s capacity release rules, as applicable. In December 2023, Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Louisiana and the respective buyers filed their joint applications with the City Council and the LPSC, respectively, seeking approval for the proposed transactions. The applications request a decision by June 2024. In February 2024 the City Council adopted a procedural schedule in which the hearing officer shall certify the record of the proceeding for City Council consideration no later than September 2024.
The purchase and sale agreements may be terminated by any party if the Second Phase does not start within 15 months of October 28, 2023, or within 18 months if the only remaining conditions to starting the Second Phase are obtaining the regulatory approvals. The consummation of each of the transactions is subject to satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions, including the receipt of the regulatory approvals, clearance under the Hart-Scott Rodino Act, and the concurrent closing of the other transaction. Under the purchase and sale agreements, the closing of the transactions is not required to occur earlier than the later of six months following the initiation of the Second Phase and July 28, 2025, and the purchase and sale agreements may be terminated by either party in the event the closing has not occurred prior to October 28, 2025. Neither transaction is subject to a financing condition for the applicable buyer.
The purchase and sale agreements are subject to customary termination provisions. If the purchase and sale agreements are terminated in certain circumstances, each seller may be liable to the applicable buyer for a portion of the buyer’s transition costs incurred in connection with transitioning the applicable business. Entergy New Orleans’s and Entergy Louisiana’s aggregate liability for such transaction costs shall not exceed $7.5 million if termination occurs during the Initial Phase or $12.5 million if termination occurs during the Second Phase, with responsibility allocated between the sellers pro rata based on the relative purchase price. If the purchase and sale agreements are terminated in certain circumstances, each buyer may be liable to the corresponding seller for a
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reverse termination fee, equal to 7% of the applicable base purchase price if termination occurs during the Initial Phase, or 10% of the applicable base purchase price if the termination occurs in the Second Phase.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
This section discusses Entergy’s capital structure, capital spending plans and other uses of capital, sources of capital, and the cash flow activity presented in the cash flow statement.
Capital Structure
Entergy’s debt to capital ratio is shown in the following table. The decrease in the debt to capital ratio is primarily due to net income in 2023.
| December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt to capital | 63.8% | 66.9% | |
| Effect of excluding securitization bonds | (0.3%) | (0.3%) | |
| Debt to capital, excluding securitization bonds (non-GAAP) (a) | 63.5% | 66.6% | |
| Effect of subtracting cash | (0.1%) | (0.1%) | |
| Net debt to net capital, excluding securitization bonds (non-GAAP) (a) | 63.4% | 66.5% |
(a)Calculation excludes the New Orleans and Texas securitization bonds, which are non-recourse to Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Texas, respectively.
As of December 31, 2023, 19.6% of the debt outstanding is at the parent company, Entergy Corporation, and 79.9% is at the Utility. The remaining 0.5% of the debt outstanding relates to the Vermont Yankee credit facility, as discussed in Note 4 to the financial statements herein. Net debt consists of debt less cash and cash equivalents. Debt consists of notes payable and commercial paper, finance lease obligations, and long-term debt, including the currently maturing portion. Capital consists of debt, equity, and subsidiaries’ preferred stock without sinking fund. Net capital consists of capital less cash and cash equivalents. The debt to capital ratio excluding securitization bonds and net debt to net capital ratio excluding securitization bonds are non-GAAP measures. Entergy uses the debt to capital ratios excluding securitization bonds in analyzing its financial condition and believes they provide useful information to its investors and creditors in evaluating Entergy’s financial condition because the securitization bonds are non-recourse to Entergy, as more fully described in Note 5 to the financial statements. Entergy also uses the net debt to net capital ratio excluding securitization bonds in analyzing its financial condition and believes it provides useful information to its investors and creditors in evaluating Entergy’s financial condition because net debt indicates Entergy’s outstanding debt position that could not be readily satisfied by cash and cash equivalents on hand.
The Utility operating companies and System Energy seek to optimize their capital structures in accordance with regulatory requirements and to control their cost of capital while also maintaining equity capitalization at a level consistent with investment-grade debt ratings. To the extent that their operating cash flows are in excess of planned investments, cash may be used to reduce outstanding debt or may be paid as a dividend to their parent, to the extent funds are legally available to do so, or both, in appropriate amounts to maintain the capital structure. To the extent that their operating cash flows are insufficient to support planned investments, the Utility operating companies and System Energy may issue incremental debt or reduce dividends, or both, to maintain their capital structures. In addition, Entergy may make equity contributions to the Utility operating companies and System Energy to maintain their capital structures in certain circumstances such as financing of large transactions or payments that would materially alter the capital structure if financed entirely with debt and reduced dividends.
Long-term debt, including the currently maturing portion, makes up most of Entergy’s total debt outstanding. Following are Entergy’s long-term debt principal maturities and estimated interest payments as of
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December 31, 2023. To estimate future interest payments for variable rate debt, Entergy used the rate as of December 31, 2023. The amounts below include payments on System Energy’s Grand Gulf sale-leaseback transaction, which are included in long-term debt on the balance sheet.
| Long-term debt maturities and estimated interest payments | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027-2028 | after 2028 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||||||||||||
| Utility | $2,753 | $1,481 | $2,315 | $3,653 | $23,540 | |||||||||
| Parent & Other | 244 | 894 | 833 | 777 | 2,393 | |||||||||
| Total | $2,997 | $2,375 | $3,148 | $4,430 | $25,933 |
Note 5 to the financial statements provides more detail concerning long-term debt outstanding.
Entergy Corporation has in place a credit facility that has a borrowing capacity of $3.5 billion and expires in June 2028. The facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against $20 million of the total borrowing capacity of the credit facility. The commitment fee is currently 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount. Commitment fees and interest rates on loans under the credit facility can fluctuate depending on the senior unsecured debt ratings of Entergy Corporation. The weighted-average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 6.52% on the drawn portion of the facility. The following is a summary of the amounts outstanding and capacity available under the credit facility as of December 31, 2023:
| Capacity | Borrowings | Letters of Credit | Capacity Available | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||||
| $3,500 | $— | $3 | $3,497 |
Entergy Corporation’s credit facility includes a covenant requiring Entergy to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. The calculation of this debt ratio under Entergy Corporation’s credit facility is different than the calculation of the debt to capital ratio above. Entergy is currently in compliance with the covenant and expects to remain in compliance with this covenant. If Entergy fails to meet this ratio, or if Entergy Corporation or one of the Registrant Subsidiaries (except Entergy New Orleans and System Energy) defaults on other indebtedness or is in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, an acceleration of the Entergy Corporation credit facility’s maturity date may occur.
Entergy Corporation has a commercial paper program with a Board-approved program limit of $2 billion. As of December 31, 2023, Entergy Corporation had $1,138.1 million of commercial paper outstanding. The weighted-average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 5.44%.
Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each had credit facilities available as of December 31, 2023 as follows:
| Company | Expiration Date | Amount of Facility | Interest Rate (a) | Amount Drawn as of December 31, 2023 | Letters of Credit Outstanding as of December 31, 2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas | April 2024 | $25 million (b) | 7.29% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Arkansas | June 2028 | $150 million (c) | 6.58% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Louisiana | June 2028 | $350 million (c) | 6.71% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Mississippi | July 2025 | $150 million | 6.58% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy New Orleans | June 2024 | $25 million (c) | 7.08% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Texas | June 2028 | $150 million (c) | 6.71% | — | $1.1 million |
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(a)The interest rate is the estimated interest rate as of December 31, 2023 that would have been applied to outstanding borrowings under the facility.
(b)Borrowings under this Entergy Arkansas credit facility may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Arkansas’s option.
(c)The credit facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against a portion of the borrowing capacity of the facility as follows: $5 million for Entergy Arkansas; $15 million for Entergy Louisiana; $10 million for Entergy New Orleans; and $30 million for Entergy Texas.
Each of the credit facilities requires the Registrant Subsidiary borrower to maintain a debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. Each Registrant Subsidiary is in compliance with this covenant.
In addition, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each have an uncommitted standby letter of credit facility as a means to post collateral to support their obligations to MISO and for other purposes. The following is a summary of the uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as of December 31, 2023:
| Company | Amount of Uncommitted Facility | Letter of Credit Fee | Letters of Credit Issued as of December 31, 2023 (a) (b) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas | $25 million | 0.78% | $5.8 million | |||
| Entergy Louisiana | $125 million | 0.78% | $17.1 million | |||
| Entergy Mississippi | $65 million | 0.78% | $20.0 million | |||
| Entergy New Orleans | $15 million | 1.625% | $0.5 million | |||
| Entergy Texas | $80 million | 1.250% | $76.5 million |
(a)As of December 31, 2023, letters of credit posted with MISO covered financial transmission rights exposure of $1.2 million for Entergy Arkansas, $0.5 million for Entergy Louisiana, $0.3 million for Entergy Mississippi, and $0.1 million for Entergy Texas. See Note 15 to the financial statements for discussion of financial transmission rights.
(b)As of December 31, 2023, in addition to the $20 million in MISO letters of credit, Entergy Mississippi has $1 million in non-MISO letters of credit outstanding under this facility.
Finance lease obligations are a minimal part of Entergy’s overall capital structure. Following are Entergy’s payment obligations under those leases.
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027-2028 | after 2028 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||||
| Finance lease payments | $20 | $18 | $16 | $25 | $34 |
Finance leases are discussed in Note 10 to the financial statements.
Operating Lease Obligations and Guarantees of Unconsolidated Obligations
Entergy has a minimal amount of operating lease obligations and guarantees in support of unconsolidated obligations. Entergy’s guarantees in support of unconsolidated obligations are not likely to have a material effect on Entergy’s financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Following are Entergy’s payment obligations as of December 31, 2023 on non-cancelable operating leases with a term over one year:
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027-2028 | after 2028 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||||
| Operating lease payments | $67 | $53 | $45 | $47 | $14 |
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Operating leases are discussed in Note 10 to the financial statements.
Other Obligations
Entergy currently expects to contribute approximately $270 million to its qualified pension plans and approximately $45.9 million to its other postretirement plans in 2024, although the 2024 required pension contributions will be known with more certainty when the January 1, 2024 valuations are completed, which is expected by April 1, 2024. See “Critical Accounting Estimates - Qualified Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits” below and Note 11 to the financial statements for a discussion of qualified pension and other postretirement benefits funding.
Entergy has $279 million of unrecognized tax benefits net of unused tax attributes plus interest for which the timing of payments beyond 12 months cannot be reasonably estimated due to uncertainties in the timing of effective settlement of tax positions. See Note 3 to the financial statements for additional information regarding unrecognized tax benefits.
In addition, the Registrant Subsidiaries enter into fuel and purchased power agreements that contain minimum purchase obligations. The Registrant Subsidiaries each have rate mechanisms in place to recover fuel, purchased power, and associated costs incurred under these purchase obligations.
Capital Expenditure Plans and Other Uses of Capital
Following are the amounts of Entergy’s planned construction and other capital investments for 2024 through 2026.
| Planned construction and capital investments | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||||||
| Generation | $2,270 | $2,675 | $3,135 | |||||
| Transmission | 1,190 | 1,385 | 1,880 | |||||
| Distribution | 2,110 | 2,125 | 1,940 | |||||
| Utility Support | 350 | 315 | 380 | |||||
| Total | $5,920 | $6,500 | $7,335 |
Planned construction and capital investments refer to amounts Entergy plans to spend on routine capital projects that are necessary to support reliability of its service, equipment, or systems and to support normal customer growth. In addition to routine capital projects, they also refer to amounts Entergy plans to spend on non-routine capital investments for which Entergy is either contractually obligated, has Board approval, or otherwise expects to make to satisfy regulatory or legal requirements. Amounts include the following types of construction and capital investments:
•Investments in generation projects to modernize, decarbonize, and diversify Entergy’s portfolio, including Walnut Bend Solar, West Memphis Solar, Driver Solar, Orange County Advanced Power Station, and potential construction of additional generation;
•Investments in Entergy’s Utility nuclear fleet;
•Transmission spending to improve reliability and resilience while also supporting renewables expansion and customer growth; and
•Distribution and Utility support spending to improve reliability, resilience, and customer experience through projects focused on asset renewals and enhancements and grid stability.
For the next several years, the Utility’s owned and contracted generating capacity is projected to be adequate to meet MISO reserve requirements; however, MISO recently implemented changes to its resource adequacy
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construct, and continues to pursue other changes, that generally move from an annual to a seasonal design and that change the way that resources are assigned capacity credit. As a result of these changes, there may be seasonal variations in the capacity credit afforded to the Utility operating companies’ resources by MISO. Entergy is monitoring the evolution and application of these rules, which may require the Utility operating companies to procure additional capacity credits from the MISO market and in the longer-term may impact the incremental additional supply resources needed. The Utility’s supply plan initiative will continue to seek to transform its generation portfolio with new generation resources. Opportunities resulting from the supply plan initiative, including new projects or the exploration of alternative financing sources, could result in increases or decreases in the capital expenditure estimates given above. Estimated capital expenditures are subject to periodic review and modification and may vary based on the ongoing effects of business restructuring, regulatory constraints and requirements, government actions, environmental regulations, business opportunities, market volatility, economic trends, changes in project plans, and the ability to access capital.
Renewables
Walnut Bend Solar
In October 2020, Entergy Arkansas filed a petition with the APSC seeking a finding that the purchase of the 100 MW Walnut Bend Solar facility is in the public interest. Entergy Arkansas primarily requested cost recovery through the formula rate plan rider. In July 2021 the APSC granted Entergy Arkansas’s petition and approved the acquisition of the resource and cost recovery through the formula rate plan rider. In addition, the APSC directed Entergy Arkansas to file a report within 180 days detailing its efforts to obtain a tax equity partnership. In January 2022, Entergy Arkansas filed its tax equity partnership status report and will file subsequent reports until a tax equity partnership is obtained or a tax equity partnership is no longer sought. The counterparty notified Entergy Arkansas that it was terminating the project, though it was willing to consider an alternative for the site. Entergy Arkansas disputed the right of termination. Negotiations were conducted, including with respect to cost and schedule and to updates arising as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. In April 2023, Entergy Arkansas filed an application for an amended certificate of environmental compatibility and public need with the APSC seeking approval by June 2023 for the updates to the cost and schedule that were previously approved by the APSC. In June 2023, Entergy Arkansas, the APSC general staff, and the Arkansas Attorney General filed a unanimous settlement supporting that the approval of the Walnut Bend Solar facility is in the public interest based on the terms in the settlement, including the treatment for the production tax credits associated with the facility. In July 2023, after requesting further testimony and purporting to modify several terms in the settlement and upon rehearing, the APSC approved the settlement largely on the terms submitted, including a 30-year amortization period for the production tax credits. In February 2024, Entergy Arkansas made an initial payment of approximately $169.7 million to acquire the facility. The project will achieve commercial operation once testing is completed and the project has achieved substantial completion. Entergy Arkansas currently expects the project to achieve commercial operation in the first half of 2024, at which time a substantial completion payment of approximately $20 million is expected.
West Memphis Solar
In January 2021, Entergy Arkansas filed a petition with the APSC seeking a finding that the purchase of the 180 MW West Memphis Solar facility is in the public interest. In October 2021 the APSC granted Entergy Arkansas’s petition and approved the acquisition of the West Memphis Solar facility and cost recovery through the formula rate plan rider. In addition, the APSC directed Entergy Arkansas to file a report within 180 days detailing its efforts to obtain a tax equity partnership. In April 2022, Entergy Arkansas filed its tax equity partnership status report and will file subsequent reports until a tax equity partnership is obtained or a tax equity partnership is no longer sought. In March 2022 the counterparty notified Entergy Arkansas that it was seeking changes to certain terms of the build-own-transfer agreement, including both cost and schedule. In January 2023, Entergy Arkansas filed a supplemental application with the APSC seeking approval for a change in the transmission route and updates to the cost and schedule that were previously approved by the APSC. In March 2023 the APSC approved Entergy
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Arkansas’s supplemental application. The project is currently expected to achieve commercial operation by the end of 2024.
Driver Solar
In April 2022, Entergy Arkansas filed a petition with the APSC seeking a finding that the purchase of the 250 MW Driver Solar facility is in the public interest and requested cost recovery through the formula rate plan rider. The APSC established a procedural schedule with a hearing scheduled in June 2022, but the parties later agreed to waive the hearing and submit the matter to the APSC for a decision consistent with the filed record. In August 2022 the APSC granted Entergy Arkansas’s petition and approved the acquisition of Driver Solar and cost recovery through the formula rate plan rider. In addition, the APSC directed Entergy Arkansas to inform the APSC as to the status of a tax equity partnership once construction is commenced. The parties are evaluating the effects of certain matters related to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, including the viability of a tax equity partnership. The project is expected to achieve commercial operation as early as mid-2024.
2021 Solar Certification and the Geaux Green Option
In November 2021, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC seeking certification of and approval for the addition of four new solar photovoltaic resources with a combined nameplate capacity of 475 megawatts (the 2021 Solar Portfolio) and the implementation of a new green tariff, the Geaux Green Option (Rider GGO). The 2021 Solar Portfolio consists of four resources that are expected to provide $242 million in net benefits to Entergy Louisiana’s customers. These resources, all of which would be constructed in Louisiana, include (i) the Vacherie Facility, a 150 megawatt resource in St. James Parish; (ii) the Sunlight Road Facility, a 50 megawatt resource in Washington Parish; (iii) the St. Jacques Facility, a 150 megawatt resource in St. James Parish; and (iv) the Elizabeth Facility, a 125 megawatt resource in Allen Parish. The St. Jacques Facility would be acquired through a build-own-transfer agreement; the remaining resources involve power purchase agreements. The Sunlight Road Facility and the Elizabeth Facility have estimated in service dates in 2024, and the Vacherie Facility and the St. Jacques Facility originally had estimated in service dates in 2025, but are now expected to be no sooner than 2027. The filing proposed to recover the costs of the power purchase agreements through the fuel adjustment clause and the formula rate plan and the acquisition costs through the formula rate plan.
The proposed Rider GGO is a voluntary rate schedule that will enhance Entergy Louisiana’s ability to help customers meet their sustainability goals by allowing customers to align some or all of their electricity requirements with renewable energy from the resources. Because subscription fees from Rider GGO participants are expected to help offset the cost of the resources, the design of Rider GGO also preserves the benefits of the 2021 Solar Portfolio for non-participants by providing them with the reliability and capacity benefits of locally-sited solar generation at a discounted price.
In March 2022 direct testimony from Walmart, the Louisiana Energy Users Group (LEUG), and the LPSC staff was filed. Each party recommended that the LPSC approve the resources proposed in Entergy Louisiana’s application, and the LPSC staff witness indicated that the process through which Entergy Louisiana solicited or obtained the proposals for the resources complied with applicable LPSC orders. The LPSC staff and LEUG’s witnesses made recommendations to modify the proposed Rider GGO and Entergy Louisiana’s proposed rate relief. In April 2022 the LPSC staff and LEUG filed cross-answering testimony concerning each other’s proposed modifications to Rider GGO and the proposed rate recovery. Entergy Louisiana filed rebuttal testimony in June 2022. In August 2022 the parties reached a settlement certifying the 2021 Solar Portfolio and approving implementation of Rider GGO. In September 2022 the LPSC approved the settlement. Following the LPSC approval, the St. James Parish council issued a moratorium on new land use permits for solar facilities until the later of March 2023 or the completion of an environmental and economic impact study. In November 2023, St. James Parish lifted the moratorium and adopted an ordinance modifying the parish’s land use plan to establish solar as an approved land use and defining corresponding solar regulations. Entergy Louisiana is in discussions with the counterparties to the Vacherie and St. Jacques facilities regarding amendments to the respective agreements to
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address the impact of the St. James Parish ordinance, and the facilities are expected to reach commercial operation no sooner than 2027, depending upon agreement by the parties on the terms of the amendments. In September 2023, Entergy Louisiana reported to the LPSC that it also entered into amended agreements related to the Sunlight Road and Elizabeth facilities. Both facilities are still expected to achieve commercial operation in 2024.
2022 Solar Portfolio and Expansion of the Geaux Green Option
In February 2023, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC seeking certification of the Iberville/Coastal Prairie facility, which will provide 175 MW of capacity through a PPA with a third party, and the Sterlington facility, a 49 MW self-build project located near the deactivated Sterlington power plant (the 2022 Solar Portfolio). Entergy Louisiana is seeking to include these resources within the portfolio supporting the Rider GGO rate schedule to help fulfill customer interest in access to renewable energy. Entergy Louisiana has requested the costs of these facilities, as offset by Rider GGO revenues, be deemed eligible for recovery in accordance with the terms of the formula rate plan and fuel adjustment clause rate mechanisms that exist at the time the facilities are placed into service. In January 2024, the parties filed an uncontested stipulated settlement agreement on the key issues in the case, which stated that the 2022 Solar Portfolio should be constructed, found that Entergy Louisiana’s proposed cost recovery mechanisms were appropriate, and confirmed the resources’ eligibility for inclusion in Rider GGO. The settlement was approved by the LPSC in January 2024. The Sterlington facility is expected to achieve commercial operation in January 2026.
Alternative RFP and Certification
In March 2023, Entergy Louisiana made the first phase of a bifurcated filing to seek approval from the LPSC for an alternative to the requests for proposals (RFP) process that would enable the acquisition of up to 3 GW of solar resources on a faster timeline than the current RFP and certification process allows. The initial phase of the filing established the need for the acquisition of additional resources and the need for an alternative to the RFP process. The second phase of the filing, which contains the details of the proposal for the alternative competitive procurement process and the information necessary to support certification, was filed in May 2023. In addition to the acquisition of up to 3 GW of solar resources, the filing also seeks approval of a new renewable energy credits-based tariff, Rider Geaux ZERO. Several parties have intervened, and a procedural schedule was established in May 2023 with a hearing scheduled for March 2024. In October 2023 the LPSC staff and intervenors filed testimony, with the LPSC staff supporting the amount of solar resources to be acquired and the alternative RFP process. The LPSC staff also supported, subject to certain recommendations, the proposed framework for evaluation and certification of the solar resources by the LPSC and the proposed tariff.
Other Generation
Orange County Advanced Power Station
In September 2021, Entergy Texas filed an application seeking PUCT approval to amend Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate the Orange County Advanced Power Station, a new 1,215 MW combined-cycle combustion turbine facility to be located in Bridge City, Texas at an initially-estimated expected total cost of $1.2 billion inclusive of the estimated costs of the generation facilities, transmission upgrades, contingency, an allowance for funds used during construction, and necessary regulatory expenses, among others. The project includes combustion turbine technology with dual fuel capability, able to co-fire up to 30% hydrogen by volume upon commercial operation and upgradable to support 100% hydrogen operations in the future. In December 2021 the PUCT referred the proceeding to the State Office of Administrative Hearings. In March 2022 certain intervenors filed testimony opposing the hydrogen co-firing component of the proposed project and others filed testimony opposing the project outright. Also in March 2022 the PUCT staff filed testimony opposing the hydrogen co-firing component of the proposed project, but otherwise taking no specific position on the merits of the project. The PUCT staff also proposed that the PUCT establish a maximum amount that Entergy Texas may recover in rates attributable to the project. In April 2022, Entergy Texas filed rebuttal testimony addressing and
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rebutting these various arguments. The hearing on the merits was held in June 2022, and post-hearing briefs were submitted in July 2022. In September 2022 the ALJs with the State Office of Administrative Hearings issued a proposal for decision recommending the PUCT approve Entergy Texas’s application for certification of Orange County Advanced Power Station subject to certain conditions, including a cap on cost recovery at $1.37 billion, the exclusion of investment associated with co-firing hydrogen, weatherization requirements, and customer receipt of any contractual benefits associated with the facility’s guaranteed heat rate. In October 2022 the parties in the proceeding filed exceptions and replies to exceptions to the proposal for decision. Also in October 2022, Entergy Texas filed with the PUCT information regarding a new fixed pricing option for an estimated project cost of approximately $1.55 billion associated with Entergy Texas’s issuance of limited notice to proceed by mid-November 2022. In November 2022 the PUCT issued a final order approving the requested amendment to Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate the Orange County Advanced Power Station without the investment associated with hydrogen co-firing capability, without a cap on cost recovery, and subject to certain conditions, including weatherization requirements and customer receipt of any contractual benefits associated with the facility’s guaranteed heat rate.
In December 2022, Texas Industrial Energy Consumers and Sierra Club filed motions for rehearing of the PUCT’s final order alleging the PUCT erred in granting the certification of the Orange County Advanced Power Station, in not imposing a cost cap, in including certain findings related to the reasonableness of Entergy Texas’s request for proposals from which the Orange County Advanced Power Station was selected, and in other regards. Also in December 2022, Entergy Texas filed a response to the motions for rehearing refuting the points raised therein. In January 2023 the PUCT issued letters noting that it voted to consider Texas Industrial Energy Consumers’ motion for rehearing at its upcoming January 2023 open meeting and voted not to consider Sierra Club’s motion for rehearing at an open meeting. At the January 2023 open meeting, the PUCT voted to grant Texas Industrial Energy Consumers’ motion for rehearing for the limited purpose of issuing an order on rehearing that excludes three findings related to Entergy Texas’s request for proposals. The order on rehearing does not change the PUCT’s certification of the Orange County Advanced Power Station or the conditions placed thereon in the PUCT’s November 2022 final order. Construction is in progress, and subject to receipt of required permits, the facility is expected to be in service by mid-2026.
System Resilience and Storm Hardening
Entergy Louisiana
In December 2022, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC seeking a public interest finding regarding Phase I of Entergy Louisiana’s Future Ready resilience plan and approval of a rider mechanism to recover the program’s costs. Phase I reflects the first five years of a ten-year resilience plan and includes investment of approximately $5 billion, including hardening investment, transmission dead-end structures, enhanced vegetation management, and telecommunications improvement. In April 2023 a procedural schedule was established with a hearing scheduled for January 2024. The LPSC staff and certain intervenors filed direct testimony in August, September, and October 2023. The LPSC staff filed cross-answering testimony in October 2023. The testimony largely supports implementation of some level of accelerated investment in resilience, but raises various issues related to the magnitude of the investment, the cost recovery mechanism applicable to the investment, and the ratemaking for the investment. In January 2024 the hearing in this matter was rescheduled to April 2024.
The LPSC had previously opened a formal rulemaking proceeding in December 2021 to investigate efforts to improve resilience of electric utility infrastructure. In April 2023 the LPSC staff issued a draft rule in the rulemaking proceeding related to a requirement to file a grid resilience plan. The procedural schedule entered in the rulemaking proceeding contemplated adoption of a final rule in October 2023, but this did not occur, and a new date has not been set. The LPSC also has pending rulemakings addressing issues related to pole viability and grid maintenance practices. In December 2023, in those rulemakings, the LPSC staff issued a report and recommendation proposing to impose significant new reporting and compliance obligations related to jurisdictional utilities’ distribution and transmission operations, including new obligations related to grid hardening plans, pole
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inspections, pole replacement, vegetation management, storm restoration plans, new reliability metrics, software for handling customer complaints and complaint resolution, required use of drone technology, and new penalties and incentives for reliability performance and for compliance with the new obligations. In February 2024, Entergy Louisiana and other parties filed comments on the LPSC staff’s report.
Entergy New Orleans
In October 2021 the City Council passed a resolution and order establishing a docket and procedural schedule with respect to system resiliency and storm hardening. The docket will identify a plan for storm hardening and resiliency projects with other stakeholders. In July 2022, Entergy New Orleans filed with the City Council a response identifying a preliminary plan for storm hardening and resiliency projects, including microgrids, to be implemented over ten years at an approximate cost of $1.5 billion. In February 2023 the City Council approved a revised procedural schedule requiring Entergy New Orleans to make a filing in April 2023 containing a narrowed list of proposed hardening projects, with final comments on that filing due July 2023. In April 2023, Entergy New Orleans filed the required application and supporting testimony seeking City Council approval of the first phase (five years and $559 million) of a ten-year infrastructure hardening plan totaling approximately $1 billion. Entergy New Orleans also sought, among other relief, City Council approval of a rider to recover from customers the costs of the infrastructure hardening plan. In July 2023, Entergy New Orleans filed comments in support of its application. In February 2024 the City Council approved a resolution authorizing Entergy New Orleans to implement a resilience project to be partially funded by $55 million of matching funding through the Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program. The resolution also requires Entergy New Orleans to submit, no later than July 2024, a revised resilience plan consisting of projects in three-year intervals. Entergy New Orleans continues to seek approval of its application.
Dividends and Stock Repurchases
Declarations of dividends on Entergy’s common stock are made at the discretion of the Board. Among other things, the Board evaluates the level of Entergy’s common stock dividends based upon earnings per share from the Utility segment and the Parent and Other portion of the business, financial strength, and future investment opportunities. At its January 2024 meeting, the Board declared a dividend of $1.13 per share. Entergy paid $918 million in 2023, $842 million in 2022, and $775 million in 2021 in cash dividends on its common stock.
In accordance with Entergy’s stock-based compensation plans, Entergy periodically grants stock options, restricted stock, performance units, and restricted stock unit awards to key employees, which may be exercised to obtain shares of Entergy’s common stock. According to the plans, these shares can be newly issued shares, treasury stock, or shares purchased on the open market. Entergy’s management has been authorized by the Board to repurchase on the open market shares up to an amount sufficient to fund the exercise of grants under the plans.
In addition to the authority to fund grant exercises, the Board has authorized share repurchase programs to enable opportunistic purchases in response to market conditions. In October 2010 the Board granted authority for a $500 million share repurchase program. As of December 31, 2023, $350 million of authority remains under the $500 million share repurchase program. The amount of repurchases may vary as a result of material changes in business results or capital spending or new investment opportunities, or if limitations in the credit markets continue for a prolonged period.
Sources of Capital
Entergy’s sources to meet its capital requirements and to fund potential investments include:
•internally generated funds;
•cash on hand ($133 million as of December 31, 2023);
•storm reserve escrow accounts;
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•debt and equity issuances in the capital markets, including debt issuances to refund or retire currently outstanding or maturing indebtedness;
•bank financing under new or existing facilities or commercial paper; and
•sales of assets.
Circumstances such as weather patterns, fuel and purchased power price fluctuations, and unanticipated expenses, including unscheduled plant outages and storms, could affect the timing and level of internally generated funds in the future. In addition to the financings necessary to meet capital requirements and contractual obligations, the Registrant Subsidiaries expect to continue, when economically feasible, to retire higher-cost debt and replace it with lower-cost debt if market conditions permit.
Provisions within the organizational documents relating to preferred stock or membership interests of certain of Entergy Corporation’s subsidiaries could restrict the payment of cash dividends or other distributions on their common and preferred equity. All debt and preferred equity issuances by the Registrant Subsidiaries require prior regulatory approval and their debt issuances are also subject to issuance tests set forth in bond indentures and other agreements. Entergy believes that the Registrant Subsidiaries have sufficient capacity under these tests to meet foreseeable capital needs for the next twelve months and beyond.
The FERC has jurisdiction over securities issuances by the Utility operating companies and System Energy. The City Council has concurrent jurisdiction over Entergy New Orleans’s securities issuances with maturities longer than one year. The APSC has concurrent jurisdiction over Entergy Arkansas’s issuances of securities secured by Arkansas property, including first mortgage bond issuances. No regulatory approvals are necessary for Entergy Corporation to issue securities. The current FERC-authorized short-term borrowing limits and long-term financing authorization for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas are effective through April 2025. The FERC-authorized short-term borrowing limit for System Energy is effective through March 2025. Entergy Arkansas has obtained first mortgage bond/secured financing authorization from the APSC that extends through December 2025. Entergy New Orleans also has obtained long-term financing authorization from the City Council that extends through December 2025. Entergy Arkansas and Entergy Louisiana each has obtained long-term financing authorization from the FERC that extends through April 2025 for issuances by the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities. System Energy has obtained long-term financing authorization from the FERC that extends through March 2025 for issuances by its nuclear fuel company variable interest entity. In addition to borrowings from commercial banks, the Registrant Subsidiaries may also borrow from the Entergy system money pool and from other internal short-term borrowing arrangements. The money pool is an intercompany cash management program that makes possible intercompany borrowing and lending arrangements, and the money pool and the other internal borrowing arrangements are designed to reduce Entergy’s subsidiaries’ dependence on external short-term borrowings. Borrowings from internal and external short-term borrowings combined may not exceed the FERC-authorized limits. See Notes 4 and 5 to the financial statements for further discussion of Entergy’s borrowing limits, authorizations, and amounts outstanding.
Equity Issuances and Equity Distribution Program
In January 2021, Entergy Corporation entered into an equity distribution sales agreement with several counterparties establishing an at the market equity distribution program, pursuant to which Entergy Corporation may offer and sell from time to time shares of its common stock. The sales agreement provides that, in addition to the issuance and sale of shares of Entergy Corporation common stock, Entergy Corporation may enter into forward sale agreements for the sale of its common stock. The aggregate number of shares of common stock sold under this sales agreement and under any forward sale agreement may not exceed an aggregate gross sales price of $2 billion. Through 2021, 2022, and 2023, Entergy Corporation utilized the equity distribution program either to sell or to enter into forward sale agreements with respect to shares of common stock with an aggregate gross sales price of approximately $1.5 billion, of which approximately $1.3 billion of aggregate gross sales price was the subject of forward sale agreements and was subject to adjustment pursuant to the forward sale agreements. Entergy Corporation settled the forward sales agreements for cash proceeds of $853 million in November 2022, $48 million
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in November 2023, and $83 million in December 2023. Entergy Corporation currently expects to issue approximately $1.4 billion of equity through 2026 under the at the market equity distribution program, with approximately $280 million already contracted under forward sales agreements as of December 31, 2023. See Note 7 to the financial statements for discussion of the forward sales agreements and common stock issuances and sales under the equity distribution program.
Hurricane Ida (Entergy Louisiana)
As discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, in August 2020 and October 2020, Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Hurricane Zeta caused significant damage to portions of Entergy Louisiana’s service area. In February 2021 two winter storms (collectively, Winter Storm Uri) brought freezing rain and ice to Louisiana. In August 2021, Hurricane Ida caused extensive damage to Entergy Louisiana’s distribution and, to a lesser extent, transmission systems resulting in widespread power outages.
In April 2022, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC relating to Hurricane Ida restoration costs. Total restoration costs for the repair and/or replacement of Entergy Louisiana’s electric facilities damaged by Hurricane Ida were estimated to be approximately $2.54 billion, including approximately $1.96 billion in capital costs and approximately $586 million in non-capital costs. Including carrying costs of $57 million through December 2022, Entergy Louisiana was seeking an LPSC determination that $2.60 billion was prudently incurred and, therefore, eligible for recovery from customers. As part of this filing, Entergy Louisiana also was seeking an LPSC determination that an additional $32 million in costs associated with the restoration of Entergy Louisiana’s electric facilities damaged by Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Hurricane Zeta as well as Winter Storm Uri was prudently incurred. This amount was exclusive of the requested $3 million in carrying costs through December 2022. In total, Entergy Louisiana was requesting an LPSC determination that $2.64 billion was prudently incurred and, therefore, eligible for recovery from customers. As discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, in March 2022 the LPSC approved financing of a $1 billion storm escrow account from which funds were withdrawn to finance costs associated with Hurricane Ida restoration. In June 2022, Entergy Louisiana supplemented the application with a request regarding the financing and recovery of the recoverable storm restoration costs. Specifically, Entergy Louisiana requested approval to securitize its restoration costs pursuant to Louisiana Act 55 financing, as supplemented by Act 293 of the Louisiana Legislature’s Regular Session of 2021. In October 2022 the LPSC staff recommended a finding that the requested storm restoration costs of $2.64 billion, including associated carrying costs of $59.1 million, were prudently incurred and eligible for recovery from customers. The LPSC staff further recommended approval of Entergy Louisiana’s plans to securitize these costs, net of the $1 billion in funds withdrawn from the storm escrow account described above. The parties negotiated and executed an uncontested stipulated settlement which was filed with the LPSC in December 2022. The settlement agreement contains the following key terms: $2.57 billion of restoration costs from Hurricane Ida, Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, and Winter Storm Uri were prudently incurred and eligible for recovery; carrying costs of $59.2 million were recoverable; and Entergy Louisiana was authorized to finance $1.657 billion utilizing the securitization process authorized by Act 55, as supplemented by Act 293. A procedural motion to consider the uncontested settlement at the December 2022 LPSC meeting did not pass and the settlement was not voted on. In January 2023 an ALJ with the LPSC conducted a settlement hearing to receive the uncontested settlement and supporting testimony into evidence and issued a report of proceedings, which allows the LPSC to consider the uncontested settlement without the procedural motion that did not pass in December. In January 2023, the LPSC approved the stipulated settlement subject to certain modifications. These modifications include the recognition of accumulated deferred income tax benefits related to damaged assets and system restoration costs as a reduction of the amount authorized to be financed utilizing the securitization process authorized by Act 55, as supplemented by Act 293, from $1.657 billion to $1.491 billion. These modifications did not affect the LPSC’s conclusion that all system restoration costs sought by Entergy Louisiana were reasonable and prudent. In February 2023 the Louisiana Bond Commission voted to authorize the Louisiana Local Government Facilities and Community Development Authority (LCDA) to issue the bonds authorized in the LPSC’s financing order.
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In March 2023 the Hurricane Ida securitization financing closed, resulting in the issuance of approximately $1.491 billion principal amount of bonds by the LCDA and a remaining regulatory asset of $180 million to be recovered through the exclusion of the accumulated deferred income taxes related to damaged assets and system restoration costs from the determination of future rates. The securitization was authorized pursuant to the Louisiana Utilities Restoration Corporation Act, Part VIII of Chapter 9 of Title 45 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, as supplemented by Act 293 of the Louisiana Legislature’s Regular Session of 2021. The LCDA loaned the proceeds to the LURC. Pursuant to Act 293, the LURC contributed the net bond proceeds to a State legislatively authorized and LURC-sponsored trust, Restoration Law Trust II (the storm trust II).
Pursuant to Act 293, the net proceeds of the bonds were used by the storm trust II to purchase 14,576,757.48 Class B preferred, non-voting membership interest units (the preferred membership interests) issued by Entergy Finance Company, LLC, a majority owned indirect subsidiary of Entergy. Entergy Finance Company is required to make annual distributions (dividends) commencing on December 15, 2023 on the preferred membership interests issued to the storm trust II. These annual dividends received by the storm trust II will be distributed to Entergy Louisiana and the LURC, as beneficiaries of the storm trust II. Specifically, 1% of the annual dividends received by the storm trust II will be distributed to the LURC for the benefit of customers, and 99% will be distributed to Entergy Louisiana, net of storm trust expenses. The preferred membership interests have a stated annual cumulative cash dividend rate of 7.5% and a liquidation price of $100 per unit. The terms of the preferred membership interests include certain financial covenants to which Entergy Finance Company is subject. Semi-annual redemptions of the preferred membership interests, subject to certain conditions, are expected to occur over the next 15 years.
Entergy and Entergy Louisiana do not report the bonds issued by the LCDA on their balance sheets because the bonds are the obligation of the LCDA. The bonds are secured by system restoration property, which is the right granted by law to the LURC to collect a system restoration charge from customers. The system restoration charge is adjusted at least semi-annually to ensure that it is sufficient to service the bonds. Entergy Louisiana collects the system restoration charge on behalf of the LURC and remits the collections to the bond indenture trustee. Entergy Louisiana began collecting the system restoration charge effective with the first billing cycle of April 2023 and the system restoration charge is expected to remain in place for up to 15 years. Entergy and Entergy Louisiana do not report the collections as revenue because Entergy Louisiana is merely acting as a billing and collection agent for the LCDA and the LURC. In the remote possibility that the system restoration charge, as well as any funds in the excess subaccount and funds in the debt service reserve account, are insufficient to service the bonds resulting in a payment default, the storm trust II is required to liquidate Entergy Finance Company preferred membership interests in an amount equal to what would be required to cure the default. The estimated value of this indirect guarantee is immaterial.
From the proceeds from the issuance of the preferred membership interests, Entergy Finance Company loaned approximately $1.5 billion to Entergy, which was indirectly contributed to Entergy Louisiana as a capital contribution.
As discussed in Note 3 to the financial statements, the securitization resulted in recognition of a net reduction of income tax expense of approximately $133 million, after taking into account a provision for uncertain tax positions, by Entergy Louisiana. Entergy’s recognition of reduced income tax expense was offset by other tax charges resulting in a net reduction of income tax expense of $129 million, after taking into account a provision for uncertain tax positions. In recognition of its obligations described in an LPSC ancillary order issued as part of the securitization regulatory proceeding, Entergy Louisiana recorded in first quarter 2023 a $103 million ($76 million net-of-tax) regulatory charge and a corresponding regulatory liability to reflect its obligation to provide credits to its customers.
As discussed in Note 6 and Note 17 to the financial statements, Entergy Louisiana consolidates the storm trust II as a variable interest entity and the LURC’s 1% beneficial interest is presented as noncontrolling interest in
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the financial statements. In first quarter 2023, Entergy Louisiana recorded a charge of $14.6 million in other income to reflect the LURC’s beneficial interest in the storm trust II.
Cash Flow Activity
As shown in Entergy’s Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021 were as follows:
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period | $224 | $443 | $1,759 | ||||
| Net cash provided by (used in): | |||||||
| Operating activities | 4,294 | 2,585 | 2,301 | ||||
| Investing activities | (4,629) | (5,710) | (6,179) | ||||
| Financing activities | 244 | 2,906 | 2,562 | ||||
| Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents | (91) | (219) | (1,316) | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at end of period | $133 | $224 | $443 |
2023 Compared to 2022
Operating Activities
Net cash flow provided by operating activities increased $1,709 million in 2023 primarily due to:
•lower fuel costs and the timing of recovery of fuel and purchased power costs. See Note 2 to the financial statements for a discussion of fuel and purchased power cost recovery;
•a decrease of $210 million in storm spending primarily due to Hurricane Ida restoration efforts in 2022;
•a decrease of $203 million in pension contributions in 2023. See “Critical Accounting Estimates – Qualified Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits” below and Note 11 to the financial statements for a discussion of qualified pension and other postretirement benefits funding;
•an increase of $57 million in interest received, including shorter-term financing interest earnings at Entergy Louisiana and interest on storm reserve escrow accounts. See Note 2 to the financial statements for a discussion of Entergy Louisiana’s shorter-term financing interest earnings; and
•severance and retention payments of $40 million in 2022 related to Entergy’s exit from the merchant power business. See Note 13 to the financial statements for further discussion of Entergy’s exit from the merchant power business.
The increase was partially offset by:
•lower collections from Utility customers;
•net proceeds of $202 million received from the LURC in December 2022 from the Entergy New Orleans storm cost securitization. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy New Orleans storm cost securitization; and
•an increase of $85 million in interest paid.
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Investing Activities
Net cash flow used in investing activities decreased $1,081 million in 2023 primarily due to:
•a decrease of $595 million in distribution construction expenditures primarily due to lower capital expenditures for storm restoration in 2023. The decrease in storm restoration expenditures is primarily due to Hurricane Ida restoration efforts in 2022;
•net receipts from storm reserve escrow accounts of $79 million in 2023 compared to net payments to storm reserve escrow accounts of $369 million in 2022;
•a decrease of $86 million in information technology capital expenditures primarily due to decreased spending on various technology projects in 2023;
•the initial payment of approximately $105 million in 2022 as compared to the substantial completion and final payments totaling approximately $35 million in 2023 for the purchase of the Sunflower Solar facility by the Entergy Mississippi tax equity partnership. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the Sunflower Solar facility purchase; and
•a decrease of $57 million in transmission construction expenditures primarily due to lower capital expenditures for storm restoration in 2023. The decrease in storm restoration expenditures is primarily due to Hurricane Ida restoration efforts in 2022.
The decrease was partially offset by:
•an increase of $98 million in non-nuclear generation construction expenditures primarily due to higher spending at Entergy Texas on the Orange County Advanced Power Station project, partially offset by a lower scope of work on projects performed, including during plant outages, in 2023 as compared to 2022;
•an increase of $47 million in nuclear fuel purchases due to variations from year to year in the timing and pricing of fuel reload requirements, materials and services deliveries, and the timing of cash payments during the nuclear fuel cycle; and
•an increase of $30 million in decommissioning trust fund investment activity.
Financing Activities
Net cash flow provided by financing activities decreased $2,662 million in 2023 primarily due to:
•proceeds from securitization of $1.5 billion received by the storm trust II at Entergy Louisiana in 2023 compared to proceeds from securitization of $3.2 billion received by the storm trust I at Entergy Louisiana in 2022;
•long-term debt activity using approximately $862 million of cash in 2023 compared to providing approximately $24 million of cash in 2022;
•a decrease of $722 million in net proceeds from the issuance of common stock under the at the market equity distribution program in 2023 as compared to 2022; and
•an increase of $77 million in common stock dividends paid in 2023 as a result of an increase in the dividend paid per share and an increase in the number of shares outstanding.
The decrease was partially offset by net issuances of $311 million of commercial paper in 2023 as compared to net repayments of $374 million of commercial paper in 2022 and an increase of $110 million in prepaid deposits related to contributions-in-aid-of-construction primarily for customer and generator interconnection agreements.
See Note 2 to the financial statements for a discussion of the Entergy Louisiana storm cost securitizations. See Note 4 to the financial statements for details of Entergy’s commercial paper program. See Note 5 to the financial statements for details of long-term debt. See Note 7 to the financial statements for discussion of the equity distribution program.
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2022 Compared to 2021
See “MANAGEMENT’S FINANCIAL DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS - Liquidity and Capital Resources - Cash Flow Activity” in Item 7 of Entergy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on February 24, 2023, for discussion of operating, investing, and financing cash flow activities for 2022 compared to 2021.
Rate, Cost-recovery, and Other Regulation
State and Local Rate Regulation and Fuel-Cost Recovery
The rates that the Utility operating companies charge for their services significantly influence Entergy’s financial position, results of operations, and liquidity. These companies are regulated, and the rates charged to their customers are determined in regulatory proceedings. Governmental agencies, including the APSC, the LPSC, the MPSC, the City Council, and the PUCT, are primarily responsible for approval of the rates charged to customers. Following is a summary of the Utility operating companies’ authorized returns on common equity:
| Company | Authorized Return on Common Equity | |
|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas | 9.15% - 10.15% | |
| Entergy Louisiana | 9.0% - 10.0% Electric; 9.3% - 10.3% Gas | |
| Entergy Mississippi | 9.74% - 11.88% | |
| Entergy New Orleans | 8.85% - 9.85% | |
| Entergy Texas | 9.57% |
Rate regulation and related regulatory proceedings and fuel and purchased power cost recovery proceedings for the Utility operating companies are discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements.
Federal Regulation
The FERC regulates wholesale sales of electricity rates and interstate transmission of electricity, including rates for System Energy’s sales of capacity and energy from Grand Gulf to Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, and Entergy New Orleans pursuant to the Unit Power Sales Agreement. The current return on equity and capital structure of System Energy are currently the subject of complaints filed by certain of the Utility operating companies’ retail regulators. The current return on equity under the Unit Power Sales Agreement is 10.94% for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and Entergy New Orleans and 9.65% for Entergy Mississippi as a result of the System Energy settlement with the MPSC. If the System Energy settlement with the APSC is approved by the FERC, the authorized rate of return on equity under the Unit Power Sales Agreement for Entergy Arkansas will be adjusted to 9.65% in accordance with the settlement terms. Prior to each Utility operating companies’ termination of participation in the System Agreement (Entergy Arkansas in December 2013, Entergy Mississippi in November 2015, and Entergy Louisiana, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas, each in August 2016), the Utility operating companies engaged in the coordinated planning, construction, and operation of generating and bulk transmission facilities under the terms of the System Agreement, which was a rate schedule approved by the FERC. Certain of the Utility operating companies’ retail regulators are pursuing or have settled litigation involving the System Agreement at the FERC and in federal courts. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the complaints filed with the FERC, including challenges with respect to System Energy’s authorized return on equity and capital structure, renewal of System Energy’s sale-leaseback arrangement, treatment of uncertain tax positions, a broader investigation of rates under the Unit Power Sales Agreement, and two prudence complaints, one challenging the extended power uprate completed at Grand Gulf in 2012 and the operation and management of Grand Gulf, particularly in the 2016-2020 time period, and the second challenging the operation and management of Grand Gulf in the 2021-2022 time period, as well as System Energy formula rate annual protocols formal challenges
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concerning 2020 and 2021 calendar year bills and discussion of the System Energy settlements with the MPSC and the APSC.
Market and Credit Risk Sensitive Instruments
Market risk is the risk of changes in the value of commodity and financial instruments, or in future net income or cash flows, in response to changing market conditions. Entergy holds commodity and financial instruments that are exposed to the following significant market risks.
•The commodity price risk associated with the sale of electricity by Entergy’s non-utility operations business.
•The interest rate and equity price risk associated with Entergy’s investments in qualified pension and other postretirement benefits trust funds. See Note 11 to the financial statements for details regarding Entergy’s qualified pension and other postretirement benefits trust funds.
•The interest rate and equity price risk associated with Entergy’s investments in nuclear plant decommissioning trust funds. See Note 16 to the financial statements for details regarding Entergy’s decommissioning trust funds.
•The interest rate risk associated with changes in interest rates as a result of Entergy’s outstanding indebtedness. Entergy manages its interest rate exposure by monitoring current interest rates and its debt outstanding in relation to total capitalization. See Notes 4 and 5 to the financial statements for the details of Entergy’s debt outstanding.
The Utility has limited exposure to the effects of market risk because it operates primarily under cost-based rate regulation. To the extent approved by their retail regulators, the Utility operating companies use commodity and financial instruments to hedge the exposure to price volatility inherent in their purchased power, fuel, and gas purchased for resale costs that are recovered from customers.
Entergy’s commodity and financial instruments are also exposed to credit risk. Credit risk is the risk of loss from nonperformance by suppliers, customers, or financial counterparties to a contract or agreement. Entergy is also exposed to a potential demand on liquidity due to credit support requirements within its supply or sales agreements.
Some of the agreements to sell the power produced by the non-utility operations business contain provisions that require an Entergy subsidiary to provide credit support to secure its obligations under the agreements. The primary form of credit support to satisfy these requirements is an Entergy Corporation guarantee. Cash and letters of credit are also acceptable forms of credit support. At December 31, 2023, based on power prices at that time, Entergy had liquidity exposure of $9 million under the guarantees in place supporting its non-utility operations business transactions and $8 million of posted cash collateral.
Nuclear Matters
Entergy’s Utility business includes the ownership and operation of nuclear generating plants and is, therefore, subject to the risks related to such ownership and operation. These include risks related to: the use, storage, and handling and disposal of high-level and low-level radioactive materials; the substantial financial requirements, both for capital investments and operational needs, including the financial requirements to address emerging issues related to equipment reliability, to position Entergy’s nuclear fleet to meet its operational goals; the performance and capacity factors of these nuclear plants; the risk of an adverse outcome to a challenge to the prudence of operations at Grand Gulf; regulatory requirements and potential future regulatory changes, including changes affecting the regulations governing nuclear plant ownership, operations, license amendments, and decommissioning; the availability of interim or permanent sites for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste, including the fees charged for such disposal; the sufficiency of nuclear decommissioning trust fund assets
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and earnings to complete decommissioning of each site when required; and limitations on the amounts of insurance recoveries for losses in connection with nuclear plant operations and catastrophic events such as a nuclear accident.
NRC Reactor Oversight Process
The NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process is a program to collect information about plant performance, assess the information for its safety significance, and provide for appropriate licensee and NRC response. The NRC evaluates plant performance by analyzing two distinct inputs: inspection findings resulting from the NRC’s inspection program and performance indicators reported by the licensee. The evaluations result in the placement of each plant in one of the NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process Action Matrix columns: “licensee response column,” or Column 1, “regulatory response column,” or Column 2, “degraded cornerstone column,” or Column 3, “multiple/repetitive degraded cornerstone column,” or Column 4, and “unacceptable performance,” or Column 5. Plants in Column 1 are subject to normal NRC inspection activities. Plants in Column 2, Column 3, or Column 4 are subject to progressively increasing levels of inspection by the NRC with, in general, progressively increasing levels of associated costs. Continued plant operation is not permitted for plants in Column 5. All of the nuclear generating plants owned and operated by Entergy’s Utility business are currently in Column 1, except River Bend, which is in Column 2.
In July 2023 the NRC placed River Bend in Column 2, effective April 2023, based on failure to inspect wiring associated with the high pressure core spray system. In August 2023 the NRC issued a finding and notice of violation related to a radiation monitor calibration issue at River Bend. In December 2023, River Bend successfully completed the inspection on the high pressure core spray system issue and in February 2024, River Bend successfully completed the supplemental inspection for the radiation monitor calibration issue involving radiation monitor calibrations. River Bend will remain in Column 2 pending receipt of the formal report on the inspection, which is expected in first quarter 2024.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of Entergy’s financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to apply appropriate accounting policies and to make estimates and judgments that can have a significant effect on reported financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. Management has identified the following accounting estimates as critical because they are based on assumptions and measurements that involve a high degree of uncertainty, and the potential for future changes in these assumptions and measurements could produce estimates that would have a material effect on the presentation of Entergy’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
Nuclear Decommissioning Costs
Certain of the Utility operating companies and System Energy own nuclear generation facilities. Regulations require these Entergy subsidiaries to decommission the nuclear power plants after each facility is taken out of service, and cash is deposited in trust funds during the facilities’ operating lives in order to provide for this obligation. Entergy conducts periodic decommissioning cost studies to estimate the costs that will be incurred to decommission the facilities. The following key assumptions have a significant effect on these estimates.
•Timing - In projecting decommissioning costs, two assumptions must be made to estimate the timing of plant decommissioning. First, the date of the plant’s retirement must be estimated for those plants that do not have an announced shutdown date. The estimate may include assumptions regarding the possibility that the plant may have an operating life shorter than the operating license expiration. Second, an assumption must be made regarding whether all decommissioning activity will proceed immediately upon plant retirement, or whether the plant will be placed in SAFSTOR status. SAFSTOR is decommissioning a facility by placing it in a safe, stable condition that is maintained until it is subsequently decontaminated and dismantled to levels that permit license termination, normally within 60 years from permanent cessation
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of operations. A change of assumption regarding either the period of continued operation, the use of a SAFSTOR period, or whether Entergy will continue to hold the plant or the plant is held for sale can change the present value of the asset retirement obligation.
•Cost Escalation Factors - Entergy’s current decommissioning cost studies include an assumption that decommissioning costs will escalate over present cost levels by factors ranging from approximately 2% to 3% annually. A 50-basis point change in this assumption could change the estimated present value of the decommissioning liabilities by approximately 10% to 17%. The timing assumption influences the significance of the effect of a change in the estimated inflation or cost escalation rate because the effect increases with the length of time assumed before decommissioning activity ends.
•Spent Fuel Disposal - Federal law requires the DOE to provide for the permanent storage of spent nuclear fuel, and legislation has been passed by Congress to develop a repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The DOE has not yet begun accepting spent nuclear fuel and is in non-compliance with federal law. The DOE continues to delay meeting its obligation and Entergy’s nuclear plant owners are continuing to pursue damage claims against the DOE for its failure to provide timely spent fuel storage. Until a federal site is available, however, nuclear plant operators must provide for interim spent fuel storage on the nuclear plant site, which can require the construction and maintenance of dry cask storage sites or other facilities. The costs of developing and maintaining these facilities during the decommissioning period can have a significant effect (as much as an average of 20% to 30% of total estimated decommissioning costs). Entergy’s decommissioning studies include cost estimates for spent fuel storage. These estimates could change in the future, however, based on the expected timing of when the DOE begins to fulfill its obligation to receive and store spent nuclear fuel. See Note 8 to the financial statements for further discussion of Entergy’s spent nuclear fuel litigation.
•Technology and Regulation - Over the past several years, more practical experience with the actual decommissioning of nuclear facilities has been gained and that experience has been incorporated into Entergy’s current decommissioning cost estimates. Given the long duration of decommissioning projects, additional experience, including technological advancements in decommissioning, could be gained and affect current cost estimates. In addition, if regulations regarding nuclear decommissioning were to change, this could affect cost estimates.
•Interest Rates - The estimated decommissioning costs that are the basis for the recorded decommissioning liability are discounted to present value using a credit-adjusted risk-free rate. When the decommissioning liability is revised, increases in cash flows are discounted using the current credit-adjusted risk-free rate. Decreases in estimated cash flows are discounted using the credit-adjusted risk-free rate used previously in estimating the decommissioning liability that is being revised. Therefore, to the extent that a revised cost study results in an increase in estimated cash flows, a change in interest rates from the time of the previous cost estimate will affect the calculation of the present value of the revised decommissioning liability.
Revisions of estimated decommissioning costs that decrease the liability also result in a decrease in the asset retirement cost asset. Revisions of estimated decommissioning costs that increase the liability result in an increase in the asset retirement cost asset, which is then depreciated over the asset’s remaining economic life. See Note 9 to the financial statements for further discussion of asset retirement obligations.
Utility Regulatory Accounting
Entergy’s Utility operating companies and System Energy are subject to retail regulation by their respective state and local regulators and to wholesale regulation by the FERC. Because these regulatory agencies set the rates the Utility operating companies and System Energy are allowed to charge customers based on allowable costs, including a reasonable return on equity, the Utility operating companies and System Energy apply accounting standards that require the financial statements to reflect the effects of rate regulation, including the recording of regulatory assets and liabilities. Regulatory assets represent incurred costs that have been deferred because they are probable of future recovery from customers through regulated rates. Regulatory liabilities represent (1) revenue or gains that have been deferred because it is probable such amounts will be credited to customers through future regulated rates or (2) billings in advance of expenditures for approved regulatory programs. See Note 2 to the
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financial statements for a discussion of rate and regulatory matters, including details of Entergy’s and the Registrant Subsidiaries’ regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities.
For each regulatory jurisdiction in which they conduct business, the Utility operating companies and System Energy assess whether the regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities continue to meet the criteria for probable future recovery or settlement at each balance sheet date and when regulatory events occur. This assessment includes consideration of recent rate orders, historical regulatory treatment for similar costs, and factors such as changes in applicable regulatory and political environments. If the assessments made by the Utility operating companies and System Energy are ultimately different than actual regulatory outcomes, it could materially affect the results of operations, financial position, and cash flows of Entergy or the Registrant Subsidiaries.
Taxation and Uncertain Tax Positions
Management exercises significant judgment in evaluating the potential tax effects of Entergy’s operations, transactions, and other events. Entergy accounts for uncertain income tax positions using a recognition model under a two-step approach with a more likely-than-not recognition threshold and a measurement approach based on the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement. Management evaluates each tax position based on the technical merits and facts and circumstances of the position, assuming the position will be examined by a taxing authority having full knowledge of all relevant information. Significant judgment is required to determine whether available information supports the assertion that the recognition threshold has been met. Additionally, measurement of unrecognized tax benefits to be recorded in the consolidated financial statements is based on the probability of different potential outcomes. Income tax expense and tax positions recorded could be significantly affected by events such as additional transactions contemplated or consummated by Entergy as well as audits by taxing authorities of the tax positions taken in transactions. Management believes that the financial statement tax balances are accounted for and adjusted appropriately each quarter, as necessary, in accordance with applicable authoritative guidance; however, the ultimate outcome of tax matters could result in favorable or unfavorable effects on the consolidated financial statements.
Certain Entergy subsidiaries have elected to apply the mark-to-market method of accounting for income tax return purposes to wholesale power purchase agreements as appropriate under the Internal Revenue Code and U.S. Treasury Regulations. The mark-to-market tax gain or loss computed each year is based on an estimated fair market valuation which includes analyses of market prices and conditions. Entergy and the Registrant Subsidiaries’ mark-to-market gain or loss could be affected by federal and state income tax audits should taxing authorities challenge such valuations.
Entergy’s income taxes, including unrecognized tax benefits, open audits, and other significant tax matters, are discussed in Note 3 to the financial statements. See “Income Tax Legislation and Regulation” above for discussion of income tax legislation and regulation.
Qualified Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits
Entergy sponsors qualified, defined benefit pension plans, including cash balance plans and final average pay plans. Generally, plan participation is determined based on the employee’s most recent date of hire and collective bargaining agreement, where applicable. Additionally, Entergy currently provides other postretirement health care and life insurance benefits for full-time employees whose most recent date of hire or rehire is before July 1, 2014, and who reach retirement age and meet certain eligibility requirements while still working for Entergy.
Entergy’s reported costs of providing these benefits, as described in Note 11 to the financial statements, are affected by numerous factors including the provisions of the plans, changing employee demographics, and various actuarial calculations, assumptions, and accounting mechanisms. Because of the complexity of these calculations,
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the long-term nature of these obligations, and the importance of the assumptions utilized, Entergy’s estimate of these costs is a critical accounting estimate for Entergy and the Registrant Subsidiaries.
Assumptions
Key actuarial assumptions utilized in determining qualified pension and other postretirement health care and life insurance costs include discount rates, projected healthcare cost rates, expected long-term rate of return on plan assets, rate of increase in future compensation levels, retirement rates, expected timing and form of payments, and mortality rates.
Annually, Entergy reviews and, when necessary, adjusts the assumptions for the qualified pension and other postretirement plans. Every three-to-five years, a formal actuarial assumption experience study that compares assumptions to the actual experience of the qualified pension and other postretirement health care and life insurance plans is conducted. The interest rate environment over the past few years and volatility in the financial equity markets have affected Entergy’s funding and reported costs for these benefits.
Discount rates
In selecting an assumed discount rate to calculate benefit obligations, Entergy uses a yield curve based on high-quality corporate debt with cash flows matching the expected plan benefit payments. In estimating the service cost and interest cost components of net periodic benefit cost, Entergy discounts the expected cash flows by the applicable spot rates.
Projected health care cost trend rates
Entergy’s health care cost trend is affected by both medical cost inflation and, with respect to capped costs under the plan, the effects of general inflation. Entergy reviews actual recent cost trends and projected future trends in establishing its health care cost trend rates.
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets
In determining its expected long-term rate of return on plan assets used in the calculation of benefit plan costs, Entergy reviews past performance, current and expected future asset allocations, and capital market assumptions of its investment consultant and some of its investment managers. Entergy conducts periodic asset/liability studies in order to set its target asset allocations.
In 2023, Entergy implemented a new asset allocation strategy for its pension assets, based on the funded status of each plan within the trust. The new strategy no longer focuses on targeting an overall asset allocation for the trust, but rather a target asset allocation for each plan within the trust that adjusts dynamically based on the funded status. The ultimate asset allocation for each plan is expected to be attained when the plan is 110% funded. The 2023 weighted-average target pension asset allocation is 49% equity and 51% fixed income securities, of which 43% is long duration fixed income.
In 2017, Entergy implemented a new asset allocation strategy for its non-taxable and taxable other postretirement assets, based on the funded status of each sub-account within each trust. The new strategy no longer focuses on targeting an overall asset allocation for each trust, but rather a target asset allocation for each sub-account within each trust that adjusts dynamically based on the funded status. The 2023 weighted-average target postretirement asset allocation is 42% equity and 58% fixed income securities.
See Note 11 to the financial statements for discussion of the current asset allocations for Entergy’s pension and other postretirement assets.
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Costs and Sensitivities
The estimated 2024 and actual 2023 qualified pension and other postretirement costs and related underlying assumptions and sensitivities are shown below:
| Costs | Estimated 2024 | 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||
| Qualified pension cost | $52.6 | $253.7 (a) | ||
| Other postretirement income | ($24.3) | ($13.8) | ||
| Assumptions | 2024 | 2023 | ||
| Discount rates | ||||
| Qualified pension | ||||
| Service cost | 5.08% | 5.26% | ||
| Interest cost | 4.97% | 5.16% | ||
| Other postretirement | ||||
| Service cost | 4.82% | 5.00% | ||
| Interest cost | 4.91% | 5.09% | ||
| Expected long-term rates of return | ||||
| Qualified pension assets | 6.75% | 7.00% | ||
| Other postretirement - non-taxable assets | 6.50% - 7.25% | 6.00% - 7.00% | ||
| Other postretirement - taxable assets - after tax rate | 5.25% | 5.25% | ||
| Weighted-average rate of increase in future compensation | 3.98% - 4.40% | 3.98% - 4.40% | ||
| Assumed health care cost trend rates | ||||
| Pre-65 retirees | 6.95% | 6.65% | ||
| Post-65 retirees | 7.88% | 7.50% | ||
| Ultimate health care cost trend rate | 4.75% | 4.75% | ||
| Year ultimate health care cost trend rate is reached and beyond | ||||
| Pre-65 retirees | 2032 | 2032 | ||
| Post-65 retirees | 2032 | 2032 |
(a) In 2023, qualified pension cost included settlement costs of $160.4 million.
Actual asset returns have an effect on Entergy’s qualified pension and other postretirement costs. In 2023, Entergy’s actual annual return on qualified pension assets was approximately 15% and on other postretirement assets was approximately 13%, as compared to the 2023 expected long-term rates of return discussed above.
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The following chart reflects the sensitivity of qualified pension cost and qualified pension projected benefit obligation to changes in certain actuarial assumptions (dollars in millions):
| Actuarial Assumption | Change in Assumption | Impact on 2024 Qualified Pension Cost | Impact on 2023 Qualified Projected Benefit Obligation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase/(Decrease) | ||||||
| Discount rate | (0.25%) | $4 | $145 | |||
| Rate of return on plan assets | (0.25%) | $14 | $— | |||
| Rate of increase in compensation | 0.25% | $4 | $24 |
The following chart reflects the sensitivity of postretirement benefits cost and accumulated postretirement benefit obligation to changes in certain actuarial assumptions (dollars in millions):
| Actuarial Assumption | Change in Assumption | Impact on 2024 Postretirement Benefits Cost | Impact on 2023 Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase/(Decrease) | ||||||
| Discount rate | (0.25%) | $1 | $21 | |||
| Health care cost trend | 0.25% | $2 | $14 |
Each fluctuation above assumes that the other components of the calculation are held constant.
Accounting Mechanisms
In accordance with pension accounting standards, Entergy utilizes a number of accounting mechanisms that reduce the volatility of reported pension costs. Differences between actuarial assumptions and actual plan results are deferred and are amortized into expense only when the accumulated differences exceed 10% of the greater of the projected benefit obligation or the market-related value of plan assets. If necessary, the excess is amortized over the average remaining service period of active employees. If almost all of the plan participants are inactive, as is the case for certain qualified pension plans, the excess is amortized over the remaining life expectancy of plan participants. Additionally, accounting standards allow for the deferral of prior service costs/credits arising from plan amendments that attribute an increase or decrease in benefits to employee service in prior periods. Prior service costs/credits are then amortized into expense over the average future working life of active employees. Certain decisions, including workforce reductions, plan amendments, and plant shutdowns, may significantly reduce the expense amortization period and result in immediate recognition of certain previously-deferred costs and gains/losses in the form of curtailment gains or losses. Similarly, payments made to settle benefit obligations, including lump sum benefit payments, can also result in accelerated recognition in the form of settlement losses or gains. Several Entergy subsidiaries received regulatory approval to defer the expense portion of settlement charges and amortize into expense over time. See Note 11 to the financial statements for further discussion.
Entergy calculates the expected return on pension and other postretirement benefits plan assets by multiplying the long-term expected rate of return on assets by the market-related value (MRV) of plan assets. Entergy determines the MRV of its pension plan assets, except for the long duration fixed income assets, by calculating a value that uses a 20-quarter phase-in of the difference between actual and expected returns. For the long duration fixed income assets in the pension trust and for its other postretirement benefits plan assets, Entergy uses fair value as the MRV.
Accounting standards require an employer to recognize in its balance sheet the funded status of its benefit plans. See Note 11 to the financial statements for further discussion of Entergy’s funded status.
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Employer Contributions
Entergy contributed $267 million to its qualified pension plans in 2023. Entergy estimates pension contributions will be approximately $270 million in 2024, although the 2024 required pension contributions will be known with more certainty when the January 1, 2024, valuations are completed, which is expected by April 1, 2024.
Minimum required funding calculations as determined under Pension Protection Act guidance, as amended by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, are performed annually as of January 1 of each year and are based on measurements of the assets and funding liabilities as measured at that date. Any excess of the funding liability over the calculated fair market value of assets results in a funding shortfall that must be funded over a fifteen-year rolling period. The Pension Protection Act also imposes certain plan limitations if the funded percentage, which is based on calculated fair market values of assets divided by funding liabilities, does not meet certain thresholds. For funding purposes, asset gains and losses are smoothed into the calculated fair market value of assets. The funding liability is based upon a weighted-average 24-month corporate bond rate published by the U.S. Treasury which is generally subject to a corridor of the 25-year average of prior segment rates. Periodic changes in asset returns and interest rates can affect funding shortfalls and future cash contributions.
Entergy contributed $49.1 million to its postretirement plans in 2023 and plans to contribute $45.9 million in 2024.
Other Contingencies
As a company with multi-state utility operations, Entergy is subject to a number of federal and state laws and regulations and other factors and conditions in the areas in which it operates, which potentially subjects it to environmental, litigation, and other risks. Entergy periodically evaluates its exposure for such risks and records a provision for those matters which are considered probable and estimable in accordance with GAAP.
Environmental
Entergy must comply with environmental laws and regulations applicable to air emissions, water discharges, solid waste (including coal combustion residuals), hazardous waste, toxic substances, protected species, and other environmental matters. Under these various laws and regulations, Entergy could incur substantial costs to comply or address any impacts to the environment. Entergy conducts studies to determine the extent of any required remediation and has recorded liabilities based upon its evaluation of the likelihood of loss and expected dollar amount for each issue. Additional sites or issues could be identified which require environmental remediation or corrective action for which Entergy could be liable. The amounts of environmental liabilities recorded can be significantly affected by the following external events or conditions.
•Changes to existing federal, state, or local regulation by governmental authorities having jurisdiction over air quality, water quality, control of toxic substances and hazardous and solid wastes, and other environmental matters.
•The identification of additional impacts, sites, issues, or the filing of other complaints in which Entergy may be asserted to be a potentially responsible party.
•The resolution or progression of existing matters through the court system or resolution by the EPA or relevant state or local authority.
Litigation
Entergy is regularly named as a defendant in a number of lawsuits involving employment, customers, and injuries and damages issues, among other matters. Entergy periodically reviews the cases in which it has been named as defendant and assesses the likelihood of loss in each case as probable, reasonably possible, or remote and records liabilities for cases that have a probable likelihood of loss and the loss can be estimated. Given the
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environment in which Entergy operates, and the unpredictable nature of many of the cases in which Entergy is named as a defendant, the ultimate outcome of the litigation to which Entergy is exposed has the potential to materially affect the results of operations, financial position, and cash flows of Entergy or the Registrant Subsidiaries.
Complaints Against System Energy
System Energy’s operating revenues are derived from the allocation of the capacity, energy, and related costs associated with its 90% ownership/leasehold interest in Grand Gulf. System Energy sells its Grand Gulf capacity and energy to Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, and Entergy New Orleans pursuant to the Unit Power Sales Agreement. System Energy and the Unit Power Sales Agreement are currently the subject of several litigation proceedings at the FERC (or on appeal from the FERC to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit). See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of these proceedings.
New Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 1 to the financial statements for discussion of new accounting pronouncements.
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FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000065984-23-000014.
Results of Operations
2022 Compared to 2021
Following are income statement variances for Utility, Entergy Wholesale Commodities, Parent & Other, and Entergy comparing 2022 to 2021 showing how much the line item increased or (decreased) in comparison to the prior period.
| Utility | Entergy Wholesale Commodities | Parent & Other (a) | Entergy | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Thousands) | ||||||||||
| 2021 Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Entergy Corporation | $1,490,420 | ($122,877) | ($249,051) | $1,118,492 | ||||||
| Operating revenues | 2,376,130 | (354,703) | (86) | 2,021,341 | ||||||
| Fuel, fuel-related expenses, and gas purchased for resale | 1,258,938 | 15,816 | 1 | 1,274,755 | ||||||
| Purchased power | 279,366 | 10,502 | (1) | 289,867 | ||||||
| Other regulatory charges (credits) - net | 557,775 | — | — | 557,775 | ||||||
| Other operation and maintenance | 242,734 | (183,505) | 10,609 | 69,838 | ||||||
| Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges (credits) | — | (427,089) | — | (427,089) | ||||||
| Taxes other than income taxes | 73,956 | (953) | 245 | 73,248 | ||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 108,671 | (30,111) | (1,823) | 76,737 | ||||||
| Other income (deductions) | (165,445) | (119,292) | (94,802) | (379,539) | ||||||
| Interest expense | 58,171 | (5,620) | 24,992 | 77,543 | ||||||
| Other expenses | 19,453 | (118,392) | — | (98,939) | ||||||
| Income taxes | (298,472) | 79,846 | (11,726) | (230,352) | ||||||
| Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries and noncontrolling interests | (6,092) | — | (163) | (6,255) | ||||||
| 2022 Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Entergy Corporation | $1,406,605 | $62,634 | ($366,073) | $1,103,166 |
(a)Parent & Other includes eliminations, which are primarily intersegment activity.
Results of operations for 2022 include: 1) a regulatory charge of $551 million ($413 million net-of-tax), recorded at Utility, as a result of System Energy’s partial settlement agreement and offer of settlement related to pending proceedings before the FERC; 2) a $283 million reduction in income tax expense as a result of the Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, Winter Storm Uri, and Hurricane Ida securitization financing, which also resulted in a $224 million ($165 million net-of-tax) regulatory charge, recorded at Utility, to reflect Entergy Louisiana’s obligation to provide credits to its customers in recognition of obligations related to an LPSC ancillary order issued as part of the securitization regulatory proceeding; and 3) a gain of $166 million ($130 million net-of-tax), reflected in “Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges (credits),” as a result of the sale of the Palisades plant in June 2022. See Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of the System Energy settlement with the MPSC. See Notes 2 and 3 to the financial statements for further discussion of the Entergy Louisiana securitization. See Note 14 to the financial statements for further discussion of the sale of the Palisades plant.
Results of operations for 2021 include a charge of $340 million ($268 million net-of-tax), reflected in “Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges (credits),” as a result of the sale of the Indian Point Energy
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Center in May 2021. See Note 14 to the financial statements for further discussion of the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center.
Operating Revenues
Utility
Following is an analysis of the change in operating revenues comparing 2022 to 2021:
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |
| 2021 operating revenues | $11,045 |
| Fuel, rider, and other revenues that do not significantly affect net income | 1,713 |
| Retail electric price | 331 |
| Volume/weather | 276 |
| Storm restoration carrying costs | 59 |
| Return of unprotected excess accumulated deferred income taxes to customers | 34 |
| Retail one-time bill credit | (37) |
| 2022 operating revenues | $13,421 |
The Utility operating companies’ results include revenues from rate mechanisms designed to recover fuel, purchased power, and other costs such that the revenues and expenses associated with these items generally offset and do not affect net income. “Fuel, rider, and other revenues that do not significantly affect net income” includes the revenue variance associated with these items.
The retail electric price variance is primarily due to:
•an increase in Entergy Arkansas’s formula rate plan rates effective January 2022;
•increases in Entergy Louisiana’s formula rate plan revenues, including increases in the distribution and transmission recovery mechanisms, effective September 2021 and September 2022;
•increases in Entergy Mississippi’s formula rate plan rates effective April 2021, July 2021, April 2022, and August 2022;
•increases in Entergy New Orleans’s formula rate plan rates effective November 2021 and September 2022; and
•increases in the transmission cost recovery factor rider effective March 2021 and March 2022, an increase in the distribution cost recovery factor rider effective January 2022, the implementation of the generation cost recovery rider, which includes the first-year revenue requirement for the Montgomery County Power Station, effective in late January 2021, and the implementation of the generation cost recovery relate-back rider for the Montgomery County Power Station effective August 2022, each at Entergy Texas.
See Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of the regulatory proceedings discussed above.
The volume/weather variance is primarily due to an increase of 5,807 GWh, or 5%, in electricity usage across all customer classes, including the effect of more favorable weather on residential sales. The increase in industrial usage was due to an increase in demand from expansion projects, primarily in the chemicals, transportation, and petroleum refining industries, an increase in demand from cogeneration customers, an increase in demand from existing customers, primarily in the chemicals, pulp and paper, and transportation industries, including prior year temporary plant shutdowns and prior year plant operating issues, and an increase in demand from small industrial customers. The increase in commercial usage was primarily due to the effect of the
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COVID-19 pandemic on businesses in 2021. The increased usage from these industrial and commercial customers has a relatively smaller effect on operating revenues because a larger portion of the revenues from those customers comes from fixed charges.
Storm restoration carrying costs, representing the equity component of storm restoration carrying costs, includes $37 million at Entergy Louisiana and $22 million at Entergy Texas, recorded in second quarter 2022, recognized as part of the Entergy Louisiana storm cost securitization in May 2022 and the Entergy Texas storm cost securitization in April 2022. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of storm cost securitizations.
The return of unprotected excess accumulated deferred income taxes to customers resulted from activity at the Utility operating companies in response to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The return of unprotected excess accumulated deferred income taxes began in second quarter 2018. In 2022, $53 million was returned to customers through reductions in operating revenues as compared to $87 million in 2021. There was no effect on net income as the reductions in operating revenues were offset by reductions in income tax expense. See Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of regulatory activity regarding the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
The retail one-time bill credit represents the disbursement of settlement proceeds in the form of a one-time bill credit provided to Entergy Mississippi’s retail customers during the September 2022 billing cycle as a result of the System Energy settlement agreement with the MPSC. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the settlement agreement and the MPSC directive related to the disbursement of settlement proceeds.
Total electric energy sales for Utility for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows:
| 2022 | 2021 | % Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (GWh) | |||||||
| Residential | 37,134 | 35,230 | 5 | ||||
| Commercial | 27,982 | 26,800 | 4 | ||||
| Industrial | 52,501 | 49,866 | 5 | ||||
| Governmental | 2,512 | 2,426 | 4 | ||||
| Total retail | 120,129 | 114,322 | 5 | ||||
| Sales for resale | 15,968 | 16,656 | (4) | ||||
| Total | 136,097 | 130,978 | 4 |
See Note 19 to the financial statements for additional discussion of operating revenues.
Entergy Wholesale Commodities
Operating revenues for Entergy Wholesale Commodities decreased from $698 million for 2021 to $343 million for 2022 primarily due to the shutdown of Indian Point 3 in April 2021 and Palisades in May 2022.
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Following are key performance measures for Entergy Wholesale Commodities for 2022 and 2021:
| 2022 | 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Owned capacity (MW) (a) | 181 | 1,205 | |
| GWh billed | 4,570 | 11,328 | |
| Entergy Wholesale Commodities Nuclear Fleet | |||
| Capacity factor | 93% | 97% | |
| GWh billed | 2,741 | 9,836 | |
| Average energy price ($/MWh) | $48.99 | $54.56 | |
| Average capacity price ($/kW-month) | $0.15 | $0.26 |
(a)The reduction in owned capacity is due to the shutdown of the 811 MW Palisades plant in May 2022 and a decrease of 213 MW resulting from the sale of Entergy’s 50% membership interest in RS Cogen, L.L.C., an unconsolidated joint venture which owns the RS Cogen plant, in October 2022. With the sale of Palisades in June 2022, Entergy completed its multi-year strategy to exit the merchant nuclear power business.
Other Income Statement Items
Utility
Other operation and maintenance expenses increased from $2,657 million for 2021 to $2,900 million for 2022 primarily due to:
•an increase of $79 million in power delivery expenses primarily due to higher vegetation maintenance costs, higher reliability costs, and higher safety and training costs, partially offset by a decrease in meter reading expenses as a result of the deployment of advanced metering systems;
•an increase of $44 million in nuclear generation expenses primarily due to a higher scope of work performed in 2022 as compared to 2021 and higher nuclear labor costs;
•an increase of $20 million in bad debt expense primarily due to the deferral in 2021 of bad debt expense resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of regulatory activity associated with the COVID-19 pandemic;
•an increase of $19 million in non-nuclear generation expenses primarily due to higher costs associated with materials and supplies in 2022 as compared to 2021;
•an increase of $18 million in customer service center support costs primarily due to higher contract costs;
•an increase of $16 million in energy efficiency expenses primarily due to the timing of recovery from customers;
•an increase of $10 million due to a $15 million gain on the sale of a pipeline recorded in 2021 as compared to a $5 million contingent gain recorded on the 2021 sale in 2022; and
•several individually insignificant items.
Taxes other than income taxes increased primarily due to increases in ad valorem taxes resulting from higher assessments, increases in franchise taxes, and increases in employment taxes.
Depreciation and amortization expenses increased primarily due to additions to plant in service and updated depreciation rates used in calculating Grand Gulf plant depreciation and amortization expenses under the Unit Power Sales Agreement, effective March 1, 2022, subject to refund. The increase was partially offset by a reduction in depreciation expense at System Energy related to the Grand Gulf sale-leaseback property, which resulted from the FERC order on the Grand Gulf sale-leaseback renewal complaint in December 2022. See Note 2 to the financial
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statements for further discussion of the Unit Power Sales Agreement and for further discussion of the Grand Gulf sale-leaseback renewal complaint.
Other regulatory charges (credits) - net includes:
•the reversal in first quarter 2021 of the remaining $39 million regulatory liability for Entergy Arkansas’s 2019 historical year netting adjustment as part of its 2020 formula rate plan proceeding. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the 2020 formula rate plan filing;
•a regulatory charge of $224 million, recorded by Entergy Louisiana in second quarter 2022, to reflect its obligation to provide credits to its customers in recognition of obligations related to an LPSC ancillary order issued in the Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, Winter Storm Uri, and Hurricane Ida securitization regulatory proceeding. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the storm cost securitization;
•regulatory credits of $20 million, recorded by Entergy Mississippi in the second quarter 2021, to reflect the effects of the joint stipulation reached in the 2021 formula rate plan filing proceeding. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the 2021 formula rate plan filing;
•regulatory credits of $19 million, recorded by Entergy Mississippi in the fourth quarter 2021, to reflect that the 2021 earned return was below the formula bandwidth. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy Mississippi’s formula rate plan filings;
•regulatory credits of $23 million, recorded by Entergy Mississippi in the third quarter 2022, to reflect the effects of the joint stipulation reached in the 2022 formula rate plan filing proceeding. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the 2022 formula rate plan filing;
•regulatory credits of $18 million, recorded by Entergy Mississippi in the fourth quarter 2022, to reflect that the 2022 estimated earned return was below the formula bandwidth. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy Mississippi’s formula rate plan filings; and
•a regulatory charge of $551 million, recorded by System Energy in second quarter 2022, to reflect the effects of the partial settlement agreement and offer of settlement related to pending proceedings before the FERC. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the partial settlement agreement.
In addition, Entergy records a regulatory charge or credit for the difference between asset retirement obligation-related expenses and nuclear decommissioning trust earnings plus asset retirement obligation related costs collected in revenue.
Other income decreased primarily due to:
•changes in decommissioning trust fund activity, including portfolio rebalancing of the decommissioning trust funds in 2022 and 2021; and
•a $32 million charge at Entergy Louisiana for the LURC’s 1% beneficial interest in the storm trust established as part of the Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, Winter Storm Uri, and Hurricane Ida securitization.
This decrease was partially offset by:
•an increase of $58 million in intercompany dividend income. The increase in intercompany dividend income results from the Entergy Louisiana storm trust’s investment of securitization proceeds in affiliated preferred membership interests, partially offset by the liquidation of Entergy Louisiana’s investment in affiliated preferred membership interests acquired in connection with previous securitizations of storm restoration costs. The intercompany dividend income on the affiliate preferred membership interests is eliminated for consolidation purposes and has no effect on net income since the investment is in another Entergy subsidiary; and
•an increase of $17 million due to the recognition of storm restoration carrying costs, primarily related to Hurricane Ida.
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See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the securitization.
Interest expense increased primarily due to:
•the issuance by Entergy Arkansas of $400 million of 3.35% Series mortgage bonds in March 2021;
•the issuance by Entergy Arkansas of $200 million of 4.20% Series mortgage bonds in March 2022;
•the issuances by Entergy Louisiana of $500 million of 2.35% Series mortgage bonds and $500 million of 3.10% Series mortgage bonds, each in March 2021;
•the issuance by Entergy Louisiana of $1 billion of 0.95% Series mortgage bonds in October 2021;
•the $1.2 billion unsecured term loan drawn by Entergy Louisiana in January 2022. The term loan was repaid in June 2022;
•the issuance by Entergy Louisiana of $500 million of 4.75% Series mortgage bonds in August 2022;
•the issuance by Entergy Mississippi of $200 million of 3.50% Series mortgage bonds in March 2021;
•the issuance by Entergy Mississippi of $200 million of 2.55% Series mortgage bonds in November 2021;
•the issuances by Entergy New Orleans of $90 million of 4.19% Series mortgage bonds and $70 million of 4.51% Series mortgage bonds, each in November 2021;
•the issuance by Entergy Texas of $290.85 million of senior secured system restoration bonds in April 2022; and
•the issuance by Entergy Texas of $325 million of 5.00% Series mortgage bonds in August 2022.
The increase was partially offset by the repayment by Entergy Arkansas of $350 million of 3.75% Series mortgage bonds in February 2021 and the repayment by Entergy Louisiana of $200 million of 4.8% Series mortgage bonds in May 2021.
See Note 5 to the financial statements for a discussion of long-term debt.
Noncontrolling interests reflects the earnings or losses attributable to the noncontrolling interest partner of Entergy Arkansas’s tax equity partnership for the Searcy Solar facility and Entergy Mississippi’s tax equity partnership for the Sunflower Solar facility, both under HLBV accounting, and to the LURC’s beneficial interest in the Entergy Louisiana storm trust. Entergy Arkansas recorded regulatory charges of $5 million in 2022 compared to $18 million in 2021 to defer the difference between the losses allocated to the tax equity partner under the HLBV method of accounting and the earnings/loss that would have been allocated to the tax equity partner under its respective ownership percentage in the partnership. Entergy Mississippi recorded regulatory charges of $21 million in 2022 to defer the difference between the losses allocated to the tax equity partner under the HLBV method of accounting and the earnings/loss that would have been allocated to the tax equity partner under its respective ownership percentage in the partnership. See Note 1 to the financial statements for discussion of the HLBV method of accounting.
Entergy Wholesale Commodities
Other operation and maintenance expenses decreased from $287 million for 2021 to $103 million for 2022 primarily due to:
•a decrease of $167 million resulting from the absence of expenses from Indian Point 3, after it was shut down in April 2021, and Palisades, after it was shut down in May 2022; and
•a decrease of $10 million in severance and retention expenses. Severance and retention expenses were incurred in 2022 and 2021 due to management’s strategy to exit the Entergy Wholesale Commodities merchant power business.
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See “Entergy Wholesale Commodities Exit from the Merchant Power Business” below for a discussion of management’s strategy to shut down and sell all of the plants in Entergy Wholesale Commodities’ merchant nuclear fleet. See Note 13 to the financial statements for further discussion of severance and retention expenses.
Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges (credits) for 2022 include a gain of $166 million ($130 million net-of-tax) as a result of the sale of the Palisades plant in June 2022. Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges (credits) for 2021 include a charge of $340 million ($268 million net-of-tax) as a result of the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center in May 2021, partially offset by the effect of recording in 2021 a final judgment in the amount of $83 million ($66 million net-of-tax) to resolve the Indian Point 2 third round and Indian Point 3 second round combined damages case against the DOE related to spent nuclear fuel storage costs. See “Entergy Wholesale Commodities Exit from the Merchant Power Business” below for a discussion of management’s strategy to shut down and sell all of the plants in Entergy Wholesale Commodities’ merchant nuclear fleet. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the impairment of long-lived assets and the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center and the Palisades plant. See Note 8 to the financial statements for discussion of spent nuclear fuel litigation.
Depreciation and amortization expenses decreased primarily due to the absence of depreciation expense from Indian Point 3, after it was shut down in April 2021, and Palisades, after it was shut down in May 2022. The decrease was partially offset by the effect of recording in 2021 a final judgment to resolve claims in the Palisades damages case against the DOE related to spent nuclear fuel storage costs. The damages awarded included $9 million of spent nuclear fuel storage costs previously recorded as depreciation expense. See Note 8 to the financial statements for discussion of spent nuclear fuel litigation.
Other income decreased primarily due to the absence of earnings from the nuclear decommissioning trust funds that were transferred in the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center in May 2021 and the sale of Palisades in June 2022, partially offset by lower non-service pension costs. See Notes 15 and 16 to the financial statements for a discussion of decommissioning trust fund investments. See Note 14 to the financial statements for a discussion of the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center and the Palisades plant. See Note 11 to the financial statements for a discussion of pension and other postretirement benefits costs.
Other expenses decreased primarily due to the absence of decommissioning expense from Indian Point 2 and Indian Point 3, after the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center in May 2021, and from Palisades, after the sale of Palisades in June 2022, and a decrease in nuclear refueling outage expenses as a result of the sale of Palisades. See Note 14 to the financial statements for a discussion of the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center and the Palisades plant.
Parent and Other
Other income decreased primarily due to the elimination for consolidation purposes of intercompany dividend income of $58 million, as discussed above, and the timing of charitable contributions.
Interest expense increased primarily due to higher variable interest rates on commercial paper in 2022. See Note 4 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy’s commercial paper program.
Income Taxes
The effective income tax rates were (3.7%) for 2022 and 14.6% for 2021. See Note 3 to the financial statements for a reconciliation of the federal statutory rate of 21% to the effective income tax rates, and for additional discussion regarding income taxes.
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2021 Compared to 2020
See “MANAGEMENT’S FINANCIAL DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS - Results of Operations” in Item 7 of Entergy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on February 25, 2022 for discussion of results of operations for 2021 compared to 2020.
Income Tax Legislation
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, signed into law on August 16, 2022, significantly expanded federal tax incentives for clean energy production, including the extension of production tax credits to solar projects and certain qualified nuclear power plants. Additionally, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 enacted a 1% excise tax on the buyback of public company stock and a new corporate alternative minimum tax (CAMT). Effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022, the CAMT imposes a 15% tax on the Adjusted Financial Statement Income (AFSI) on each corporation in a group of corporations that averages greater than $1 billion in AFSI over a three-year period. Taxpayers subject to the CAMT regime must pay the greater of 15% of AFSI or their regular federal tax liability. Entergy and the Registrant Subsidiaries are closely monitoring any potential impact associated with the expansion of federal tax incentives, the 1% excise tax, and CAMT. In December 2022 the IRS issued a notice which provided guidance regarding the application of the CAMT. Based on this initial guidance and current internal forecasts, Entergy and the Registrant Subsidiaries may be subject to the CAMT beginning in the next two to three years. The United States Treasury Department is expected to issue further guidance that will clarify how the tax credit provisions and CAMT provisions will be interpreted and applied. This guidance will determine the amount of tax credits and incremental cash tax payments Entergy expects in the future as a result of the legislation. Prior to receiving this guidance, Entergy cannot adequately assess the expected future effects on its results of operations, financial position, and cash flows. There are no effects on the financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Entergy Wholesale Commodities Exit from the Merchant Power Business
In 2022, management completed its multi-year strategy to manage and reduce the risk of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities business, including exiting the merchant nuclear power business. As a result of that strategy, management evaluated the challenges for each of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities plants based on a variety of factors such as their market for both energy and capacity, their size, their contracted positions, and the amount of investment required to continue to operate and maintain the safety and integrity of the plants, including the estimated asset retirement costs. Entergy sold its FitzPatrick plant to Exelon in March 2017 and, as discussed below, transferred its Vermont Yankee plant to NorthStar in January 2019, sold its Pilgrim plant to Holtec in August 2019, sold its Indian Point plants to Holtec in May 2021, and sold its Palisades plant to Holtec in June 2022. The Palisades sale transaction included the sale of Big Rock Point, a non-operating nuclear facility in Michigan. Entergy also sold the Rhode Island State Energy Center, a natural gas-fired combined cycle generating plant, in December 2015.
Shutdown and Disposition of Vermont Yankee
On December 29, 2014, the Vermont Yankee plant ceased power production and entered its decommissioning phase. In November 2016, Entergy entered into an agreement to transfer 100% of the membership interests in Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC to a subsidiary of NorthStar. Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee was the owner of the Vermont Yankee plant. The transaction included the transfer of the nuclear decommissioning trust fund and the asset retirement obligation for the spent fuel management and decommissioning of the plant.
In March 2018, Entergy and NorthStar entered into a settlement agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding with State of Vermont agencies and other interested parties that set forth the terms on which the agencies and parties supported the Vermont Public Utility Commission’s approval of the transaction. The
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agreements provided additional financial assurance for decommissioning, spent fuel management and site restoration, and detailed the site restoration standards. In October 2018 the NRC issued an order approving the application to transfer Vermont Yankee’s license to NorthStar for decommissioning. In December 2018 the Vermont Public Utility Commission issued an order approving the transaction consistent with the Memorandum of Understanding’s terms. On January 11, 2019, Entergy and NorthStar closed the transaction.
Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee had an outstanding credit facility that was used to pay for dry fuel storage costs. This credit facility was guaranteed by Entergy Corporation. A subsidiary of Entergy assumed the obligations under the credit facility, and it remains outstanding. At the closing of the sale transaction, NorthStar caused Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, renamed NorthStar Vermont Yankee, to issue a $139 million promissory note to the Entergy subsidiary that assumed the credit facility obligations. The amount of the note includes the balance outstanding on the credit facility, as well as borrowing fees and costs incurred by Entergy in connection with the credit facility. See Note 4 to the financial statements for details of the Vermont Yankee credit facility.
Shutdown and Sale of Pilgrim
In October 2015, Entergy determined that it would close the Pilgrim plant, and Pilgrim ceased operations in May 2019. On July 30, 2018, Entergy entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Holtec International to sell to a Holtec subsidiary 100% of the equity interests in Entergy Nuclear Generation Company, LLC, the owner of Pilgrim, for $1,000 (subject to adjustments for net liabilities and other amounts). On August 22, 2019, the NRC approved the transfer of Pilgrim’s facility licenses to Holtec. On August 26, 2019, Entergy and Holtec closed the transaction.
The sale of Entergy Nuclear Generation Company, LLC to Holtec included the transfer of the nuclear decommissioning trust and obligation for spent fuel management and plant decommissioning. The transaction resulted in a loss of $190 million ($156 million net-of-tax) in 2019.
Shutdown and Sale of Indian Point 2 and Indian Point 3
Pursuant to a January 2017 settlement agreement among Entergy, New York State, several New York State agencies, and Riverkeeper, Inc., Indian Point 2 ceased commercial operations on April 30, 2020, and Indian Point 3 ceased commercial operations on April 30, 2021. In April 2019, Entergy entered into an agreement to sell, directly or indirectly, 100% of the equity interests in the subsidiaries that own Indian Point 1, Indian Point 2, and Indian Point 3 to a Holtec subsidiary for decommissioning the plants. The NRC issued an order approving the transfer of the Indian Point licenses in November 2020. In April 2021, Entergy and Holtec filed a joint settlement proposal with the New York Public Service Commission (NYPSC) that resolved all issues among all interested parties, including several New York State agencies and the local taxing jurisdictions. In May 2021 the NYPSC approved the joint settlement proposal and the transaction.
Indian Point 2 was shut down in April 2020 and defueled in May 2020, and Indian Point 3 was shut down in April 2021 and defueled in May 2021. The transaction closed in May 2021. The sale included the transfer of the licenses, spent fuel, decommissioning liabilities, and nuclear decommissioning trusts for the three units. The transaction resulted in a charge of $340 million ($268 million net-of-tax) in the second quarter of 2021. See Note 14 to the financial statements for further discussion of the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center.
Shutdown and Sale of Palisades
Almost all of the Palisades output was sold under a power purchase agreement with Consumers Energy, entered into when the plant was acquired in 2007, that was scheduled to expire in 2022. In December 2016, Entergy reached an agreement with Consumers Energy to amend the existing PPA to terminate early, on May 31, 2018. Pursuant to the agreement to amend the PPA, Consumers Energy would pay Entergy $172 million for the early termination of the PPA. The PPA amendment agreement was subject to regulatory approvals, including approval by
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the Michigan Public Service Commission. Separately, Entergy intended to shut down the Palisades nuclear power plant permanently on October 1, 2018, after refueling in the spring of 2017 and operating through the end of that fuel cycle.
In September 2017 the Michigan Public Service Commission issued an order conditionally approving the PPA amendment transaction, but only granting Consumers Energy recovery of $136.6 million of the $172 million requested early termination payment. As a result, Entergy and Consumers Energy agreed to terminate the PPA amendment agreement. Entergy continued to operate Palisades under the existing PPA with Consumers Energy, instead of shutting down in the fall of 2018 as previously planned.
On July 30, 2018, Entergy entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Holtec International to sell to a Holtec subsidiary 100% of the equity interests in the subsidiary that owns Palisades and the Big Rock Point Site, for $1,000 (subject to adjustment for net liabilities and other amounts). In February 2020 the parties signed an amendment to the purchase and sale agreement to remove the closing condition that the nuclear decommissioning trust fund must have a specified amount and Entergy agreed to contribute $20 million to the nuclear decommissioning trust fund at closing, among other amendments. Pursuant to a subsequent agreement the $20 million was paid to Holtec in September 2021.
In December 2020, Entergy and Holtec submitted a license transfer application to the NRC requesting approval to transfer the Palisades and Big Rock Point licenses from Entergy to Holtec. In February 2021 several parties filed with the NRC petitions to intervene and requests for hearing challenging the license transfer application. In March 2021, Entergy and Holtec filed answers opposing the petitions to intervene and hearing requests, and the petitioners filed replies. In March 2021 an additional party also filed a petition to intervene and request for hearing. Entergy and Holtec filed an answer to the March 2021 petition in April 2021. The NRC issued an order approving the application in December 2021, subject to the NRC’s authority to condition, revise, or rescind the approval order based on the resolution of four pending requests for hearing. These petitions and requests for hearing remained pending with the NRC at the time of the closing of the Palisades transaction. In July 2022 the NRC issued an order granting the Michigan Attorney General’s petition hearing request. The hearing was held in February 2023.
Palisades was shut down in May 2022 and defueled in June 2022. The transaction closed in June 2022. The sale included the transfer of the nuclear decommissioning trust and the asset retirement obligation for spent fuel management and plant decommissioning. The transaction resulted in a gain of $166 million ($130 million net-of-tax) in the second quarter of 2022. See Note 14 to the financial statements for further discussion of the sale of the Palisades plant.
Other Business Activities
In addition, Entergy Wholesale Commodities includes the ownership of interests in non-nuclear power plants that sell the electric power produced by those plants to wholesale customers. Entergy Wholesale Commodities also provides decommissioning-related services to nuclear power plants owned by non-affiliated entities in the United States.
In April 2022, Entergy and Nebraska Public Power District signed an agreement to mutually terminate the management support services contract, under which Entergy provided plant operation support services for the 800 MW Cooper Nuclear Station located near Brownville, Nebraska, effective July 31, 2022.
In October 2022, Entergy sold its 50% membership interest in RS Cogen, L.L.C., an unconsolidated joint venture which owns the RS Cogen plant, to a subsidiary of the other 50% equity partner. Entergy sold its 50% membership interest in RS Cogen, L.L.C. for approximately $5 million with no resulting income statement effect.
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Costs Associated with Exit of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities Business
Entergy incurred approximately $3 million in costs in 2022, $12 million in costs in 2021, and $71 million in costs in 2020 associated with management’s strategy to exit the Entergy Wholesale Commodities merchant power business, primarily employee retention and severance expenses and other benefits-related costs and contracted economic development contributions. See Note 13 to the financial statements for further discussion of these costs.
Entergy Wholesale Commodities incurred $1 million in 2022, $7 million in 2021, and $19 million in 2020 of impairment charges primarily related to nuclear fuel spending and expenditures for capital assets. These costs were charged to expense as incurred as a result of the impaired value of certain of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities nuclear plants’ long-lived assets due to the significantly reduced remaining estimated operating lives associated with management’s strategy to exit the Entergy Wholesale Commodities merchant power business. See Note 14 to the financial statements for further discussion of the impairment charges.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
This section discusses Entergy’s capital structure, capital spending plans and other uses of capital, sources of capital, and the cash flow activity presented in the cash flow statement.
Capital Structure
Entergy’s debt to capital ratio is shown in the following table. The decrease in the debt to capital ratio is primarily due to an increase in equity resulting from the settlement of approximately $870 million of equity forward sales agreements, partially offset by the net issuance of debt in 2022. See Note 7 to the financial statements for discussion of the forward sales agreements and Note 5 to the financial statements for a discussion of long-term debt.
| December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt to capital | 66.9% | 69.5% | |
| Effect of excluding securitization bonds | (0.3%) | (0.1%) | |
| Debt to capital, excluding securitization bonds (non-GAAP) (a) | 66.6% | 69.4% | |
| Effect of subtracting cash | (0.1%) | (0.3%) | |
| Net debt to net capital, excluding securitization bonds (non-GAAP) (a) | 66.5% | 69.1% |
(a)Calculation excludes the Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Texas securitization bonds, which are non-recourse to Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Texas, respectively.
As of December 31, 2022, 18.6% of the debt outstanding is at the parent company, Entergy Corporation, 80.9% is at the Utility, and 0.5% is at Entergy Wholesale Commodities. Net debt consists of debt less cash and cash equivalents. Debt consists of notes payable and commercial paper, finance lease obligations, and long-term debt, including the currently maturing portion. Capital consists of debt, common shareholders’ equity, and subsidiaries’ preferred stock without sinking fund. Net capital consists of capital less cash and cash equivalents. The debt to capital ratio excluding securitization bonds and net debt to net capital ratio excluding securitization bonds are non-GAAP measures. Entergy uses the debt to capital ratios excluding securitization bonds in analyzing its financial condition and believes they provide useful information to its investors and creditors in evaluating Entergy’s financial condition because the securitization bonds are non-recourse to Entergy, as more fully described in Note 5 to the financial statements. Entergy also uses the net debt to net capital ratio excluding securitization bonds in analyzing its financial condition and believes it provides useful information to its investors and creditors in evaluating Entergy’s financial condition because net debt indicates Entergy’s outstanding debt position that could not be readily satisfied by cash and cash equivalents on hand.
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The Utility operating companies and System Energy seek to optimize their capital structures in accordance with regulatory requirements and to control their cost of capital while also maintaining equity capitalization at a level consistent with investment-grade debt ratings. To the extent that their operating cash flows are in excess of planned investments, cash may be used to reduce outstanding debt or may be paid as a dividend to their parent, to the extent funds are legally available to do so, or both, in appropriate amounts to maintain the capital structure. To the extent that their operating cash flows are insufficient to support planned investments, the Utility operating companies and System Energy may issue incremental debt or reduce dividends, or both, to maintain their capital structures. In addition, Entergy may make equity contributions to the Utility operating companies and System Energy to maintain their capital structures in certain circumstances such as financing of large transactions or payments that would materially alter the capital structure if financed entirely with debt and reduced dividends.
Long-term debt, including the currently maturing portion, makes up most of Entergy’s total debt outstanding. Following are Entergy’s long-term debt principal maturities and estimated interest payments as of December 31, 2022. To estimate future interest payments for variable rate debt, Entergy used the rate as of December 31, 2022. The amounts below include payments on System Energy’s Grand Gulf sale-leaseback transaction, which are included in long-term debt on the balance sheet.
| Long-term debt maturities and estimated interest payments | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026-2027 | after 2027 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||||||||||||
| Utility | $2,936 | $2,879 | $1,364 | $3,686 | $23,098 | |||||||||
| Entergy Wholesale Commodities | 141 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| Parent and Other | 99 | 99 | 897 | 1,066 | 3,103 | |||||||||
| Total | $3,176 | $2,978 | $2,261 | $4,752 | $26,201 |
Note 5 to the financial statements provides more detail concerning long-term debt outstanding.
Entergy Corporation has in place a credit facility that has a borrowing capacity of $3.5 billion and expires in June 2027. The facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against $20 million of the total borrowing capacity of the credit facility. The commitment fee is currently 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount. Commitment fees and interest rates on loans under the credit facility can fluctuate depending on the senior unsecured debt ratings of Entergy Corporation. The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 2.97% on the drawn portion of the facility.
As of December 31, 2022, amounts outstanding and capacity available under the $3.5 billion credit facility are:
| Capacity | Borrowings | Letters of Credit | Capacity Available | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||||
| $3,500 | $150 | $3 | $3,347 |
A covenant in Entergy Corporation’s credit facility requires Entergy to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. The calculation of this debt ratio under Entergy Corporation’s credit facility is different than the calculation of the debt to capital ratio above. Entergy is currently in compliance with the covenant and expects to remain in compliance with this covenant. If Entergy fails to meet this ratio, or if Entergy or one of the Registrant Subsidiaries (except Entergy New Orleans) defaults on other indebtedness or is in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, an acceleration of the Entergy Corporation credit facility’s maturity date may occur.
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Entergy Corporation has a commercial paper program with a Board-approved program limit of up to $2 billion. As of December 31, 2022, Entergy Corporation had $827.6 million of commercial paper outstanding. The weighted-average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 2.09%.
Finance lease obligations are a minimal part of Entergy’s overall capital structure. Following are Entergy’s payment obligations under those leases.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026-2027 | after 2027 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||||
| Finance lease payments | $16 | $15 | $13 | $21 | $11 |
Leases are discussed in Note 10 to the financial statements.
Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each had credit facilities available as of December 31, 2022 as follows:
| Company | Expiration Date | Amount of Facility | Interest Rate (a) | Amount Drawn as of December 31, 2022 | Letters of Credit Outstanding as of December 31, 2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas | April 2023 | $25 million (b) | 5.98% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Arkansas | June 2027 | $150 million (c) | 5.55% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Louisiana | June 2027 | $350 million (c) | 7.75% | $50 million | — | |||||
| Entergy Mississippi | April 2023 | $10 million (d) | 5.92% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Mississippi | April 2023 | $45 million (d) | 5.92% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Mississippi | April 2023 | $40 million (d) | 5.92% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Mississippi | July 2024 | $150 million | 5.55% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy New Orleans | June 2024 | $25 million (c) | 6.01% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Texas | June 2027 | $150 million (c) | 5.67% | — | $1.1 million |
(a)The interest rate is the estimated interest rate as of December 31, 2022 that would have been applied to outstanding borrowings under the facility.
(b)Borrowings under this Entergy Arkansas credit facility may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Arkansas’s option.
(c)The credit facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against a portion of the borrowing capacity of the facility as follows: $5 million for Entergy Arkansas; $15 million for Entergy Louisiana; $10 million for Entergy New Orleans; and $30 million for Entergy Texas.
(d)Borrowings under the short-term Entergy Mississippi credit facilities may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Mississippi’s option.
Each of the credit facilities requires the Registrant Subsidiary borrower to maintain a debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. Each Registrant Subsidiary is in compliance with this covenant.
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In addition, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each entered into an uncommitted standby letter of credit facility as a means to post collateral to support its obligations to MISO. Following is a summary of the uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as of December 31, 2022:
| Company | Amount of Uncommitted Facility | Letter of Credit Fee | Letters of Credit Issued as of December 31, 2022 (a) (b) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas | $25 million | 0.78% | $5.6 million | |||
| Entergy Louisiana | $125 million | 0.78% | $20.0 million | |||
| Entergy Mississippi | $65 million | 0.78% | $6.7 million | |||
| Entergy New Orleans | $15 million | 1.63% | $1.0 million | |||
| Entergy Texas | $80 million | 0.875% | $34.8 million |
(a)As of December 31, 2022, letters of credit posted with MISO covered financial transmission rights exposure of $0.2 million for Entergy Mississippi, $0.2 million for Entergy New Orleans, and $2.4 million for Entergy Texas. See Note 15 to the financial statements for discussion of financial transmission rights.
(b)As of December 31, 2022, in addition to the $6.7 million in MISO letters of credit, Entergy Mississippi has $1 million in non-MISO letters of credit outstanding under this facility.
Operating Lease Obligations and Guarantees of Unconsolidated Obligations
Entergy has a minimal amount of operating lease obligations and guarantees in support of unconsolidated obligations. Entergy’s guarantees in support of unconsolidated obligations are not likely to have a material effect on Entergy’s financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Following are Entergy’s payment obligations as of December 31, 2022 on non-cancelable operating leases with a term over one year:
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026-2027 | after 2027 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||||
| Operating lease payments | $62 | $54 | $38 | $43 | $9 |
Leases are discussed in Note 10 to the financial statements.
Other Obligations
Entergy currently expects to contribute approximately $267 million to its pension plans and approximately $42.5 million to other postretirement plans in 2023, although the 2023 required pension contributions will be known with more certainty when the January 1, 2023 valuations are completed, which is expected by April 1, 2023. See “Critical Accounting Estimates - Qualified Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits” below and Note 11 for a discussion of qualified pension and other postretirement benefits funding.
Entergy has $745 million of unrecognized tax benefits net of unused tax attributes plus interest for which the timing of payments beyond 12 months cannot be reasonably estimated due to uncertainties in the timing of effective settlement of tax positions. See Note 3 to the financial statements for additional information regarding unrecognized tax benefits.
In addition, the Registrant Subsidiaries enter into fuel and purchased power agreements that contain minimum purchase obligations. The Registrant Subsidiaries each have rate mechanisms in place to recover fuel, purchased power, and associated costs incurred under these purchase obligations.
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Capital Expenditure Plans and Other Uses of Capital
Following are the amounts of Entergy’s planned construction and other capital investments for 2023 through 2025.
| Planned construction and capital investments | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||||||
| Generation | $1,460 | $2,390 | $3,455 | |||||
| Transmission | 565 | 1,040 | 960 | |||||
| Distribution | 1,440 | 1,795 | 1,770 | |||||
| Utility Support | 480 | 310 | 370 | |||||
| Total | $3,945 | $5,535 | $6,555 |
Planned construction and capital investments refer to amounts Entergy plans to spend on routine capital projects that are necessary to support reliability of its service, equipment, or systems and to support normal customer growth. In addition to routine capital projects, they also refer to amounts Entergy plans to spend on non-routine capital investments for which Entergy is either contractually obligated, has Board approval, or otherwise expects to make to satisfy regulatory or legal requirements. Amounts include the following types of construction and capital investments:
•Investments in generation projects to modernize, decarbonize, and diversify Entergy’s portfolio, including Walnut Bend Solar, West Memphis Solar, Driver Solar, Orange County Advanced Power Station, the St. Jacques Facility, and potential construction of additional generation.
•Investments in Entergy’s Utility nuclear fleet.
•Transmission spending to drive reliability and resilience while also supporting renewables expansion.
•Distribution and Utility Support spending to improve reliability, resilience, and customer experience through projects focused on asset renewals and enhancements and grid stability.
For the next several years, the Utility’s owned and contracted generating capacity is projected to be adequate to meet MISO reserve requirements; however, MISO recently implemented changes to its resource adequacy construct that generally move from an annual to a seasonal design and that change the way that resources are assigned capacity credit. As a result of these changes, there may be seasonal variations in the capacity credit afforded to the Utility operating companies’ resources by MISO. Entergy is monitoring the evolution and application of these rules, which may require the Utility operating companies to procure additional capacity credits from the MISO market and in the longer-term may impact the incremental additional supply resources needed. The Utility’s supply plan initiative will continue to seek to transform its generation portfolio with new generation resources. Opportunities resulting from the supply plan initiative, including new projects or the exploration of alternative financing sources, could result in increases or decreases in the capital expenditure estimates given above. Estimated capital expenditures are also subject to periodic review and modification and may vary based on the ongoing effects of business restructuring, regulatory constraints and requirements, government actions, environmental regulations, business opportunities, market volatility, economic trends, changes in project plans, and the ability to access capital.
While Entergy is still assessing the effect on its planned solar projects, the investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce into potential circumvention of duties and tariffs may result in increased duties or tariffs on imported solar panels and has exacerbated previously existing supply chain disruptions, which have negatively affected the timing and cost of completion of these projects.
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Renewables
Sunflower Solar
In November 2018, Entergy Mississippi announced that it signed an agreement for the purchase of an approximately 100 MW solar photovoltaic facility to be sited on approximately 1,000 acres in Sunflower County, Mississippi. The estimated base purchase price is approximately $138.4 million. The estimated total investment, including the base purchase price and other related costs, for Entergy Mississippi to acquire the Sunflower Solar facility is approximately $153.2 million. The purchase is contingent upon, among other things, obtaining necessary approvals, including full cost recovery, from applicable federal and state regulatory and permitting agencies. The project was being built by Sunflower County Solar Project, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of Recurrent Energy, LLC. In December 2018, Entergy Mississippi filed a joint petition with Sunflower County Solar Project with the MPSC for Sunflower County Solar Project to construct and for Entergy Mississippi to acquire and thereafter own, operate, improve, and maintain the solar facility. Entergy Mississippi proposed revisions to its formula rate plan that would provide for a mechanism, the interim capacity rate adjustment mechanism, in the formula rate plan to recover the non-fuel related costs of additional owned capacity acquired by Entergy Mississippi, including the annual ownership costs of the Sunflower Solar facility. In December 2019 the MPSC approved Entergy Mississippi’s proposed revisions to its formula rate plan to provide for an interim capacity rate adjustment mechanism. Recovery through the interim capacity rate adjustment requires MPSC approval for each new resource. In March 2020, Entergy Mississippi filed supplemental testimony addressing questions and observations raised in August 2019 by consultants retained by the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff and proposing an alternative structure for the transaction that would reduce its cost. In April 2020 the MPSC issued an order approving certification of the Sunflower Solar facility and its recovery through the interim capacity rate adjustment mechanism, subject to certain conditions, including: (i) that Entergy Mississippi pursue a tax equity partnership structure through which the partnership would acquire and own the facility under the build-own-transfer agreement and (ii) that if Entergy Mississippi does not consummate the partnership structure under the terms of the order, there will be a cap of $136 million on the level of recoverable costs. In April 2022, Entergy Mississippi confirmed mechanical completion of the Sunflower Solar facility. Pursuant to the MPSC’s April 2020 order, MS Sunflower Partnership, LLC was formed for the tax equity partnership with Entergy Mississippi as its managing member. In May 2022 both Entergy Mississippi and the tax equity investor made capital contributions to the tax equity partnership that were then used to make an initial payment of $105 million for acquisition of the facility. In July 2022, pursuant to the MPSC’s April 2020 order, Entergy Mississippi submitted a compliance filing to the MPSC with updated calculations of the impact of the Sunflower Solar facility on rate base and revenue requirement for the Sunflower Solar facility and benefits of the tax equity partnership. In November 2022 the MPSC approved Entergy Mississippi’s July 2022 compliance filing and authorized the recovery of the costs of the Sunflower Solar facility through the interim capacity rate adjustment mechanism in the formula rate plan with rates effective in December 2022. Substantial completion of the Sunflower Solar facility was accepted by Entergy Mississippi in September 2022. Also, commercial operation at the Sunflower Solar facility commenced in September 2022. Pending the remediation of certain operational issues, final payment is expected in first quarter 2023. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy Mississippi’s purchase of the Sunflower Solar facility.
Walnut Bend Solar
In October 2020, Entergy Arkansas filed a petition with the APSC seeking a finding that the purchase of the 100 MW Walnut Bend Solar facility is in the public interest. Entergy Arkansas primarily requested cost recovery through the formula rate plan rider. In July 2021 the APSC granted Entergy Arkansas’s petition and approved the acquisition of the resource and cost recovery through the formula rate plan rider. In addition, the APSC directed Entergy Arkansas to file a report within 180 days detailing its efforts to obtain a tax equity partnership. In January 2022, Entergy Arkansas filed its tax equity partnership status report and will file subsequent reports until a tax equity partnership is obtained or a tax equity partnership is no longer sought. Closing was expected to occur in 2022. The counter-party notified Entergy Arkansas that it was terminating the project, though it was willing to consider an alternative for the site. Entergy Arkansas disputed the right of termination. Negotiations are ongoing,
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including with respect to cost and schedule and to updates arising as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, and the updates would require additional APSC approval. At this time, the project, if approved, is expected to achieve commercial operation in 2024.
West Memphis Solar
In January 2021, Entergy Arkansas filed a petition with the APSC seeking a finding that the purchase of the 180 MW West Memphis Solar facility is in the public interest. In October 2021 the APSC granted Entergy Arkansas’s petition and approved the acquisition of the West Memphis Solar facility and cost recovery through the formula rate plan rider. In addition, the APSC directed Entergy Arkansas to file a report within 180 days detailing its efforts to obtain a tax equity partnership. In April 2022, Entergy Arkansas filed its tax equity partnership status report and will file subsequent reports until a tax equity partnership is obtained or a tax equity partnership is no longer sought. Closing had been expected to occur in 2023. In March 2022 the counter-party notified Entergy Arkansas that it was seeking changes to certain terms of the build-own-transfer agreement, including both cost and schedule. In January 2023, Entergy Arkansas filed a supplemental application with the APSC seeking approval for a change in the transmission route and updates to the cost and schedule that were previously approved by the APSC. The project is expected to achieve commercial operation in 2024.
Driver Solar
In April 2022, Entergy Arkansas filed a petition with the APSC seeking a finding that the purchase of the 250 MW Driver Solar facility is in the public interest and requested cost recovery through the formula rate plan rider. The APSC established a procedural schedule with a hearing scheduled in June 2022, but the parties later agreed to waive the hearing and submit the matter to the APSC for a decision consistent with the filed record. In August 2022 the APSC granted Entergy Arkansas’s petition and approved the acquisition of Driver Solar and cost recovery through the formula rate plan rider. In addition, the APSC directed Entergy Arkansas to inform the APSC as to the status of a tax equity partnership once construction is commenced. The parties are evaluating the effects of certain matters related to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, including the viability of a tax equity partnership. The project is expected to achieve commercial operation in 2024.
2021 Solar Certification and the Geaux Green Option
In November 2021, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC seeking certification of and approval for the addition of four new solar photovoltaic resources with a combined nameplate capacity of 475 megawatts (the 2021 Solar Portfolio) and the implementation of a new green tariff, the Geaux Green Option (Rider GGO). The 2021 Solar Portfolio consists of four resources that are expected to provide $242 million in net benefits to Entergy Louisiana’s customers. These resources, all of which would be constructed in Louisiana, include (i) the Vacherie Facility, a 150 megawatt resource in St. James Parish; (ii) the Sunlight Road Facility, a 50 megawatt resource in Washington Parish; (iii) the St. Jacques Facility, a 150 megawatt resource in St. James Parish; and (iv) the Elizabeth Facility, a 125 megawatt resource in Allen Parish. The St. Jacques Facility would be acquired through a build-own-transfer agreement; the remaining resources involve power purchase agreements. The Sunlight Road Facility and the Elizabeth Facility have estimated in service dates in 2024, and the Vacherie Facility and the St. Jacques Facility have estimated in service dates in 2025. The filing proposed to recover the costs of the power purchase agreements through the fuel adjustment clause and the formula rate plan and the acquisition costs through the formula rate plan.
The proposed Rider GGO is a voluntary rate schedule that will enhance Entergy Louisiana’s ability to help customers meet their sustainability goals by allowing customers to align some or all of their electricity requirements with renewable energy from the resources. Because subscription fees from Rider GGO participants would help to offset the cost of the resources, the design of Rider GGO also preserves the benefits of the 2021 Solar Portfolio for non-participants by providing them with the reliability and capacity benefits of locally-sited solar generation at a discounted price.
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In March 2022 direct testimony from Walmart, the Louisiana Energy Users Group (LEUG), and the LPSC staff was filed. Each party recommended that the LPSC approve the resources proposed in Entergy Louisiana’s application, and the LPSC staff witness indicated that the process through which Entergy Louisiana solicited or obtained the proposals for the resources complied with applicable LPSC orders. The LPSC staff and LEUG’s witnesses made recommendations to modify the proposed Rider GGO and Entergy Louisiana’s proposed rate relief. In April 2022 the LPSC staff and LEUG filed cross-answering testimony concerning each other’s proposed modifications to Rider GGO and the proposed rate recovery. Entergy Louisiana filed rebuttal testimony in June 2022. In August 2022 the parties reached a settlement certifying the 2021 Solar Portfolio and approving implementation of Rider GGO. In September 2022 the LPSC approved the settlement. Following the LPSC approval, the St. James Parish council issued a moratorium on new land use permits for solar facilities until the later of March 2023 or the completion of an environmental and economic impact study, which is ongoing. This development may potentially affect the size and final in service dates of the Vacherie and St. Jacques facilities.
Other Generation
Orange County Advanced Power Station
In September 2021, Entergy Texas filed an application seeking PUCT approval to amend Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate the Orange County Advanced Power Station, a new 1,215 MW combined-cycle combustion turbine facility to be located in Bridge City, Texas at an initially-estimated expected total cost of $1.2 billion inclusive of the estimated costs of the generation facilities, transmission upgrades, contingency, an allowance for funds used during construction, and necessary regulatory expenses, among others. The project includes combustion turbine technology with dual fuel capability, able to co-fire up to 30% hydrogen by volume upon commercial operation and upgradable to support 100% hydrogen operations in the future. In December 2021 the PUCT referred the proceeding to the State Office of Administrative Hearings. In March 2022 certain intervenors filed testimony opposing the hydrogen co-firing component of the proposed project and others filed testimony opposing the project outright. Also in March 2022 the PUCT staff filed testimony opposing the hydrogen co-firing component of the proposed project, but otherwise taking no specific position on the merits of the project. The PUCT staff also proposed that the PUCT establish a maximum amount that Entergy Texas may recover in rates attributable to the project. In April 2022, Entergy Texas filed rebuttal testimony addressing and rebutting these various arguments. The hearing on the merits was held in June 2022, and post-hearing briefs were submitted in July 2022. In September 2022 the ALJs with the State Office of Administrative Hearings issued a proposal for decision recommending the PUCT approve Entergy Texas’s application for certification of Orange County Advanced Power Station subject to certain conditions, including a cap on cost recovery at $1.37 billion, the exclusion of investment associated with co-firing hydrogen, weatherization requirements, and customer receipt of any contractual benefits associated with the facility’s guaranteed heat rate. In October 2022 the parties in the proceeding filed exceptions and replies to exceptions to the proposal for decision. Also in October 2022, Entergy Texas filed with the PUCT information regarding a new fixed pricing option for an estimated project cost of approximately $1.55 billion associated with Entergy Texas’s issuance of limited notice to proceed by mid-November 2022. In November 2022 the PUCT issued a final order approving the requested amendment to Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate the Orange County Advanced Power Station without the investment associated with hydrogen co-firing capability, without a cap on cost recovery, and subject to certain conditions, including weatherization requirements and customer receipt of any contractual benefits associated with the facility’s guaranteed heat rate.
In December 2022, Texas Industrial Energy Consumers and Sierra Club filed motions for rehearing of the PUCT’s final order alleging the PUCT erred in granting the certification of the Orange County Advanced Power Station, in not imposing a cost cap, in including certain findings related to the reasonableness of Entergy Texas’s request for proposals from which the Orange County Advanced Power Station was selected, and in other regards. Also in December 2022, Entergy Texas filed a response to the motions for rehearing refuting the points raised therein. In January 2023 the PUCT issued letters noting that it voted to consider Texas Industrial Energy
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Consumers’ motion for rehearing at its upcoming January 2023 open meeting and voted not to consider Sierra Club’s motion for rehearing at an open meeting. At the January 2023 open meeting, the PUCT voted to grant Texas Industrial Energy Consumers’ motion for rehearing for the limited purpose of issuing an order on rehearing that excludes three findings related to Entergy Texas’s request for proposals. The order on rehearing does not change the PUCT’s certification of the Orange County Advanced Power Station or the conditions placed thereon in the PUCT’s November 2022 final order. Entergy Texas also is pursuing environmental permitting that is required prior to the commencement of construction. Subject to receipt of required regulatory approvals, permits, and other conditions, the facility is expected to be in service by mid-2026.
System Resilience and Storm Hardening
Entergy Louisiana
In December 2022, Entergy Louisiana filed an application seeking a public interest finding regarding Phase I of Entergy Louisiana’s Future Ready resilience plan and approval of a rider mechanism to recover the program’s costs. Phase I reflects the first five years of a ten-year resilience plan and includes investment of approximately $5 billion, including hardening investment, transmission dead-end structures, enhanced vegetation management, and telecommunications improvement. A procedural schedule has not yet been adopted in this docket.
Entergy New Orleans
In October 2021 the City Council passed a resolution and order establishing a docket and procedural schedule with respect to system resiliency and storm hardening. The docket will identify a plan for storm hardening and resiliency projects with other stakeholders. In July 2022, Entergy New Orleans filed with the City Council a response identifying a preliminary plan for storm hardening and resiliency projects, including microgrids, to be implemented over 10 years at an approximate cost of $1.5 billion. In February 2023 the City Council approved a revised procedural schedule requiring Entergy New Orleans to make a filing in April 2023 containing a narrowed list of proposed hardening projects, with final comments on that filing due July 2023.
Dividends and Stock Repurchases
Declarations of dividends on Entergy’s common stock are made at the discretion of the Board. Among other things, the Board evaluates the level of Entergy’s common stock dividends based upon earnings per share from the Utility operating segment and the Parent and Other portion of the business, financial strength, and future investment opportunities. At its January 2023 meeting, the Board declared a dividend of $1.07 per share. Entergy paid $842 million in 2022, $775 million in 2021, and $748 million in 2020 in cash dividends on its common stock.
In accordance with Entergy’s stock-based compensation plans, Entergy periodically grants stock options, restricted stock, performance units, and restricted stock unit awards to key employees, which may be exercised to obtain shares of Entergy’s common stock. According to the plans, these shares can be newly issued shares, treasury stock, or shares purchased on the open market. Entergy’s management has been authorized by the Board to repurchase on the open market shares up to an amount sufficient to fund the exercise of grants under the plans.
In addition to the authority to fund grant exercises, the Board has authorized share repurchase programs to enable opportunistic purchases in response to market conditions. In October 2010 the Board granted authority for a $500 million share repurchase program. As of December 31, 2022, $350 million of authority remains under the $500 million share repurchase program. The amount of repurchases may vary as a result of material changes in business results or capital spending or new investment opportunities, or if limitations in the credit markets continue for a prolonged period.
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Sources of Capital
Entergy’s sources to meet its capital requirements and to fund potential investments include:
•internally generated funds;
•cash on hand ($224 million as of December 31, 2022);
•storm reserve escrow accounts;
•debt and equity issuances in the capital markets, including debt issuances to refund or retire currently outstanding or maturing indebtedness;
•bank financing under new or existing facilities or commercial paper; and
•sales of assets.
Circumstances such as weather patterns, fuel and purchased power price fluctuations, and unanticipated expenses, including unscheduled plant outages and storms, could affect the timing and level of internally generated funds in the future. In addition to the financings necessary to meet capital requirements and contractual obligations, the Registrant Subsidiaries expect to continue, when economically feasible, to retire higher-cost debt and replace it with lower-cost debt if market conditions permit.
Provisions within the organizational documents relating to preferred stock or membership interests of certain of Entergy Corporation’s subsidiaries could restrict the payment of cash dividends or other distributions on their common and preferred equity. All debt and preferred equity issuances by the Registrant Subsidiaries require prior regulatory approval and their debt issuances are also subject to issuance tests set forth in bond indentures and other agreements. Entergy believes that the Registrant Subsidiaries have sufficient capacity under these tests to meet foreseeable capital needs for the next twelve months and beyond.
The FERC has jurisdiction over securities issuances by the Utility operating companies and System Energy. The City Council has concurrent jurisdiction over Entergy New Orleans’s securities issuances with maturities longer than one year. The APSC has concurrent jurisdiction over Entergy Arkansas’s issuances of securities secured by Arkansas property, including first mortgage bond issuances. No regulatory approvals are necessary for Entergy Corporation to issue securities. The current FERC-authorized short-term borrowing limits and long-term financing authorization for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy are effective through October 2023. Entergy Arkansas has obtained first mortgage bond/secured financing authorization from the APSC that extends through December 2023. Entergy New Orleans also has obtained long-term financing authorization from the City Council that extends through December 2023. Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy each has obtained long-term financing authorization from the FERC that extends through October 2023 for issuances by the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities. In addition to borrowings from commercial banks, the Registrant Subsidiaries may also borrow from the Entergy System money pool and from other internal short-term borrowing arrangements. The money pool and the other internal borrowing arrangements are inter-company borrowing arrangements designed to reduce Entergy’s subsidiaries’ dependence on external short-term borrowings. Borrowings from internal and external short-term borrowings combined may not exceed the FERC-authorized limits. See Notes 4 and 5 to the financial statements for further discussion of Entergy’s borrowing limits, authorizations, and amounts outstanding.
Equity Issuances and Equity Distribution Program
In January 2021, Entergy entered into an equity distribution sales agreement with several counterparties establishing an at the market equity distribution program, pursuant to which Entergy may offer and sell from time to time shares of its common stock. The sales agreement provides that, in addition to the issuance and sale of shares of Entergy common stock, Entergy may also enter into forward sale agreements for the sale of its common stock. Initially, the aggregate number of shares of common stock sold under this sales agreement and under any forward sale agreement could not exceed an aggregate gross sales price of $1 billion. In May 2022, Entergy increased the aggregate gross sales price authorized under the at the market equity distribution program by $1 billion. Through
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2021 and 2022, Entergy utilized the equity distribution program either to sell or to enter into forward sale agreements with respect to shares of common stock with an aggregate gross sales price of approximately $1 billion, of which approximately $870 million of aggregate gross sales price was the subject of forward sale agreements and was subject to adjustment pursuant to the forward sale agreements. Entergy settled the forward sales agreements in November 2022 for cash proceeds of $853 million. Entergy Corporation currently expects to issue approximately $130 million of equity through 2024. See Note 7 to the financial statements for discussion of the forward sales agreements and common stock issuances and sales under the equity distribution program.
Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, Winter Storm Uri, and Hurricane Ida (Entergy Louisiana)
In August 2020 and October 2020, Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Hurricane Zeta caused significant damage to portions of Entergy Louisiana’s service area. The storms resulted in widespread outages, significant damage to distribution and transmission infrastructure, and the loss of sales during the outages. Additionally, as a result of Hurricane Laura’s extensive damage to the grid infrastructure serving the impacted area, large portions of the underlying transmission system required nearly a complete rebuild.
In October 2020, Entergy Louisiana filed an application at the LPSC seeking approval of certain ratemaking adjustments in connection with the issuance of shorter-term mortgage bonds to provide interim financing for restoration costs associated with Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Hurricane Zeta. Subsequently, Entergy Louisiana and the LPSC staff filed a joint motion seeking approval to exclude from the derivation of Entergy Louisiana’s capital structure and cost rate of debt for ratemaking purposes, including the allowance for funds used during construction, shorter-term debt up to $1.1 billion issued by Entergy Louisiana to fund costs associated with Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Hurricane Zeta costs on an interim basis. In November 2020 the LPSC issued an order approving the joint motion, and Entergy Louisiana issued $1.1 billion of 0.62% Series mortgage bonds due November 2023. Also in November 2020, Entergy Louisiana withdrew $257 million from its funded storm reserves.
In February 2021 two winter storms (collectively, Winter Storm Uri) brought freezing rain and ice to Louisiana. Ice accumulation sagged or downed trees, limbs, and power lines, causing damage to Entergy Louisiana’s transmission and distribution systems. The additional weight of ice caused trees and limbs to fall into power lines and other electric equipment. When the ice melted, it affected vegetation and electrical equipment, causing additional outages. As discussed in the “Fuel and purchased power recovery” section of Note 2 to the financial statements, Entergy Louisiana recovered the incremental fuel costs associated with Winter Storm Uri over a five-month period from April 2021 through August 2021.
In April 2021, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC relating to Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, and Winter Storm Uri restoration costs and in July 2021, Entergy Louisiana made a supplemental filing updating the total restoration costs. Total restoration costs for the repair and/or replacement of Entergy Louisiana’s electric facilities damaged by these storms were estimated to be approximately $2.06 billion, including approximately $1.68 billion in capital costs and approximately $380 million in non-capital costs. Including carrying costs through January 2022, Entergy Louisiana sought an LPSC determination that $2.11 billion was prudently incurred and, therefore, was eligible for recovery from customers. Additionally, Entergy Louisiana requested that the LPSC determine that re-establishment of a storm escrow account to the previously authorized amount of $290 million was appropriate. In July 2021, Entergy Louisiana supplemented the application with a request regarding the financing and recovery of the recoverable storm restoration costs. Specifically, Entergy Louisiana requested approval to securitize its restoration costs pursuant to Louisiana Act 55 financing, as supplemented by Act 293 of the Louisiana Legislature’s Regular Session of 2021.
In August 2021, Hurricane Ida caused extensive damage to Entergy Louisiana’s distribution and, to a lesser extent, transmission systems resulting in widespread power outages. In September 2021, Entergy Louisiana filed an application at the LPSC seeking approval of certain ratemaking adjustments in connection with the issuance of approximately $1 billion of shorter-term mortgage bonds to provide interim financing for restoration costs
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associated with Hurricane Ida, which bonds were issued in October 2021. Also in September 2021, Entergy Louisiana sought approval for the creation and funding of a $1 billion restricted escrow account for Hurricane Ida related restoration costs, subject to a subsequent prudence review.
After filing of testimony by the LPSC staff and intervenors, which generally supported or did not oppose Entergy Louisiana’s requests in regard to Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, Winter Storm Uri, and Hurricane Ida, the parties negotiated and executed an uncontested stipulated settlement which was filed with the LPSC in February 2022. The settlement agreement contained the following key terms: $2.1 billion of restoration costs from Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, and Winter Storm Uri were prudently incurred and were eligible for recovery; carrying costs of $51 million were recoverable; a $290 million cash storm reserve should be re-established; a $1 billion reserve should be established to partially pay for Hurricane Ida restoration costs; and Entergy Louisiana was authorized to finance $3.186 billion utilizing the securitization process authorized by Act 55, as supplemented by Act 293. The LPSC issued an order approving the settlement in March 2022. As a result of the financing order, Entergy Louisiana reclassified $1.942 billion from utility plant to other regulatory assets.
In May 2022 the securitization financing closed, resulting in the issuance of $3.194 billion principal amount of bonds by Louisiana Local Government Environmental Facilities and Community Development Authority (LCDA), a political subdivision of the State of Louisiana. The securitization was authorized pursuant to the Louisiana Utilities Restoration Corporation Act, Part VIII of Chapter 9 of Title 45 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, as supplemented by Act 293 of the Louisiana legislature approved in 2021. The LCDA loaned the proceeds to the LURC. Pursuant to Act 293, the LURC contributed the net bond proceeds to a State legislatively authorized and LURC-sponsored trust, Restoration Law Trust I (the storm trust).
Pursuant to Act 293, the net proceeds of the bonds were used by the storm trust to purchase 31,635,718.7221 Class A preferred, non-voting membership interest units (the preferred membership interests) issued by Entergy Finance Company, LLC, a majority-owned indirect subsidiary of Entergy. Entergy Finance Company is required to make annual distributions (dividends) commencing on December 15, 2022 on the preferred membership interests issued to the storm trust. These annual dividends received by the storm trust will be distributed to Entergy Louisiana and the LURC, as beneficiaries of the storm trust. Specifically, 1% of the annual dividends received by the storm trust will be distributed to the LURC, for the benefit of customers, and 99% will be distributed to Entergy Louisiana, net of storm trust expenses. The preferred membership interests have a stated annual cumulative cash dividend rate of 7% and a liquidation price of $100 per unit. The terms of the preferred membership interests include certain financial covenants to which Entergy Finance Company is subject.
Entergy and Entergy Louisiana do not report the bonds issued by the LCDA on their balance sheets because the bonds are the obligation of the LCDA. The bonds are secured by system restoration property, which is the right granted by law to the LURC to collect a system restoration charge from customers. The system restoration charge is adjusted at least semi-annually to ensure that it is sufficient to service the bonds. Entergy Louisiana collects the system restoration charge on behalf of the LURC and remits the collections to the bond indenture trustee. Entergy Louisiana began collecting the system restoration charge effective with the first billing cycle of June 2022 and the system restoration charge is expected to remain in place up to 15 years. Entergy and Entergy Louisiana do not report the collections as revenue because Entergy Louisiana is merely acting as a billing and collection agent for the LCDA and the LURC. In the remote possibility that the system restoration charge, as well as any funds in the excess subaccount and funds in the debt service reserve account, are insufficient to service the bonds resulting in a payment default, the storm trust is required to liquidate Entergy Finance Company preferred membership interests in an amount equal to what would be required to cure the default. The estimated value of this indirect guarantee is immaterial.
From the proceeds from the issuance of the preferred membership interests, Entergy Finance Company distributed $1.4 billion to its parent, Entergy Holdings Company, LLC, a company wholly-owned and consolidated by Entergy. Subsequently, Entergy Holdings Company liquidated, distributing the $1.4 billion it received from Entergy Finance Company to Entergy Louisiana as holder of 6,843,780.24 units of Class A, 4,126,940.15 units of
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Class B, and 2,935,152.69 units of Class C preferred membership interests. Entergy Louisiana had acquired these preferred membership interests with proceeds from previous securitizations of storm restoration costs. Entergy Finance Company loaned the remaining $1.7 billion from the preferred membership interests proceeds to Entergy which used the cash to redeem $650 million of 4.00% Series senior notes due July 2022 and indirectly contributed $1 billion to Entergy Louisiana as a capital contribution.
Entergy Louisiana used the $1 billion capital contribution to fund its Hurricane Ida escrow account and subsequently withdrew the $1 billion from the escrow account. With a portion of the $1 billion withdrawn from the escrow account and the $1.4 billion from the Entergy Holdings Company liquidation, Entergy Louisiana deposited $290 million in a restricted escrow account as a storm damage reserve for future storms, used $1.2 billion to repay its unsecured term loan due June 2023, and used $435 million to redeem a portion of its 0.62% Series mortgage bonds due November 2023.
As discussed in Note 3 to the financial statements, the securitization resulted in recognition of a reduction of income tax expense of approximately $290 million by Entergy Louisiana. Entergy’s recognition of reduced income tax expense was partially offset by other tax charges resulting in a net reduction of income tax expense of $283 million. In recognition of obligations related to an LPSC ancillary order issued as part of the securitization regulatory proceeding, Entergy Louisiana recorded a $224 million ($165 million net-of-tax) regulatory charge and a corresponding regulatory liability to reflect its obligation to share the benefits of the securitization with customers.
As discussed in Note 17 to the financial statements, Entergy Louisiana consolidates the storm trust as a variable interest entity and the LURC’s 1% beneficial interest is shown as noncontrolling interest in the financial statements. In second quarter 2022, Entergy Louisiana recorded a charge of $31.6 million in other income to reflect the LURC’s beneficial interest in the trust.
In April 2022, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC relating to Hurricane Ida restoration costs. Total restoration costs for the repair and/or replacement of Entergy Louisiana’s electric facilities damaged by Hurricane Ida currently are estimated to be approximately $2.54 billion, including approximately $1.96 billion in capital costs and approximately $586 million in non-capital costs. Including carrying costs of $57 million through December 2022, Entergy Louisiana is seeking an LPSC determination that $2.60 billion was prudently incurred and, therefore, is eligible for recovery from customers. As part of this filing, Entergy Louisiana also is seeking an LPSC determination that an additional $32 million in costs associated with the restoration of Entergy Louisiana’s electric facilities damaged by Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Hurricane Zeta as well as Winter Storm Uri was prudently incurred. This amount is exclusive of the requested $3 million in carrying costs through December 2022. In total, Entergy Louisiana is requesting an LPSC determination that $2.64 billion was prudently incurred and, therefore, is eligible for recovery from customers. As discussed above, in March 2022 the LPSC approved financing of a $1 billion storm escrow account from which funds were withdrawn to finance costs associated with Hurricane Ida restoration. In June 2022, Entergy Louisiana supplemented the application with a request regarding the financing and recovery of the recoverable storm restoration costs. Specifically, Entergy Louisiana requested approval to securitize its restoration costs pursuant to Louisiana Act 55 financing, as supplemented by Act 293 of the Louisiana Legislature’s Regular Session of 2021. In October 2022 the LPSC staff recommended a finding that the requested storm restoration costs of $2.64 billion, including associated carrying costs of $59.1 million, were prudently incurred and are eligible for recovery from customers. The LPSC staff further recommended approval of Entergy Louisiana’s plans to securitize these costs, net of the $1 billion in funds withdrawn from the storm escrow account described above. The parties negotiated and executed an uncontested stipulated settlement which was filed with the LPSC in December 2022. The settlement agreement contains the following key terms: $2.57 billion of restoration costs from Hurricane Ida, Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, and Winter Storm Uri were prudently incurred and were eligible for recovery; carrying costs of $59.2 million were recoverable; and Entergy Louisiana was authorized to finance $1.657 billion utilizing the securitization process authorized by Act 55, as supplemented by Act 293. A procedural motion to consider the uncontested settlement at the December 2022 LPSC meeting did not pass and the settlement was not voted on. In January 2023 an ALJ with the LPSC conducted a settlement hearing to receive the uncontested settlement and supporting testimony into evidence and issued a report
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of proceedings, which allows the LPSC to consider the uncontested settlement without the procedural motion that did not pass in December. In January 2023, the LPSC staff approved the stipulated settlement subject to certain modifications. These modifications include the recognition of accumulated deferred income tax benefits related to damaged assets and system restoration costs as a reduction of the amount authorized to be financed utilizing the securitization process authorized by Act 55, as supplemented by Act 293, from $1.657 billion to $1.491 billion. These modifications do not affect the staff’s conclusion that all system restoration costs sought by Entergy Louisiana were reasonable and prudent. The LPSC order is not yet final and non-appealable due to the forty-five day appeal period. In February 2023 the Louisiana Bond Commission voted to authorize the LCDA to issue the bonds authorized in the LPSC’s financing order; the bond rating and marketing process has yet to occur.
Hurricane Ida (Entergy New Orleans)
In August 2021, Hurricane Ida caused significant damage to Entergy New Orleans’s service area, including Entergy’s electrical grid. The storm resulted in widespread power outages, including the loss of 100% of Entergy New Orleans’s load and damage to distribution and transmission infrastructure, including the loss of connectivity to the eastern interconnection. In September 2021, Entergy New Orleans withdrew $39 million from its funded storm reserves. In June 2022, Entergy New Orleans filed an application with the City Council requesting approval and certification that storm restoration costs associated with Hurricane Ida of approximately $170 million, which included $11 million in estimated costs, were reasonable, necessary, and prudently incurred to enable Entergy New Orleans to restore electric service to its customers and to repair Entergy New Orleans’s electric utility infrastructure. In addition, estimated carrying costs through December 2022 related to Hurricane Ida restoration costs were $9 million. Also, Entergy New Orleans is requesting approval that the $39 million withdrawal from its funded storm reserve in September 2021 and $7 million in excess storm reserve escrow withdrawals related to Hurricane Zeta and prior miscellaneous storms are properly applied to Hurricane Ida storm restoration costs, the application of which reduces the amount to be recovered from Entergy New Orleans customers by $46 million. In November 2022 the City Council adopted a procedural schedule regarding the certification of the Hurricane Ida storm restoration costs in which the hearing officer shall certify the record for City Council consideration no later than August 2023.
Additionally, in February 2022, Entergy New Orleans and the LURC filed with the City Council a securitization application requesting that the City Council review Entergy New Orleans’s storm reserve and increase the storm reserve funding level to $150 million, to be funded through securitization. In August 2022 the City Council’s advisors recommended that the City Council authorize a single securitization bond issuance to fund Entergy New Orleans’s storm recovery reserves to an amount sufficient to: (1) allow recovery of all of Entergy New Orleans’s unrecovered storm recovery costs following Hurricane Ida, subject to City Council review and certification; (2) provide initial funding of storm recovery reserves for future storms to a level of $75 million; and (3) fund the storm recovery bonds’ upfront financing costs. In September 2022, Entergy New Orleans and the City Council’s advisors entered into an agreement in principle, which was approved by the City Council along with a financing order in October 2022, authorizing Entergy New Orleans and the LURC to proceed with a single securitization bond issuance of approximately $206 million (subject to further adjustment and review pursuant to the Final Issuance Advice Letter process set forth in the financing order), with $125 million of that total to be used for interim recovery, subject to City Council review and certification, to be allocated to unrecovered Hurricane Ida storm recovery costs; $75 million of that total to provide for a storm recovery reserve for future storms; and the remainder to fund the recovery of the storm recovery bonds’ upfront financing costs.
In December 2022, Entergy New Orleans and the LURC filed with the City Council the Final Issuance Advice Letter for a securitization bond issuance in the amount of $209.3 million, the final structuring, terms, and pricing of which were approved by the City Council in accordance with the financing order. Also in December 2022, the LCDA issued $209.3 million in bonds pursuant to the Louisiana Electric Utility Storm Recovery Securitization Act, Part V-B of Chapter 9 of Title 45 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, as supplemented by Act 293 of the Louisiana Regular Session of 2021. The LCDA loaned $201.8 million of bond proceeds, net of certain debt service and issuance costs, to the LURC. The LURC used the proceeds to purchase from Entergy New Orleans the
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storm recovery property, which is the right to collect storm recovery charges sufficient to pay the storm recovery bonds and associated financing costs, and Entergy New Orleans deposited $200 million in a restricted storm reserve escrow account as a storm damage reserve for Entergy New Orleans and received directly $1.8 million in estimated upfront financing costs. Subsequently, Entergy New Orleans withdrew $125 million from the newly securitized storm reserve to cover Hurricane Ida storm recovery costs, subject to a final determination from the City Council regarding the prudency of the storm recovery costs.
Entergy and Entergy New Orleans do not report the bonds issued by the LCDA on their balance sheets because the bonds are the obligation of the LCDA, and there is no recourse against Entergy or Entergy New Orleans in the event of a bond default. To service the bonds, Entergy New Orleans collects a storm recovery charge on behalf of the LURC and remits the collections to the bond indenture trustee. Entergy and Entergy New Orleans do not report the collections as revenue because Entergy New Orleans is merely acting as the billing and collection agent for the LURC.
Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Winter Storm Uri (Entergy Texas)
In August 2020 and October 2020, Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta caused extensive damage to Entergy Texas’s service area. In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri also caused damage to Entergy Texas’s service area. The storms resulted in widespread power outages, significant damage primarily to distribution and transmission infrastructure, and the loss of sales during the power outages. In April 2021, Entergy Texas filed an application with the PUCT requesting a determination that approximately $250 million of system restoration costs associated with Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Winter Storm Uri, including approximately $200 million in capital costs and approximately $50 million in non-capital costs, were reasonable and necessary to enable Entergy Texas to restore electric service to its customers and Entergy Texas’s electric utility infrastructure. The filing also included the projected balance of approximately $13 million of a regulatory asset containing previously approved system restoration costs related to Hurricane Harvey. In September 2021 the parties filed an unopposed settlement agreement, pursuant to which Entergy Texas removed from the amount to be securitized approximately $4.3 million that will instead be charged to its storm reserve, $5 million related to no particular issue, of which Entergy Texas would be permitted to seek recovery in a future proceeding, and approximately $300 thousand related to attestation costs. In December 2021 the PUCT issued an order approving the unopposed settlement and determining system restoration costs of $243 million related to Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Winter Storm Uri and the $13 million projected remaining balance of the Hurricane Harvey system restoration costs were eligible for securitization. The order also determines that Entergy Texas can recover carrying costs on the system restoration costs related to Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Winter Storm Uri.
In July 2021, Entergy Texas filed with the PUCT an application for a financing order to approve the securitization of the system restoration costs that are the subject of the April 2021 application. In November 2021 the parties filed an unopposed settlement agreement supporting the issuance of a financing order consistent with Entergy Texas’s application and with minor adjustments to certain upfront and ongoing costs to be incurred to facilitate the issuance and serving of system restoration bonds. In January 2022 the PUCT issued a financing order consistent with the unopposed settlement. As a result of the financing order, Entergy Texas reclassified $153 million from utility plant to other regulatory assets.
In April 2022, Entergy Texas Restoration Funding II, LLC, a company wholly-owned and consolidated by Entergy Texas, issued $290.85 million of senior secured system restoration bonds (securitization bonds). With the proceeds, Entergy Texas Restoration Funding II purchased from Entergy Texas the transition property, which is the right to recover from customers through a system restoration charge amounts sufficient to service the securitization bonds. Entergy Texas began cost recovery through the system restoration charge effective with the first billing cycle of May 2022 and the system restoration charge is expected to remain in place up to 15 years. See Note 5 to the financial statements for a discussion of the April 2022 issuance of the securitization bonds.
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Cash Flow Activity
As shown in Entergy’s Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 were as follows:
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period | $443 | $1,759 | $426 | ||||
| Net cash provided by (used in): | |||||||
| Operating activities | 2,585 | 2,301 | 2,690 | ||||
| Investing activities | (5,710) | (6,179) | (4,772) | ||||
| Financing activities | 2,906 | 2,562 | 3,415 | ||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | (219) | (1,316) | 1,333 | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at end of period | $224 | $443 | $1,759 |
2022 Compared to 2021
Operating Activities
Net cash flow provided by operating activities increased by $284 million in 2022 primarily due to:
•higher collections from Utility customers;
•a decrease of $283 million in storm spending primarily due to Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, Hurricane Ida, and Winter Storm Uri restoration efforts in 2021. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of recent storms;
•proceeds of $202 million received from the LURC in December 2022 from the Entergy New Orleans securitization. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the Entergy New Orleans securitization;
•a decrease of $80 million in severance and retention payments in 2022 as compared to 2021. See Note 13 to the financial statements for a discussion of the severance and retention payments related to Entergy Wholesale Commodities. See “Entergy Wholesale Commodities Exit from the Merchant Power Business” above for a discussion of Entergy Wholesale Commodities’ exit from the merchant power business; and
•a decrease of $70 million in income tax payments in 2022 as compared to 2021. Entergy had net income tax payments in 2022 primarily related to estimated federal and state income taxes. Entergy had net income tax payments in 2021 related to state income taxes and federal estimated taxes, offset by federal income tax refunds received associated with the completion of the 2014-2015 IRS audit.
The increase was partially offset by:
•increased fuel costs. See Note 2 to the financial statements for a discussion of fuel and purchased power cost recovery;
•lower cash from Entergy Wholesale Commodities plant operations in 2022. See “Entergy Wholesale Commodities Exit from the Merchant Power Business” above for a discussion of Entergy Wholesale Commodities’ exit from the merchant power business;
•payments to vendors, including timing and an increase in Utility cost of operations;
•an increase of $114 million in pension contributions in 2022 as compared to 2021. See “Critical Accounting Estimates” below and Note 11 to the financial statements for a discussion of qualified pension and other postretirement benefits funding; and
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•an increase of $59 million in interest paid.
Investing Activities
Net cash flow used in investing activities decreased by $469 million in 2022 primarily due to:
•a decrease of $915 million in distribution construction expenditures primarily due to lower capital expenditures for storm restoration in 2022 and lower spending in 2022 on advanced metering infrastructure, partially offset by higher capital expenditures as a result of increased development in the Utility operating companies’ service areas and increased investment in the reliability and infrastructure of the distribution system;
•a decrease of $326 million in transmission construction expenditures primarily due to lower capital expenditures for storm restoration in 2022, partially offset by a higher scope of work on projects performed in 2022 as compared to 2021; and
•the purchase of the Hardin County Peaking Facility by Entergy Texas in June 2021 for approximately $37 million and the purchase of the Searcy Solar facility by the Entergy Arkansas tax equity partnership in December 2021 for approximately $132 million. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the Hardin County Peaking Facility and the Searcy Solar facility purchases.
The decrease was partially offset by:
•net payments to storm reserve escrow accounts of $369 million in 2022 compared to net receipts from storm reserve escrow accounts of $83 million in 2021;
•an increase of $162 million in nuclear construction expenditures primarily due to increased spending on various nuclear projects in 2022;
•the initial payment of approximately $105 million in May 2022 for the purchase of the Sunflower Solar facility by the Entergy Mississippi tax equity partnership. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the Sunflower Solar facility purchase;
•an increase of $79 million in decommissioning trust fund investment activity;
•an increase of $57 million in nuclear fuel purchases due to variations from year to year in the timing and pricing of fuel reload requirements, materials and services deliveries, and the timing of cash payments during the nuclear fuel cycle; and
•an increase of $52 million in information technology capital expenditures primarily due to increased spending on various technology projects in 2022.
Financing Activities
Net cash flow provided by financing activities increased by $344 million in 2022 primarily due to:
•proceeds from securitization of $3,164 million received by the storm trust at Entergy Louisiana in 2022;
•an increase of $652 million in net sales proceeds from the issuance of common stock under the at the market equity distribution program in 2022 as compared to 2021. See Note 7 to the financial statements for discussion of the equity distribution program; and
•an increase of $53 million in net issuances of commercial paper in 2022 compared to 2021.
The increase was partially offset by long-term debt activity providing approximately $24 million of cash in 2022 compared to providing approximately $3,481 million in 2021 and an increase of $67 million in common stock dividends paid as a result of an increase in the dividend paid per share in 2022 compared to 2021.
See Note 2 to the financial statements for a discussion of the Entergy Louisiana securitization. See Note 4 to the financial statements for details of Entergy’s commercial paper program. See Note 5 to the financial statements for details of long-term debt.
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2021 Compared to 2020
See “MANAGEMENT’S FINANCIAL DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS - Liquidity and Capital Resources - Cash Flow Activity” in Item 7 of Entergy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC on February 25, 2022 for discussion of operating, investing, and financing cash flow activities for 2021 compared to 2020.
Rate, Cost-recovery, and Other Regulation
State and Local Rate Regulation and Fuel-Cost Recovery
The rates that the Utility operating companies charge for their services significantly influence Entergy’s financial position, results of operations, and liquidity. These companies are regulated, and the rates charged to their customers are determined in regulatory proceedings. Governmental agencies, including the APSC, the LPSC, the MPSC, the City Council, and the PUCT, are primarily responsible for approval of the rates charged to customers. Following is a summary of the Utility operating companies’ authorized returns on common equity:
| Company | Authorized Return on Common Equity | |
|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas | 9.15% - 10.15% | |
| Entergy Louisiana | 9.0% - 10.0% Electric; 9.3% - 10.3% Gas | |
| Entergy Mississippi | 9.19% - 11.37% | |
| Entergy New Orleans | 8.85% - 9.85% | |
| Entergy Texas | 9.65% |
The Utility operating companies’ base rate, fuel and purchased power cost recovery, and storm cost recovery proceedings are discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements.
Federal Regulation
The FERC regulates wholesale sales of electricity rates and interstate transmission of electricity, including rates for System Energy’s sales of capacity and energy from Grand Gulf to Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, and Entergy New Orleans pursuant to the Unit Power Sales Agreement. The current return on equity and capital structure of System Energy are currently the subject of complaints filed by certain of the operating companies’ retail regulators. The current return on equity under the Unit Power Sales Agreement is 10.94% for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and Entergy New Orleans, while Entergy Mississippi’s return on equity under the Unit Power Sales Agreement is 9.65% due to the System Energy settlement with the MPSC. Prior to each operating company’s termination of participation in the System Agreement (Entergy Arkansas in December 2013, Entergy Mississippi in November 2015, and Entergy Louisiana, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas, each in August 2016), the Utility operating companies engaged in the coordinated planning, construction, and operation of generating and bulk transmission facilities under the terms of the System Agreement, which was a rate schedule approved by the FERC. Certain of the Utility operating companies’ retail regulators are pursuing litigation involving the System Agreement at the FERC and in federal courts. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the complaints filed with the FERC challenging System Energy’s return on equity and capital structure, System Energy’s treatment of uncertain tax positions and the Grand Gulf sale leaseback arrangement, rates charged under the Unit Power Sales Agreement, LPSC petition for writ of mandamus, prudence of Grand Gulf’s operations and 2012 extended power uprate, System Energy formula rate annual protocols formal challenge concerning 2020 calendar year bills, and the System Energy settlement with the MPSC.
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Market and Credit Risk Sensitive Instruments
Market risk is the risk of changes in the value of commodity and financial instruments, or in future net income or cash flows, in response to changing market conditions. Entergy holds commodity and financial instruments that are exposed to the following significant market risks.
•The commodity price risk associated with the sale of electricity by the Entergy Wholesale Commodities business.
•The interest rate and equity price risk associated with Entergy’s investments in pension and other postretirement benefit trust funds. See Note 11 to the financial statements for details regarding Entergy’s pension and other postretirement benefit trust funds.
•The interest rate and equity price risk associated with Entergy’s investments in nuclear plant decommissioning trust funds. See Note 16 to the financial statements for details regarding Entergy’s decommissioning trust funds.
•The interest rate risk associated with changes in interest rates as a result of Entergy’s outstanding indebtedness. Entergy manages its interest rate exposure by monitoring current interest rates and its debt outstanding in relation to total capitalization. See Notes 4 and 5 to the financial statements for the details of Entergy’s debt outstanding.
The Utility has limited exposure to the effects of market risk because it operates primarily under cost-based rate regulation. To the extent approved by their retail regulators, the Utility operating companies use commodity and financial instruments to hedge the exposure to price volatility inherent in their purchased power, fuel, and gas purchased for resale costs that are recovered from customers.
Entergy’s commodity and financial instruments are also exposed to credit risk. Credit risk is the risk of loss from nonperformance by suppliers, customers, or financial counterparties to a contract or agreement. Entergy is also exposed to a potential demand on liquidity due to credit support requirements within its supply or sales agreements.
Entergy Wholesale Commodities Portfolio
Some of the agreements to sell the power produced by Entergy Wholesale Commodities’ power plants contain provisions that require an Entergy subsidiary to provide credit support to secure its obligations under the agreements. The primary form of credit support to satisfy these requirements is an Entergy Corporation guarantee. Cash and letters of credit are also acceptable forms of credit support. At December 31, 2022, based on power prices at that time, Entergy had liquidity exposure of $8 million under the guarantees in place supporting Entergy Wholesale Commodities transactions and $8 million of posted cash collateral.
Nuclear Matters
Entergy’s Utility business includes the ownership and operation of nuclear generating plants and is, therefore, subject to the risks related to such ownership and operation. These include risks related to: the use, storage, and handling and disposal of high-level and low-level radioactive materials; the substantial financial requirements, both for capital investments and operational needs, including the financial requirements to address emerging issues related to equipment reliability, to position Entergy’s nuclear fleet to meet its operational goals; the performance and capacity factors of these nuclear plants; the risk of an adverse outcome to a challenge to the prudence of operations at Grand Gulf; regulatory requirements and potential future regulatory changes, including changes affecting the regulations governing nuclear plant ownership, operations, license amendments, and decommissioning; the availability of interim or permanent sites for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste, including the fees charged for such disposal; the sufficiency of nuclear decommissioning trust fund assets and earnings to complete decommissioning of each site when required; and limitations on the amounts and types of
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insurance commercially available for losses in connection with nuclear plant operations and catastrophic events such as a nuclear accident.
NRC Reactor Oversight Process
The NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process is a program to collect information about plant performance, assess the information for its safety significance, and provide for appropriate licensee and NRC response. The NRC evaluates plant performance by analyzing two distinct inputs: inspection findings resulting from the NRC’s inspection program and performance indicators reported by the licensee. The evaluations result in the placement of each plant in one of the NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process Action Matrix columns: “licensee response column,” or Column 1, “regulatory response column,” or Column 2, “degraded cornerstone column,” or Column 3, “multiple/repetitive degraded cornerstone column,” or Column 4, and “unacceptable performance,” or Column 5. Plants in Column 1 are subject to normal NRC inspection activities. Plants in Column 2, Column 3, or Column 4 are subject to progressively increasing levels of inspection by the NRC with, in general, progressively increasing levels of associated costs. Continued plant operation is not permitted for plants in Column 5. All of the nuclear generating plants owned and operated by Entergy’s Utility business are currently in Column 1, except Waterford 3, which is in Column 2.
In September 2022 the NRC placed Waterford 3 in Column 2 based on an error associated with a radiation monitor calibration. Entergy corrected the issue with the radiation monitor in February 2022; however, Waterford 3 is expected to remain in Column 2 until third quarter 2023 based on a subsequent radiation monitor calibration issue.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of Entergy’s financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to apply appropriate accounting policies and to make estimates and judgments that can have a significant effect on reported financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. Management has identified the following accounting estimates as critical because they are based on assumptions and measurements that involve a high degree of uncertainty, and the potential for future changes in these assumptions and measurements could produce estimates that would have a material effect on the presentation of Entergy’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
Nuclear Decommissioning Costs
Entergy subsidiaries own nuclear generation facilities in the Utility operating segment. Regulations require Entergy subsidiaries to decommission the nuclear power plants after each facility is taken out of service, and cash is deposited in trust funds during the facilities’ operating lives in order to provide for this obligation. Entergy conducts periodic decommissioning cost studies to estimate the costs that will be incurred to decommission the facilities. The following key assumptions have a significant effect on these estimates.
•Timing - In projecting decommissioning costs, two assumptions must be made to estimate the timing of plant decommissioning. First, the date of the plant’s retirement must be estimated for those plants that do not have an announced shutdown date. The estimate may include assumptions regarding the possibility that the plant may have an operating life shorter than the operating license expiration. Second, an assumption must be made regarding whether all decommissioning activity will proceed immediately upon plant retirement, or whether the plant will be placed in SAFSTOR status. SAFSTOR is decommissioning a facility by placing it in a safe, stable condition that is maintained until it is subsequently decontaminated and dismantled to levels that permit license termination, normally within 60 years from permanent cessation of operations. A change of assumption regarding either the period of continued operation, the use of a SAFSTOR period, or whether Entergy will continue to hold the plant or the plant is held for sale can change the present value of the asset retirement obligation.
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•Cost Escalation Factors - Entergy’s current decommissioning cost studies include an assumption that decommissioning costs will escalate over present cost levels by factors ranging from approximately 2% to 3% annually. A 50-basis point change in this assumption could change the estimated present value of the decommissioning liabilities by approximately 10% to 17%. The timing assumption influences the significance of the effect of a change in the estimated inflation or cost escalation rate because the effect increases with the length of time assumed before decommissioning activity ends.
•Spent Fuel Disposal - Federal law requires the DOE to provide for the permanent storage of spent nuclear fuel, and legislation has been passed by Congress to develop a repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The DOE has not yet begun accepting spent nuclear fuel and is in non-compliance with federal law. The DOE continues to delay meeting its obligation and Entergy’s nuclear plant owners are continuing to pursue damage claims against the DOE for its failure to provide timely spent fuel storage. Until a federal site is available, however, nuclear plant operators must provide for interim spent fuel storage on the nuclear plant site, which can require the construction and maintenance of dry cask storage sites or other facilities. The costs of developing and maintaining these facilities during the decommissioning period can have a significant effect (as much as an average of 20% to 30% of total estimated decommissioning costs). Entergy’s decommissioning studies include cost estimates for spent fuel storage. These estimates could change in the future, however, based on the expected timing of when the DOE begins to fulfill its obligation to receive and store spent nuclear fuel. See Note 8 to the financial statements for further discussion of Entergy’s spent nuclear fuel litigation.
•Technology and Regulation - Over the past several years, more practical experience with the actual decommissioning of nuclear facilities has been gained and that experience has been incorporated into Entergy’s current decommissioning cost estimates. Given the long duration of decommissioning projects, additional experience, including technological advancements in decommissioning, could be gained and affect current cost estimates. In addition, if regulations regarding nuclear decommissioning were to change, this could affect cost estimates.
•Interest Rates - The estimated decommissioning costs that are the basis for the recorded decommissioning liability are discounted to present value using a credit-adjusted risk-free rate. When the decommissioning liability is revised, increases in cash flows are discounted using the current credit-adjusted risk-free rate. Decreases in estimated cash flows are discounted using the credit-adjusted risk-free rate used previously in estimating the decommissioning liability that is being revised. Therefore, to the extent that a revised cost study results in an increase in estimated cash flows, a change in interest rates from the time of the previous cost estimate will affect the calculation of the present value of the revised decommissioning liability.
Revisions of estimated decommissioning costs that decrease the liability also result in a decrease in the asset retirement cost asset. Revisions of estimated decommissioning costs that increase the liability result in an increase in the asset retirement cost asset, which is then depreciated over the asset’s remaining economic life. See Note 9 to the financial statements for further discussion of asset retirement obligations.
Utility Regulatory Accounting
Entergy’s Utility operating companies and System Energy are subject to retail regulation by their respective state and local regulators and to wholesale regulation by the FERC. Because these regulatory agencies set the rates the Utility operating companies and System Energy are allowed to charge customers based on allowable costs, including a reasonable return on equity, the Utility operating companies and System Energy apply accounting standards that require the financial statements to reflect the effects of rate regulation, including the recording of regulatory assets and liabilities. Regulatory assets represent incurred costs that have been deferred because they are probable of future recovery from customers through regulated rates. Regulatory liabilities represent (1) revenue or gains that have been deferred because it is probable such amounts will be returned to customers through future regulated rates or (2) billings in advance of expenditures for approved regulatory programs. See Note 2 to the financial statements for a discussion of rate and regulatory matters, including details of Entergy’s and the Registrant Subsidiaries’ regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities.
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For each regulatory jurisdiction in which they conduct business, the Utility operating companies and System Energy assess whether the regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities continue to meet the criteria for probable future recovery or settlement at each balance sheet date and when regulatory events occur. This assessment includes consideration of recent rate orders, historical regulatory treatment for similar costs, and factors such as changes in applicable regulatory and political environments. If the assessments made by the Utility operating companies and System Energy are ultimately different than actual regulatory outcomes, it could materially affect the results of operations, financial position, and cash flows of Entergy or the Registrant Subsidiaries.
Impairment of Long-lived Assets
Entergy has significant investments in long-lived assets in its Utility operating segment, and Entergy evaluates these assets against the market economics and regulatory conditions under the accounting rules for impairment when there are indications that the carrying amount of an asset or asset group may not be recoverable. This evaluation involves a significant degree of estimation and uncertainty.
In June 2022, Entergy completed its multi-year strategy to shut down and sell each of the plants in Entergy Wholesale Commodities’ merchant nuclear fleet. In the Entergy Wholesale Commodities business, Entergy’s investments in merchant generation assets were subject to impairment if adverse market or regulatory conditions arose, particularly if it led to a decision or an expectation that Entergy would operate or own a plant for a shorter period than previously expected; if there was a significant adverse change in the physical condition of a plant; or, if capital investment in a plant significantly exceeded previously-expected amounts. See Note 14 to the financial statements for a discussion of impairment conclusions related to the Entergy Wholesale Commodities nuclear plants.
If an asset is considered held for use, and Entergy concludes that events and circumstances are present indicating that an impairment analysis should be performed under the accounting standards, the sum of the expected undiscounted future cash flows from the asset are compared to the asset’s carrying value. The carrying value of the asset includes any capitalized asset retirement cost associated with the decommissioning liability; therefore, changes in assumptions that affect the decommissioning liability can increase or decrease the carrying value of the asset subject to impairment for those assets for which a decommissioning liability is recorded. If the expected undiscounted future cash flows exceed the carrying value, no impairment is recorded. If the expected undiscounted future cash flows are less than the carrying value and the carrying value exceeds the fair value, Entergy is required to record an impairment charge to write the asset down to its fair value. If an asset is considered held for sale, an impairment is required to be recognized if the fair value (less costs to sell) of the asset is less than its carrying value.
The expected future cash flows are based on a number of key assumptions, including:
•Future power and fuel prices - Electricity and gas prices can be very volatile. This volatility increases the imprecision inherent in the long-term forecasts of commodity prices that are a key determinant of estimated future cash flows.
•Market value of generation assets - Valuing assets held for sale requires estimating the current market value of generation assets. While market transactions provide evidence for this valuation, these transactions are relatively infrequent, the market for such assets is volatile, and the value of individual assets is affected by factors unique to those assets.
•Future operating costs - Entergy assumes relatively minor annual increases in operating costs. Technological or regulatory changes that have a significant effect on operations could cause a significant change in these assumptions.
•Timing and the life of the asset - Entergy assumes an expected life of the asset. A change in the timing assumption, whether due to management decisions regarding operation of the plant, the regulatory process, or operational or other factors, could have a significant effect on the expected future cash flows and result in a significant effect on operations.
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Management’s Financial Discussion and Analysis
Taxation and Uncertain Tax Positions
Management exercises significant judgment in evaluating the potential tax effects of Entergy’s operations, transactions, and other events. Entergy accounts for uncertain income tax positions using a recognition model under a two-step approach with a more likely-than-not recognition threshold and a measurement approach based on the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement. Management evaluates each tax position based on the technical merits and facts and circumstances of the position, assuming the position will be examined by a taxing authority having full knowledge of all relevant information. Significant judgment is required to determine whether available information supports the assertion that the recognition threshold has been met. Additionally, measurement of unrecognized tax benefits to be recorded in the consolidated financial statements is based on the probability of different potential outcomes. Income tax expense and tax positions recorded could be significantly affected by events such as additional transactions contemplated or consummated by Entergy as well as audits by taxing authorities of the tax positions taken in transactions. Management believes that the financial statement tax balances are accounted for and adjusted appropriately each quarter as necessary in accordance with applicable authoritative guidance; however, the ultimate outcome of tax matters could result in favorable or unfavorable effects on the consolidated financial statements. Entergy’s income taxes, including unrecognized tax benefits, open audits, and other significant tax matters are discussed in Note 3 to the financial statements.
Included in the IRS examination of Entergy’s 2015 tax returns is the tax effect of the October 2015 combination of two Entergy utility companies, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana and Entergy Louisiana. Entergy Louisiana maintained a carryover tax basis in the assets received and the tax consequences provided for an increase in tax basis as well. This resulted in recognition in 2015 of a $334 million permanent difference and income tax benefit, net of the uncertain tax position recorded on the transaction. As discussed in Note 3 to the financial statements, the IRS completed its examination of the 2014 and 2015 tax years and issued its 2014-2015 Revenue Agent Report in November 2020. Entergy Louisiana reversed the provision for uncertain tax positions with respect to the business combination. See additional discussion of the 2014 and 2015 IRS audit in Note 3 to the financial statements.
In addition, as discussed in Note 3 to the financial statements, in 2015, System Energy and Entergy Louisiana adopted a new method of accounting for income tax return purposes in which nuclear decommissioning liabilities are treated as production costs of electricity includable in cost of goods sold. The new method resulted in a reduction of taxable income of $1.2 billion for System Energy and $2.2 billion for Entergy Louisiana in 2015. In the third quarter 2020 the IRS issued Notices of Proposed Adjustment concerning this uncertain tax position allowing System Energy to include $102 million of its decommissioning liability in cost of goods sold and Entergy Louisiana to include $221 million of its decommissioning liability in cost of goods sold. The Notices of Proposed Adjustment will not be appealed.
As a result of System Energy being allowed to include part of its decommissioning liability in cost of goods sold, System Energy and Entergy recorded a deferred tax liability of $26 million in 2020. System Energy also recorded federal and state taxes payable of $402 million in 2020; on a consolidated basis, however, Entergy utilized tax loss carryovers to offset the federal taxable income adjustment and accordingly did not record federal taxes payable as a result of the outcome of this uncertain tax position. The state taxes due were paid in 2021.
As a result of Entergy Louisiana being allowed to include part of its decommissioning liability in cost of goods sold, Entergy Louisiana and Entergy recorded a deferred tax liability of $60 million in 2020. Both Entergy Louisiana and Entergy utilized tax loss carryovers to offset the taxable income adjustment and accordingly did not record taxes payable as a result of the outcome of this uncertain tax position.
The partial disallowance of the uncertain tax position to include the decommissioning liability in cost of goods sold resulted in a $1.5 billion decrease in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits related to federal and state
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taxes for Entergy which were recorded in 2020. Additionally, both System Energy and Entergy Louisiana, in 2020, recorded a reduction to their balances of unrecognized tax benefits for federal and state taxes of $461 million and $1.1 billion, respectively.
See Note 3 to the financial statements for discussion of the effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the federal income tax legislation enacted in December 2017, and see “Income Tax Legislation” above for discussion of the effects of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
Qualified Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits
Entergy sponsors qualified, defined benefit pension plans, including cash balance plans and final average pay plans. Generally, plan participation is determined based on the employee’s most recent date of hire and collective bargaining agreement where applicable. Additionally, Entergy currently provides other postretirement health care and life insurance benefits for substantially all full-time employees whose most recent date of hire or rehire is before July 1, 2014 and who reach retirement age and meet certain eligibility requirements while still working for Entergy.
Entergy’s reported costs of providing these benefits, as described in Note 11 to the financial statements, are affected by numerous factors including the provisions of the plans, changing employee demographics, and various actuarial calculations, assumptions, and accounting mechanisms. Because of the complexity of these calculations, the long-term nature of these obligations, and the importance of the assumptions utilized, Entergy’s estimate of these costs is a critical accounting estimate for the Utility and Entergy Wholesale Commodities segments.
Assumptions
Key actuarial assumptions utilized in determining qualified pension and other postretirement health care and life insurance costs include discount rates, projected healthcare cost rates, expected long-term rate of return on plan assets, rate of increase in future compensation levels, retirement rates, expected timing and form of payments, and mortality rates.
Annually, Entergy reviews and, when necessary, adjusts the assumptions for the pension and other postretirement plans. Every three-to-five years, a formal actuarial assumption experience study that compares assumptions to the actual experience of the pension and other postretirement health care and life insurance plans is conducted. The interest rate environment over the past few years and volatility in the financial equity markets have affected Entergy’s funding and reported costs for these benefits.
Discount rates
In selecting an assumed discount rate to calculate benefit obligations, Entergy uses a yield curve based on high-quality corporate debt with cash flows matching the expected plan benefit payments. In estimating the service cost and interest cost components of net periodic benefit cost, Entergy discounts the expected cash flows by the applicable spot rates.
Projected health care cost trend rates
Entergy’s health care cost trend is affected by both medical cost inflation, and with respect to capped costs under the plan, the effects of general inflation. Entergy reviews actual recent cost trends and projected future trends in establishing its health care cost trend rates.
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Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets
In determining its expected long-term rate of return on plan assets used in the calculation of benefit plan costs, Entergy reviews past performance, current and expected future asset allocations, and capital market assumptions of its investment consultant and some of its investment managers. Entergy conducts periodic asset/liability studies in order to set its target asset allocations.
In 2021, Entergy confirmed its liability-driven investment strategy for its pension assets, which recommended that the target asset allocation adjust dynamically over time, based on the funded status of the plan, to an ultimate allocation of 26% equity securities and 74% fixed income securities. The ultimate asset allocation is expected to be attained when the plan is 110% funded. The target pension asset allocation for 2022 was 65% equity and 35% fixed income securities.
In 2017, Entergy implemented a new asset allocation strategy for its non-taxable and taxable other postretirement assets, based on the funded status of each sub-account within each trust. The new strategy no longer focuses on targeting an overall asset allocation for each trust, but rather a target asset allocation for each sub-account within each trust that adjusts dynamically based on the funded status. The 2022 weighted average target postretirement asset allocation is 42% equity and 58% fixed income securities. See Note 11 to the financial statements for discussion of the current asset allocations for Entergy’s pension and other postretirement assets.
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Costs and Sensitivities
The estimated 2023 and actual 2022 qualified pension and other postretirement costs and related underlying assumptions and sensitivities are shown below:
| Costs | Estimated 2023 | 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||
| Qualified pension cost | $102 | $390.5 (a) | ||
| Other postretirement income | ($13.8) | ($12.6) | ||
| Assumptions | 2023 | 2022 | ||
| Discount rates | ||||
| Qualified pension | ||||
| Service cost | 5.26% | 3.07% | ||
| Interest cost | 5.16% | 2.49% | ||
| Other postretirement | ||||
| Service cost | 5.00% | 3.20% | ||
| Interest cost | 5.09% | 2.31% | ||
| Expected long-term rates of return | ||||
| Qualified pension assets | 7.00% | 6.75% | ||
| Other postretirement - non-taxable assets | 6.00% - 7.00% | 5.75% - 6.75% | ||
| Other postretirement - taxable assets - after tax rate | 5.25% | 4.75% | ||
| Weighted-average rate of increase in future compensation | 3.98% - 4.40% | 3.98% - 4.40% | ||
| Assumed health care cost trend rates | ||||
| Pre-65 retirees | 6.65% | 5.65% | ||
| Post-65 retirees | 7.50% | 5.90% | ||
| Ultimate rate | 4.75% | 4.75% | ||
| Year ultimate rate is reached and beyond | ||||
| Pre-65 retirees | 2032 | 2032 | ||
| Post-65 retirees | 2032 | 2032 |
(a) In 2022, qualified pension cost included settlement costs of $230.4 million.
Actual asset returns have an effect on Entergy’s qualified pension and other postretirement costs. In 2022, Entergy’s actual annual return on qualified pension assets was approximately (18%) and for other postretirement assets was approximately (15%), as compared with the 2022 expected long-term rates of return discussed above.
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The following chart reflects the sensitivity of qualified pension cost and qualified pension projected benefit obligation to changes in certain actuarial assumptions (dollars in millions):
| Actuarial Assumption | Change in Assumption | Impact on 2023 Qualified Pension Cost | Impact on 2022 Qualified Projected Benefit Obligation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase/(Decrease) | ||||||
| Discount rate | (0.25%) | $6 | $150 | |||
| Rate of return on plan assets | (0.25%) | $14 | $— | |||
| Rate of increase in compensation | 0.25% | $5 | $23 |
The following chart reflects the sensitivity of postretirement benefit cost and accumulated postretirement benefit obligation to changes in certain actuarial assumptions (dollars in millions):
| Actuarial Assumption | Change in Assumption | Impact on 2023 Postretirement Benefit Cost | Impact on 2022 Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase/(Decrease) | ||||||
| Discount rate | (0.25%) | $1 | $22 | |||
| Health care cost trend | 0.25% | $3 | $17 |
Each fluctuation above assumes that the other components of the calculation are held constant.
Accounting Mechanisms
In accordance with pension accounting standards, Entergy utilizes a number of accounting mechanisms that reduce the volatility of reported pension costs. Differences between actuarial assumptions and actual plan results are deferred and are amortized into expense only when the accumulated differences exceed 10% of the greater of the projected benefit obligation or the market-related value of plan assets. If necessary, the excess is amortized over the average remaining service period of active employees or the average remaining life expectancy of plan participants if almost all are inactive, as is the case for certain qualified pension plans in which some companies within the Entergy Wholesale Commodities segment participate. Additionally, accounting standards allow for the deferral of prior service costs/credits arising from plan amendments that attribute an increase or decrease in benefits to employee service in prior periods. Prior service costs/credits are then amortized into expense over the average future working life of active employees. Certain decisions, including workforce reductions, plan amendments, and plant shutdowns may significantly reduce the expense amortization period and result in immediate recognition of certain previously-deferred costs and gains/losses in the form of curtailment gains or losses. Similarly, payments made to settle benefit obligations, including lump sum benefit payments, can also result in accelerated recognition in the form of settlement losses or gains.
Entergy calculates the expected return on pension and other postretirement benefit plan assets by multiplying the long-term expected rate of return on assets by the market-related value (MRV) of plan assets. In general, Entergy determines the MRV of its pension plan assets by calculating a value that uses a 20-quarter phase-in of the difference between actual and expected returns and for its other postretirement benefit plan assets Entergy uses fair value.
Accounting standards require an employer to recognize in its balance sheet the funded status of its benefit plans. See Note 11 to the financial statements for a further discussion of Entergy’s funded status.
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Employer Contributions
Entergy contributed $470 million to its qualified pension plans in 2022. Entergy estimates pension contributions will be approximately $267 million in 2023; although the 2023 required pension contributions will be known with more certainty when the January 1, 2023 valuations are completed, which is expected by April 1, 2023.
Minimum required funding calculations as determined under Pension Protection Act guidance, as amended by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, are performed annually as of January 1 of each year and are based on measurements of the assets and funding liabilities as measured at that date. Any excess of the funding liability over the calculated fair market value of assets results in a funding shortfall that must be funded over a fifteen-year rolling period. The Pension Protection Act also imposes certain plan limitations if the funded percentage, which is based on calculated fair market values of assets divided by funding liabilities, does not meet certain thresholds. For funding purposes, asset gains and losses are smoothed into the calculated fair market value of assets. The funding liability is based upon a weighted average 24-month corporate bond rate published by the U.S. Treasury which is generally subject to a corridor of the 25-year average of prior segment rates. Periodic changes in asset returns and interest rates can affect funding shortfalls and future cash contributions.
Entergy contributed $52.8 million to its postretirement plans in 2022 and plans to contribute $42.5 million in 2023.
Other Contingencies
As a company with multi-state utility operations, Entergy is subject to a number of federal and state laws and regulations and other factors and conditions in the areas in which it operates, which potentially subjects it to environmental, litigation, and other risks. Entergy periodically evaluates its exposure for such risks and records a provision for those matters which are considered probable and estimable in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Environmental
Entergy must comply with environmental laws and regulations applicable to air emissions, water discharges, solid waste (including coal combustion residuals), hazardous waste, toxic substances, protected species, and other environmental matters. Under these various laws and regulations, Entergy could incur substantial costs to comply or address any impacts to the environment. Entergy conducts studies to determine the extent of any required remediation and has recorded liabilities based upon its evaluation of the likelihood of loss and expected dollar amount for each issue. Additional sites or issues could be identified which require environmental remediation or corrective action for which Entergy could be liable. The amounts of environmental liabilities recorded can be significantly affected by the following external events or conditions.
•Changes to existing federal, state, or local regulation by governmental authorities having jurisdiction over air quality, water quality, control of toxic substances and hazardous and solid wastes, and other environmental matters.
•The identification of additional impacts, sites, issues, or the filing of other complaints in which Entergy may be asserted to be a potentially responsible party.
•The resolution or progression of existing matters through the court system or resolution by the EPA or relevant state or local authority.
Litigation
Entergy is regularly named as a defendant in a number of lawsuits involving employment, customers, and injuries and damages issues, among other matters. Entergy periodically reviews the cases in which it has been named as defendant and assesses the likelihood of loss in each case as probable, reasonably possible, or remote and
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records liabilities for cases that have a probable likelihood of loss and the loss can be estimated. Given the environment in which Entergy operates, and the unpredictable nature of many of the cases in which Entergy is named as a defendant, the ultimate outcome of the litigation to which Entergy is exposed has the potential to materially affect the results of operations, financial position, and cash flows of Entergy or the Registrant Subsidiaries.
Complaints Against System Energy
System Energy’s operating revenues are derived from the allocation of the capacity, energy, and related costs associated with its 90% ownership/leasehold interest in Grand Gulf. System Energy sells its Grand Gulf capacity and energy to Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, and Entergy New Orleans pursuant to the Unit Power Sales Agreement. System Energy and the Unit Power Sales Agreement are currently the subject of several litigation proceedings at the FERC, including challenges with respect to System Energy’s authorized return on equity and capital structure, renewal of the sale-leaseback arrangement, treatment of uncertain tax positions, a broader investigation of rates under the Unit Power Sales Agreement, and a prudence complaint challenging the extended power uprate completed at Grand Gulf in 2012 and the operation and management of Grand Gulf, particularly in the 2016-2020 time period. The claims in these proceedings include claims for refunds and claims for rate adjustments; the aggregate amount of refunds claimed in these proceedings substantially exceeds the net book value of System Energy. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of these proceedings.
New Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 1 to the financial statements for discussion of new accounting pronouncements.
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ENTERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000065984-22-000017.
Results of Operations
2021 Compared to 2020
Following are income statement variances for Utility, Entergy Wholesale Commodities, Parent & Other, and Entergy comparing 2021 to 2020 showing how much the line item increased or (decreased) in comparison to the prior period.
| Utility | Entergy Wholesale Commodities | Parent & Other (a) | Entergy | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Thousands) | ||||||||||
| 2020 Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Entergy Corporation | $1,800,223 | ($64,951) | ($346,938) | $1,388,334 | ||||||
| Operating revenues | 1,873,960 | (244,705) | 5 | 1,629,260 | ||||||
| Fuel, fuel-related expenses, and gas purchased for resale | 878,372 | 15,357 | (4) | 893,725 | ||||||
| Purchased power | 362,066 | 5,339 | 4 | 367,409 | ||||||
| Other regulatory charges (credits) - net | 97,019 | — | — | 97,019 | ||||||
| Other operation and maintenance | 179,005 | (213,173) | 163 | (34,005) | ||||||
| Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges | — | 237,002 | — | 237,002 | ||||||
| Taxes other than income taxes | 44,050 | (36,121) | (479) | 7,450 | ||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 128,953 | (57,624) | (129) | 71,200 | ||||||
| Other income (deductions) | 75,588 | (87,105) | 9,063 | (2,454) | ||||||
| Interest expense | 43,153 | (9,098) | 14,976 | 49,031 | ||||||
| Other expenses | (1,723) | (85,248) | — | (86,971) | ||||||
| Income taxes | 546,520 | (130,318) | (103,322) | 312,880 | ||||||
| Preferred dividend requirements of subsidiaries and noncontrolling interest | (18,064) | — | (28) | (18,092) | ||||||
| 2021 Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Entergy Corporation | $1,490,420 | ($122,877) | ($249,051) | $1,118,492 |
(a)Parent & Other includes eliminations, which are primarily intersegment activity.
Results of operations for 2021 include a charge of $340 million ($268 million net-of-tax), reflected in “Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges,” as a result of the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center in May 2021. See Note 14 to the financial statements for further discussion of the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center.
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Results of operations for 2020 include resolution of the 2014-2015 IRS audit, which resulted in a reduction in deferred income tax expense of $230 million that includes a $396 million reduction in deferred income tax expense at Utility related to the basis of assets contributed in the 2015 Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana business combination, including the recognition of previously uncertain tax positions, and deferred income tax expense of $105 million at Entergy Wholesale Commodities and $61 million at Parent and Other resulting from the revaluation of net operating losses as a result of the release of the reserves. See Note 3 to the financial statements for further discussion of the IRS audit resolution.
Operating Revenues
Utility
Following is an analysis of the change in operating revenues comparing 2021 to 2020:
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |
| 2020 operating revenues | $9,171 |
| Fuel, rider, and other revenues that do not significantly affect net income | 1,409 |
| Retail electric price | 404 |
| Volume/weather | 55 |
| System Energy provision for rate refund | 25 |
| Return of unprotected excess accumulated deferred income taxes to customers | (19) |
| 2021 operating revenues | $11,045 |
The Utility operating companies’ results include revenues from rate mechanisms designed to recover fuel, purchased power, and other costs such that the revenues and expenses associated with these items generally offset and do not affect net income. “Fuel, rider, and other revenues that do not significantly affect net income” includes the revenue variance associated with these items.
The retail electric price variance is primarily due to:
•an increase in Entergy Arkansas’s formula rate plan rates effective May 2021;
•increases in Entergy Louisiana’s overall formula rate plan revenues, including an interim increase effective April 2020 due to the inclusion of the first-year revenue requirement for the Lake Charles Power Station, an increase in the transmission recovery mechanism effective September 2020, an interim increase effective December 2020 due to the inclusion of the first-year revenue requirement for the Washington Parish Energy Center, and increases in the transmission and distribution recovery mechanisms effective September 2021;
•increases in Entergy Mississippi’s formula rate plan rates effective April 2020, April 2021, and July 2021;
•an interim increase in Entergy New Orleans’s formula rate plan revenues resulting from the recovery of New Orleans Power Station costs, effective November 2020, and a rate increase effective November 2021; and
•the implementation of the generation cost recovery rider, which includes the first-year revenue requirement for the Montgomery County Power Station, effective January 2021, an increase in the transmission cost recovery factor rider effective March 2021, and an increase in the distribution cost recovery factor rider effective March 2021, each at Entergy Texas.
See Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of the regulatory proceedings discussed above.
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Management’s Financial Discussion and Analysis
The volume/weather variance is primarily due to an increase of 3,574 GWh, or 3%, in billed electricity usage, including the effect of more favorable weather on residential sales and an increase in industrial usage, partially offset by a decrease in weather-adjusted residential usage and a decrease in usage during the unbilled sales period. The increase in industrial usage is primarily due to an increase in demand from expansion projects, primarily in the transportation, metals, and chemicals industries, and an increase in demand from cogeneration customers. The decrease in weather-adjusted residential usage was primarily due to the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on prior year usage.
The System Energy provision for rate refund variance is due to a provision for rate refund recorded in 2020 to reflect a one-time credit of $25 million provided for in the Federal Power Act section 205 filing made by System Energy in December 2020. The one-time credit was made in the first quarter 2021. See Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of the proceedings involving System Energy at the FERC.
The return of unprotected excess accumulated deferred income taxes to customers resulted from activity at the Utility operating companies in response to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The return of unprotected excess accumulated deferred income taxes began in second quarter 2018. In 2021, $87 million was returned to customers through reductions in operating revenues as compared to $68 million in 2020. There is no effect on net income as the reductions in operating revenues were offset by reductions in income tax expense. See Note 2 to the financial statements for further discussion of regulatory activity regarding the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Billed electric energy sales for Utility for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 are as follows:
| 2021 | 2020 | % Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (GWh) | |||||||
| Residential | 35,669 | 35,173 | 1 | ||||
| Commercial | 26,818 | 26,466 | 1 | ||||
| Industrial | 49,819 | 47,117 | 6 | ||||
| Governmental | 2,438 | 2,414 | 1 | ||||
| Total retail | 114,744 | 111,170 | 3 | ||||
| Sales for resale | 16,656 | 13,658 | 22 | ||||
| Total | 131,400 | 124,828 | 5 |
See Note 19 to the financial statements for additional discussion of operating revenues.
Entergy Wholesale Commodities
Operating revenues for Entergy Wholesale Commodities decreased from $943 million for 2020 to $698 million for 2021 primarily due to the shutdown of Indian Point 2 in April 2020 and the shutdown of Indian Point 3 in April 2021.
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Following are key performance measures for Entergy Wholesale Commodities for 2021 and 2020:
| 2021 | 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Owned capacity (MW) (a) | 1,205 | 2,246 | |
| GWh billed | 11,328 | 20,581 | |
| Entergy Wholesale Commodities Nuclear Fleet | |||
| Capacity factor | 97% | 93% | |
| GWh billed | 9,836 | 18,863 | |
| Average energy price ($/MWh) | $54.56 | $40.33 | |
| Average capacity price ($/kW-month) | $0.26 | $1.92 | |
| Refueling outage days: | |||
| Palisades | — | 52 |
(a)The reduction in owned capacity is due to the shutdown of the 1,041 MW Indian Point 3 plant in April 2021.
Other Income Statement Items
Utility
Other operation and maintenance expenses increased from $2,478 million for 2020 to $2,657 million for 2021 primarily due to:
•an increase of $49 million in compensation and benefits costs in 2021 primarily due to higher incentive-based compensation accruals in 2021 as compared to prior year, lower healthcare claims activity in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in healthcare cost rates, and an increase in net periodic pension and other postretirement benefits costs as a result of a decrease in the discount rate used to value the benefit liabilities. See “Critical Accounting Estimates” below and Note 11 to the financial statements for further discussion of pension and other postretirement benefit costs;
•an increase of $28 million in distribution operations expenses primarily due to higher reliability costs;
•an increase of $27 million primarily due to an increase in contract costs related to customer solutions and sustainability initiatives, including customer service center support and enhanced customer billing;
•an increase of $20 million in non-nuclear generation expenses primarily due to higher expenses associated with plants placed in service, including the Lake Charles Power Station, which began commercial operation in March 2020; the New Orleans Power Station, which began commercial operation in May 2020; the Washington Parish Energy Center, purchased in November 2020; and the Montgomery County Power Station, which began commercial operation in January 2021;
•an increase of $16 million in nuclear generation expenses primarily due to higher nuclear labor costs, including contract labor, and a higher scope of work performed in 2021 as compared to 2020;
•an increase of $15 million as a result of the amount of transmission costs allocated by MISO. See Note 2 to the financial statements for further information on the recovery of these costs;
•the effects of recording final judgments to resolve claims in the Waterford 3 damages case and the Grand Gulf damages case in 2020 and the River Bend damages case in 2021, each against the DOE related to spent nuclear fuel storage costs. The damages awarded include the reimbursement of approximately $18 million in 2020 of spent nuclear fuel storage costs previously recorded as other operation and maintenance expense compared to the reimbursement of approximately $4 million in 2021. See Note 8 to the financial statements for discussion of the spent nuclear fuel litigation;
•lower nuclear insurance refunds of $13 million; and
•several individually insignificant items.
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The increase was partially offset by a decrease of $19 million in meter reading expenses as a result of the deployment of advanced metering systems and a gain of $15 million, recorded in 2021, on the sale of a pipeline.
Taxes other than income taxes increased primarily due to increases in ad valorem taxes resulting from higher assessments and increases in franchise taxes resulting from an increase in revenue collected.
Depreciation and amortization expenses increased primarily due to additions to plant in service, including the Lake Charles Power Station, the Montgomery County Power Station, and the Washington Parish Energy Center.
Other regulatory charges (credits) - net includes:
•regulatory charges of $44 million, recorded in the fourth quarter 2020 at Entergy Arkansas, to reflect the 2019 historical year netting adjustment included in the APSC’s December 2020 order in the 2020 formula rate plan proceeding. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy Arkansas’s 2020 formula rate plan filing;
•regulatory credits of $47 million, recorded in 2020 at Entergy Arkansas, to reflect the amortization of the 2018 historical year netting adjustment reflected in the 2019 formula rate plan filing. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy Arkansas’s 2019 formula rate plan filing;
•the reversal in 2021 of the remaining $39 million regulatory liability for Entergy Arkansas’s 2019 historical year netting adjustment as part of its 2020 formula rate plan proceeding. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy Arkansas’s 2020 formula rate plan filing;
•regulatory charges of $33 million, recorded in the fourth quarter 2020 at Entergy Louisiana, due to a settlement with the IRS related to the uncertain tax position regarding Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita Louisiana Act 55 financing because the savings will be shared with customers. See Note 3 to the financial statements for further discussion of the settlement and savings obligation;
•regulatory charges of $29 million, recorded in the first quarter 2020 at Entergy Louisiana, due to a settlement with the IRS related to the uncertain tax position regarding the Hurricane Isaac Louisiana Act 55 financing because the savings will be shared with customers. See Note 3 to the financial statements for further discussion of the settlement and savings obligation;
•regulatory credits of $20 million, recorded in the second quarter 2021 at Entergy Mississippi, to reflect the effects of the joint stipulation reached in the 2021 formula rate plan filing proceeding. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy Mississippi’s 2021 formula rate plan filing; and
•regulatory credits of $19 million, recorded in the fourth quarter 2021 at Entergy Mississippi, to reflect that the 2021 earned return is below the formula bandwidth. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of Entergy Mississippi’s formula rate plan filings.
In addition, Entergy records a regulatory charge or credit for the difference between asset retirement obligation-related expenses and nuclear decommissioning trust earnings plus asset retirement obligation related costs collected in revenue.
Other income increased primarily due to changes in decommissioning trust fund activity, including portfolio rebalancing of the decommissioning trust funds in 2021, partially offset by a decrease in the allowance for equity funds used during construction due to higher construction work in progress in 2020, including the Lake Charles Power Station project and the Montgomery County Power Station project.
Interest expense increased primarily due to:
•the issuances by Entergy Louisiana of $1.1 billion of 0.62% Series mortgage bonds, $300 million of 2.90% Series mortgage bonds, and $300 million of 1.60% Series mortgage bonds, each in November 2020;
•the issuances by Entergy Louisiana of $500 million of 2.35% Series mortgage bonds and $500 million of 3.10% Series mortgage bonds, each in March 2021;
•the issuance by Entergy Louisiana of $1 billion of 0.95% Series mortgage bonds in October 2021;
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•the issuance by Entergy Mississippi of $170 million of 3.50% Series mortgage bonds in May 2020 and an additional $200 million in a reopening of the same series in March 2021; and
•a decrease in the allowance for borrowed funds used during construction due to higher construction work in progress in 2020, including the Lake Charles Power Station project and the Montgomery County Power Station project.
The increase was partially offset by the repayments by Entergy Louisiana of $200 million of 5.25% Series mortgage bonds and $100 million of 4.70% Series mortgage bonds, each in December 2020 and the repayment by Entergy Louisiana of $200 million of 4.8% Series mortgage bonds in May 2021.
See Note 5 to the financial statements for a discussion of long-term debt.
Noncontrolling interest reflects the earnings or losses attributable to the noncontrolling interest partner of Entergy Arkansas’s tax equity partnership for the Searcy Solar facility under HLBV accounting. Entergy Arkansas has recorded a regulatory charge of $18 million in 2021 to defer the difference between the losses allocated to the tax equity partner under the HLBV method of accounting and the earnings/loss that would have been allocated to the tax equity partner under its respective ownership percentage in the partnership. See Note 1 to the financial statements for discussion of the HLBV method of accounting.
Entergy Wholesale Commodities
Other operation and maintenance expenses decreased from $500 million for 2020 to $287 million for 2021 primarily due to:
•a decrease of $162 million resulting from the absence of expenses from Indian Point 2, after it was shut down in April 2020, and Indian Point 3, after it was shut down in April 2021; and
•a decrease of $53 million in severance and retention expenses. Severance and retention expenses were incurred in 2021 and 2020 due to management’s strategy to exit the Entergy Wholesale Commodities merchant power business.
See “Entergy Wholesale Commodities Exit from the Merchant Power Business” below for a discussion of management’s strategy to shut down and sell all of the remaining plants in Entergy Wholesale Commodities’ merchant nuclear fleet. See Note 13 to the financial statements for further discussion of severance and retention expenses.
Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges for 2021 include a charge of $340 million ($268 million net-of-tax) as a result of the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center in May 2021, partially offset by the effect of recording in 2021 a final judgment in the amount of $83 million ($66 million net-of-tax) to resolve the Indian Point 2 third round and Indian Point 3 second round combined damages case against the DOE related to spent nuclear fuel storage costs. Asset write-offs, impairments, and related charges for 2020 include impairment charges of $19 million ($15 million net-of-tax) primarily as a result of expenditures for capital assets. These costs were charged to expense as incurred as a result of the impaired fair value of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities nuclear plants’ long-lived assets due to the significantly reduced remaining estimated operating lives associated with management’s strategy to exit the Entergy Wholesale Commodities merchant power business. See “Entergy Wholesale Commodities Exit from the Merchant Power Business” below for a discussion of management’s strategy to shut down and sell all of the remaining plants in Entergy Wholesale Commodities’ merchant nuclear fleet. See Note 14 to the financial statements for a discussion of the impairment of long-lived assets and the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center. See Note 8 to the financial statements for further discussion of spent nuclear fuel litigation.
Taxes other than income taxes decreased primarily due to lower ad valorem taxes and lower payroll taxes.
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Depreciation and amortization expenses decreased primarily due to:
•the absence of depreciation expense from Indian Point 2, after it was shut down in April 2020, and from Indian Point 3, after it was shut down in April 2021; and
•the effect of recording in 2021 a final judgment to resolve claims in the Palisades damages case against the DOE related to spent nuclear fuel storage costs. The damages awarded included $9 million of spent nuclear fuel storage costs previously recorded as depreciation expense. See Note 8 to the financial statements for discussion of spent nuclear fuel litigation.
Other income decreased primarily due to lower gains on decommissioning trust fund investments including the absence of earnings from nuclear decommissioning trust funds that were transferred in the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center in May 2021. The decrease was partially offset by lower non-service pension costs. See Notes 15 and 16 to the financial statements for a discussion of decommissioning trust fund investments. See Note 14 to the financial statements for a discussion of the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center. See Note 11 to the financial statements for a discussion of pension and other postretirement benefits costs.
Other expenses decreased primarily due to the absence of decommissioning expense from Indian Point 2 and Indian Point 3, after the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center in May 2021. See Note 14 to the financial statements for a discussion of the sale of the Indian Point Energy Center.
Income Taxes
The effective income tax rates were 14.6% for 2021 and (9.5%) for 2020. See Note 3 to the financial statements for a reconciliation of the federal statutory rate of 21% to the effective income tax rates, and for additional discussion regarding income taxes.
2020 Compared to 2019
See “MANAGEMENT’S FINANCIAL DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS - Results of Operations” in Item 7 of Entergy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on February 26, 2021 for discussion of results of operations for 2020 compared to 2019.
Entergy Wholesale Commodities Exit from the Merchant Power Business
Entergy sold its FitzPatrick plant to Exelon in March 2017 and, as discussed below, transferred its Vermont Yankee plant to NorthStar in January 2019, sold its Pilgrim plant to Holtec in August 2019, and sold its Indian Point plants to Holtec in May 2021. Entergy also sold the Rhode Island State Energy Center, a natural gas-fired combined cycle generating plant, in December 2015. As of December 31, 2021, Entergy Wholesale Commodities’ only remaining operating nuclear plant is the 811 MW Palisades plant, which is under contract to be sold, subject to certain conditions, after it is shut down in May 2022.
These plant sales and the contract to sell Palisades are the result of a strategy that Entergy has undertaken to manage and reduce the risk of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities business, including exiting the merchant power business. Management evaluated the challenges for each of the plants based on a variety of factors such as their market for both energy and capacity, their size, their contracted positions, and the amount of investment required to continue to operate and maintain the safety and integrity of the plants, including the estimated asset retirement costs.
Entergy Wholesale Commodities also includes the ownership of Big Rock Point, a non-operating nuclear facility in Michigan, that was acquired when Entergy purchased the Palisades nuclear plant. Big Rock Point is under contract to be sold with the Palisades plant. In addition, Entergy Wholesale Commodities provides operations and management services, including decommissioning-related services, to nuclear power plants owned by non-affiliated entities in the United States. A relatively minor portion of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities business
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is the ownership of interests in non-nuclear power plants that sell the electric power produced by those plants to wholesale customers.
Shutdown and Disposition of Vermont Yankee
On December 29, 2014, the Vermont Yankee plant ceased power production and entered its decommissioning phase. In November 2016, Entergy entered into an agreement to transfer 100% of the membership interests in Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC to a subsidiary of NorthStar. Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee was the owner of the Vermont Yankee plant. The transaction included the transfer of the nuclear decommissioning trust fund and the asset retirement obligation for the spent fuel management and decommissioning of the plant.
In March 2018, Entergy and NorthStar entered into a settlement agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding with State of Vermont agencies and other interested parties that set forth the terms on which the agencies and parties supported the Vermont Public Utility Commission’s approval of the transaction. The agreements provided additional financial assurance for decommissioning, spent fuel management and site restoration, and detailed the site restoration standards. In October 2018 the NRC issued an order approving the application to transfer Vermont Yankee’s license to NorthStar for decommissioning. In December 2018 the Vermont Public Utility Commission issued an order approving the transaction consistent with the Memorandum of Understanding’s terms. On January 11, 2019, Entergy and NorthStar closed the transaction.
Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee had an outstanding credit facility that was used to pay for dry fuel storage costs. This credit facility was guaranteed by Entergy Corporation. A subsidiary of Entergy assumed the obligations under the credit facility, and it remains outstanding. At the closing of the sale transaction, NorthStar caused Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, renamed NorthStar Vermont Yankee, to issue a $139 million promissory note to the Entergy subsidiary that assumed the credit facility obligations. The amount of the note includes the balance outstanding on the credit facility, as well as borrowing fees and costs incurred by Entergy in connection with the credit facility.
See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the closing of the Vermont Yankee transaction.
Shutdown and Sale of Pilgrim
In October 2015, Entergy determined that it would close the Pilgrim plant, and Pilgrim ceased operations in May 2019. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the impairment charges associated with the decision to cease operations earlier than expected.
On July 30, 2018, Entergy entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Holtec International to sell to a Holtec subsidiary 100% of the equity interests in Entergy Nuclear Generation Company, LLC, the owner of Pilgrim, for $1,000 (subject to adjustments for net liabilities and other amounts). On August 22, 2019, the NRC approved the transfer of Pilgrim’s facility licenses to Holtec. On August 26, 2019, Entergy and Holtec closed the transaction.
The sale of Entergy Nuclear Generation Company, LLC to Holtec included the transfer of the nuclear decommissioning trust and obligation for spent fuel management and plant decommissioning. The transaction resulted in a loss of $190 million ($156 million net-of-tax) in 2019. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the closing of the Pilgrim transaction.
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Shutdown and Sale of Indian Point 2 and Indian Point 3
In April 2007, Entergy submitted to the NRC a joint application to renew the operating licenses for Indian Point 2 and Indian Point 3 for an additional 20 years. In January 2017, Entergy reached a settlement with New York State, several State agencies, and Riverkeeper, Inc., under which Indian Point 2 and Indian Point 3 would cease commercial operation by April 30, 2020 and April 30, 2021, respectively, subject to certain conditions, including New York State’s withdrawal of opposition to Indian Point’s license renewals and issuance of contested permits and similar authorizations. In September 2018 the NRC issued renewed operating licenses for Indian Point 2 through April 2024 and for Indian Point 3 through April 2025. Pursuant to the January 2017 settlement agreement, Indian Point 2 ceased commercial operations on April 30, 2020, and Indian Point 3 ceased commercial operations on April 30, 2021. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the impairment charges associated with the decision to shut down the Indian Point plants.
In April 2019, Entergy entered into an agreement to sell, directly or indirectly, 100% of the equity interests in the subsidiaries that own Indian Point 1, Indian Point 2, and Indian Point 3 to a Holtec subsidiary for decommissioning the plants. In November 2019, Entergy and Holtec submitted a license transfer application to the NRC. The NRC issued an order approving the application in November 2020, subject to the NRC’s authority to condition, revise, or rescind the approval order based on the resolution of four pending hearing requests. In January 2021 the NRC issued an order denying all four hearing requests challenging the license transfer application. In January 2021, New York State filed a petition for review with the D.C. Circuit asking the court to vacate the NRC’s January 2021 order denying the State’s hearing request, as well as the NRC’s November 2020 order approving the license transfers. In March 2021 additional parties also filed petitions for review with the D.C. Circuit seeking review of the same NRC orders. In March 2021 the court consolidated all of the appeals into the same proceeding. Pursuant to an April 2021 settlement among Entergy, Holtec, New York State, and several other parties, discussed below, all petitioners to the D.C. Circuit proceeding withdrew their pending appeals, and the court terminated the consolidated proceeding in June 2021.
In November 2019, Entergy and Holtec also submitted a petition to the New York State Public Service Commission (NYPSC) seeking an order from the NYPSC disclaiming jurisdiction or abstaining from review of the transaction or, alternatively, approving the transaction. Closing was also conditioned on obtaining from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation an agreement related to Holtec’s decommissioning plan as being consistent with applicable standards. In April 2021, Entergy and Holtec filed a joint settlement proposal with the NYPSC that resolved all issues among all parties, including financial assurance, site restoration, financial reporting, continued funding for state and local emergency management and response activities, a memorandum of understanding with local taxing jurisdictions, and the dismissal of the federal appeals described in the preceding paragraph. In May 2021 the NYPSC approved the joint settlement proposal and the transaction.
The transaction closed in May 2021. The sale included the transfer of the licenses, spent fuel, decommissioning liabilities, and nuclear decommissioning trusts for the three units. The transaction resulted in a charge of $340 million ($268 million net-of-tax) in the second quarter of 2021. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the closing of the Indian Point transaction.
Planned Shutdown and Sale of Palisades
Almost all of the Palisades output is sold under a power purchase agreement with Consumers Energy, entered into when the plant was acquired in 2007, that is scheduled to expire in 2022. The PPA prices currently exceed market prices. In December 2016, Entergy reached an agreement with Consumers Energy to amend the existing PPA to terminate early, on May 31, 2018. Pursuant to the agreement to amend the PPA, Consumers Energy would pay Entergy $172 million for the early termination of the PPA. The PPA amendment agreement was subject to regulatory approvals, including approval by the Michigan Public Service Commission. Separately, Entergy intended to shut down the Palisades nuclear power plant permanently on October 1, 2018, after refueling in the spring of 2017 and operating through the end of that fuel cycle.
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In September 2017 the Michigan Public Service Commission issued an order conditionally approving the PPA amendment transaction, but only granting Consumers Energy recovery of $136.6 million of the $172 million requested early termination payment. As a result, Entergy and Consumers Energy agreed to terminate the PPA amendment agreement. Entergy continues to operate Palisades under the existing PPA with Consumers Energy, instead of shutting down in the fall of 2018 as previously planned. Entergy intends to shut down the Palisades nuclear power plant permanently no later than May 31, 2022. As a result of the increase in the expected operating life of the plant, the expected probability-weighted undiscounted net cash flows as of September 30, 2017 exceeded the carrying value of the plant and related assets. Accordingly, nuclear fuel spending, nuclear refueling outage spending, and expenditures for capital assets incurred at Palisades after September 30, 2017 are no longer charged to expense as incurred, but recorded as assets and depreciated or amortized, subject to the typical periodic impairment reviews prescribed in the accounting rules.
On July 30, 2018, Entergy entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Holtec International to sell to a Holtec subsidiary 100% of the equity interests in the subsidiary that owns Palisades and the Big Rock Point Site. The sale will include the transfer of the nuclear decommissioning trust and obligation for spent fuel management and plant decommissioning. In February 2020 the parties signed an amendment to the purchase and sale agreement to remove the closing condition that the nuclear decommissioning trust fund must have a specified amount and Entergy agreed to contribute $20 million to the nuclear decommissioning trust fund at closing, among other amendments. Pursuant to a subsequent agreement the $20 million was paid to Holtec in September 2021. At the closing of the sale transaction, the Holtec subsidiary will pay $1,000 (subject to adjustment for net liabilities and other amounts) for the equity interests in the subsidiary that owns Palisades and the Big Rock Point Site.
The Palisades transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, including: the permanent shutdown of Palisades and the transfer of all nuclear fuel from the reactor vessel to the spent nuclear fuel pool; NRC regulatory approval for the transfer of the Palisades and Big Rock Point operating and independent spent fuel storage installation licenses; receipt of a favorable private letter ruling from the IRS; and, the Pilgrim transaction having closed. In December 2020, Entergy and Holtec submitted a license transfer application to the NRC requesting approval to transfer the Palisades and Big Rock Point licenses from Entergy to Holtec. In February 2021 several parties filed with the NRC petitions to intervene and requests for hearing challenging the license transfer application. In March 2021, Entergy and Holtec filed answers opposing the petitions to intervene and hearing requests, and the petitioners filed replies. In March 2021 an additional party also filed a petition to intervene and request for hearing. Entergy and Holtec filed an answer to the March 2021 petition in April 2021. The NRC issued an order approving the application in December 2021, subject to the NRC’s authority to condition, revise, or rescind the approval order based on the resolution of four pending requests for hearing. In January 2022, Holtec submitted a supplement to the approved license transfer application to the NRC to reflect changes to Holtec’s planned decommissioning organizational structure for Palisades.
Subject to the above conditions, the Palisades transaction is expected to close in mid-2022. As of December 31, 2021, Entergy’s adjusted net investment in Palisades was ($50) million. The primary variables in the ultimate loss or gain that Entergy will incur on the transaction are the values of the nuclear decommissioning trust and the asset retirement obligations at closing, the financial results from plant operations until the closing, and the level of any unrealized deferred tax balances at closing. Palisades completed its final refueling outage in October 2020.
Costs Associated with Exit of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities Business
Entergy incurred approximately $12 million in costs in 2021, $71 million in costs in 2020, and $91 million in costs in 2019 associated with management’s strategy to exit the Entergy Wholesale Commodities merchant power business, primarily employee retention and severance expenses and other benefits-related costs, and contracted economic development contributions. Entergy expects to incur employee retention and severance
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expenses of approximately $5 million in 2022 associated with the exit from the merchant power business. See Note 13 to the financial statements for further discussion of these costs.
Entergy Wholesale Commodities incurred $5 million in 2021, $19 million in 2020, and $100 million in 2019 of impairment charges related to nuclear fuel spending, nuclear refueling outage spending, expenditures for capital assets, and asset retirement obligation revisions. These costs were charged to expense as incurred as a result of the impaired value of certain of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities nuclear plants’ long-lived assets due to the significantly reduced remaining estimated operating lives associated with management’s strategy to exit the Entergy Wholesale Commodities merchant power business. See Note 14 to the financial statements for further discussion of the impairment charges.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
This section discusses Entergy’s capital structure, capital spending plans and other uses of capital, sources of capital, and the cash flow activity presented in the cash flow statement.
Capital Structure
Entergy’s debt to capital ratio is shown in the following table. The increase in the debt to capital ratio is primarily due to the net issuance of debt in 2021. See Note 5 to the financial statements for a discussion of long-term debt.
| December 31, 2021 | December 31, 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt to capital | 69.5% | 68.3% | |
| Effect of excluding securitization bonds | (0.1%) | (0.2%) | |
| Debt to capital, excluding securitization bonds (a) | 69.4% | 68.1% | |
| Effect of subtracting cash | (0.3%) | (1.7%) | |
| Net debt to net capital, excluding securitization bonds (a) | 69.1% | 66.4% |
(a)Calculation excludes the New Orleans and Texas securitization bonds, which are non-recourse to Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Texas, respectively.
As of December 31, 2021, 22.2% of the debt outstanding is at the parent company, Entergy Corporation, 77.3% is at the Utility, and 0.5% is at Entergy Wholesale Commodities. Net debt consists of debt less cash and cash equivalents. Debt consists of notes payable and commercial paper, finance lease obligations, and long-term debt, including the currently maturing portion. Capital consists of debt, common shareholders’ equity, and subsidiaries’ preferred stock without sinking fund. Net capital consists of capital less cash and cash equivalents. Entergy uses the debt to capital ratios excluding securitization bonds in analyzing its financial condition and believes they provide useful information to its investors and creditors in evaluating Entergy’s financial condition because the securitization bonds are non-recourse to Entergy, as more fully described in Note 5 to the financial statements. Entergy also uses the net debt to net capital ratio excluding securitization bonds in analyzing its financial condition and believes it provides useful information to its investors and creditors in evaluating Entergy’s financial condition because net debt indicates Entergy’s outstanding debt position that could not be readily satisfied by cash and cash equivalents on hand.
The Utility operating companies and System Energy seek to optimize their capital structures in accordance with regulatory requirements and to control their cost of capital while also maintaining equity capitalization at a level consistent with investment-grade debt ratings. To the extent that their operating cash flows are in excess of planned investments, cash may be used to reduce outstanding debt or may be paid as a dividend to their parent, or both, in appropriate amounts to maintain the capital structure. To the extent that their operating cash flows are insufficient to support planned investments, the Utility operating companies and System Energy may issue
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incremental debt or reduce dividends, or both, to maintain their capital structures. In addition, Entergy may make equity contributions to the Utility operating companies and System Energy to maintain their capital structures in certain circumstances such as financing of large transactions or payments that would materially alter the capital structure if financed entirely with debt and reduced dividends.
Long-term debt, including the currently maturing portion, makes up most of Entergy’s total debt outstanding. Following are Entergy’s long-term debt principal maturities and estimated interest payments as of December 31, 2021. To estimate future interest payments for variable rate debt, Entergy used the rate as of December 31, 2021. The amounts below include payments on System Energy’s Grand Gulf sale-leaseback transaction, which are included in long-term debt on the balance sheet.
| Long-term debt maturities and estimated interest payments | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025-2026 | after 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||||||||||||
| Utility | $1,017 | $3,141 | $2,929 | $3,345 | $22,112 | |||||||||
| Entergy Wholesale Commodities | 141 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| Parent and Other | 763 | 99 | 99 | 1,896 | 3,171 | |||||||||
| Total | $1,921 | $3,240 | $3,028 | $5,241 | $25,283 |
Note 5 to the financial statements provides more detail concerning long-term debt outstanding.
Entergy Corporation has in place a credit facility that has a borrowing capacity of $3.5 billion and expires in June 2026. The facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against $20 million of the total borrowing capacity of the credit facility. The commitment fee is currently 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount. Commitment fees and interest rates on loans under the credit facility can fluctuate depending on the senior unsecured debt ratings of Entergy Corporation. The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 1.60% on the drawn portion of the facility.
As of December 31, 2021, amounts outstanding and capacity available under the $3.5 billion credit facility are:
| Capacity | Borrowings | Letters of Credit | Capacity Available | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||||
| $3,500 | $165 | $6 | $3,329 |
A covenant in Entergy Corporation’s credit facility requires Entergy to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. The calculation of this debt ratio under Entergy Corporation’s credit facility is different than the calculation of the debt to capital ratio above. Entergy is currently in compliance with the covenant and expects to remain in compliance with this covenant. If Entergy fails to meet this ratio, or if Entergy or one of the Utility operating companies (except Entergy New Orleans) defaults on other indebtedness or is in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, an acceleration of the Entergy Corporation credit facility’s maturity date may occur.
Entergy Corporation has a commercial paper program with a Board-approved program limit of up to $2 billion. As of December 31, 2021, Entergy Corporation had $1.201 billion of commercial paper outstanding. The weighted-average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2021 was 0.28%.
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Finance lease obligations are a minimal part of Entergy’s overall capital structure. Following are Entergy’s payment obligations under those leases.
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025-2026 | after 2026 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||||
| Finance lease payments | $15 | $15 | $13 | $22 | $16 |
Leases are discussed in Note 10 to the financial statements.
Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each had credit facilities available as of December 31, 2021 as follows:
| Company | Expiration Date | Amount of Facility | Interest Rate (a) | Amount Drawn as of December 31, 2021 | Letters of Credit Outstanding as of December 31, 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas | April 2022 | $25 million (b) | 2.75% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Arkansas | June 2026 | $150 million (c) | 1.23% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Louisiana | June 2026 | $350 million (c) | 1.32% | $125 million | — | |||||
| Entergy Mississippi | April 2022 | $10 million (d) | 1.60% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Mississippi | April 2022 | $35 million (d) | 1.60% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Mississippi | April 2022 | $37.5 million (d) | 1.60% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy New Orleans | June 2024 | $25 million (c) | 1.73% | — | — | |||||
| Entergy Texas | June 2026 | $150 million (c) | 1.60% | — | $1.3 million |
(a)The interest rate is the estimated interest rate as of December 31, 2021 that would have been applied to outstanding borrowings under the facility.
(b)Borrowings under this Entergy Arkansas credit facility may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Arkansas’s option.
(c)The credit facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against a portion of the borrowing capacity of the facility as follows: $5 million for Entergy Arkansas; $15 million for Entergy Louisiana; $10 million for Entergy New Orleans; and $30 million for Entergy Texas.
(d)Borrowings under the Entergy Mississippi credit facilities may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Mississippi’s option.
Each of the credit facilities requires the Registrant Subsidiary borrower to maintain a debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. Each Registrant Subsidiary is in compliance with this covenant.
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In addition, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each entered into an uncommitted standby letter of credit facility as a means to post collateral to support its obligations to MISO. Following is a summary of the uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as of December 31, 2021:
| Company | Amount of Uncommitted Facility | Letter of Credit Fee | Letters of Credit Issued as of December 31, 2021 (a) (b) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas | $25 million | 0.78% | $8.5 million | ||||
| Entergy Louisiana | $125 million | 0.78% | $15.0 million | ||||
| Entergy Mississippi | $65 million | 0.78% | $9.3 million | ||||
| Entergy New Orleans | $15 million | 1.00% | $1.0 million | ||||
| Entergy Texas | $80 million | 0.875% | $79.6 million |
(a)As of December 31, 2021, letters of credit posted with MISO covered financial transmission right exposure of $0.2 million for Entergy Mississippi and $0.1 million for Entergy Texas. See Note 15 to the financial statements for discussion of financial transmission rights.
(b)As of December 31, 2021, in addition to the $9.3 million in MISO letters of credit, Entergy Mississippi has $1 million in non-MISO letters of credit outstanding under this facility.
Operating Lease Obligations and Guarantees of Unconsolidated Obligations
Entergy has a minimal amount of operating lease obligations and guarantees in support of unconsolidated obligations. Entergy’s guarantees in support of unconsolidated obligations are not likely to have a material effect on Entergy’s financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. Following are Entergy’s payment obligations as of December 31, 2021 on non-cancelable operating leases with a term over one year:
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025-2026 | after 2026 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||||
| Operating lease payments | $65 | $56 | $48 | $44 | $15 |
Leases are discussed in Note 10 to the financial statements.
Other Obligations
Entergy currently expects to contribute approximately $200 million to its pension plans and approximately $42.8 million to other postretirement plans in 2022, although the 2022 required pension contributions will be known with more certainty when the January 1, 2022 valuations are completed, which is expected by April 1, 2022. See “Critical Accounting Estimates - Qualified Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits” below and Note 11 for a discussion of qualified pension and other postretirement benefits funding.
Entergy has $712 million of unrecognized tax benefits and interest net of unused tax attributes for which the timing of payments beyond 12 months cannot be reasonably estimated due to uncertainties in the timing of effective settlement of tax positions. See Note 3 to the financial statements for additional information regarding unrecognized tax benefits.
In addition, the Registrant Subsidiaries enter into fuel and purchased power agreements that contain minimum purchase obligations. The Registrant Subsidiaries each have rate mechanisms in place to recover fuel, purchased power, and associated costs incurred under these purchase obligations.
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Capital Expenditure Plans and Other Uses of Capital
Following are the amounts of Entergy’s planned construction and other capital investments by operating segment for 2022 through 2024.
| Planned construction and capital investments | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | ||||||||
| Utility: | ||||||||
| Generation | $1,105 | $1,235 | $1,580 | |||||
| Transmission | 755 | 765 | 795 | |||||
| Distribution | 1,285 | 1,535 | 1,620 | |||||
| Utility Support | 580 | 440 | 310 | |||||
| Total | 3,725 | 3,975 | 4,305 | |||||
| Entergy Wholesale Commodities and Other | 10 | — | — | |||||
| Total | $3,735 | $3,975 | $4,305 |
In addition to the planned spending in the table above, the Utility also expects to pay for $885 million of capital investments in 2022 related to Hurricane Ida restoration work that has been accrued as of December 31, 2021.
Planned construction and capital investments refer to amounts Entergy plans to spend on routine capital projects that are necessary to support reliability of its service, equipment, or systems and to support normal customer growth. In addition to routine capital projects, they also refer to amounts Entergy plans to spend on non-routine capital investments for which Entergy is either contractually obligated, has Board approval, or otherwise expects to make to satisfy regulatory or legal requirements. Amounts include the following types of construction and capital investments:
•Investments in generation projects to modernize, decarbonize, and diversify Entergy’s portfolio, including the Sunflower Solar Facility, Walnut Bend Solar Facility, West Memphis Solar Facility, Orange County Advanced Power Station, St. Jacques Louisiana Solar, and potential construction of additional generation.
•Investments in Entergy’s Utility nuclear fleet.
•Transmission spending to drive reliability and resilience while also supporting renewables expansion.
•Distribution and Utility Support spending to improve reliability, resilience, and customer experience through projects focused on asset renewals and enhancements and grid stability.
For the next several years, the Utility’s owned generating capacity is projected to be adequate to meet MISO reserve requirements; however, in the longer-term additional supply resources will be needed, and its supply plan initiative will continue to seek to transform its generation portfolio with new generation resources. Opportunities resulting from the supply plan initiative, including new projects or the exploration of alternative financing sources, could result in increases or decreases in the capital expenditure estimates given above. Estimated capital expenditures are also subject to periodic review and modification and may vary based on the ongoing effects of business restructuring, regulatory constraints and requirements, environmental regulations, business opportunities, market volatility, economic trends, changes in project plans, and the ability to access capital.
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Renewables
Sunflower Solar Facility
In November 2018, Entergy Mississippi announced that it signed an agreement for the purchase of an approximately 100 MW solar photovoltaic facility that will be sited on approximately 1,000 acres in Sunflower County, Mississippi. The estimated base purchase price is approximately $138.4 million. The estimated total investment, including the base purchase price and other related costs, for Entergy Mississippi to acquire the Sunflower Solar Facility is approximately $153.2 million. The purchase is contingent upon, among other things, obtaining necessary approvals, including full cost recovery, from applicable federal and state regulatory and permitting agencies. The project is being built by Sunflower County Solar Project, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of Recurrent Energy, LLC. Entergy Mississippi will purchase the facility upon mechanical completion and after the other purchase contingencies have been met. In December 2018, Entergy Mississippi filed a joint petition with Sunflower Solar Project with the MPSC for Sunflower Solar Project to construct and for Entergy Mississippi to acquire and thereafter own, operate, improve, and maintain the solar facility. Entergy Mississippi proposed revisions to its formula rate plan that would provide for a mechanism, the interim capacity rate adjustment mechanism, in the formula rate plan to recover the non-fuel related costs of additional owned capacity acquired by Entergy Mississippi, including the annual ownership costs of the Sunflower Solar Facility. In December 2019 the MPSC approved Entergy Mississippi’s proposed revisions to its formula rate plan to provide for an interim capacity rate adjustment mechanism. Recovery through the interim capacity rate adjustment requires MPSC approval for each new resource. In August 2019 consultants retained by the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff filed a report expressing concerns regarding the project economics. In March 2020, Entergy Mississippi filed supplemental testimony addressing questions and observations raised by the consultants retained by the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff and proposing an alternative structure for the transaction that would reduce its cost. A hearing before the MPSC was held in March 2020. In April 2020 the MPSC issued an order approving certification of the Sunflower Solar Facility and its recovery through the interim capacity rate adjustment mechanism, subject to certain conditions including: (i) that Entergy Mississippi pursue a partnership structure through which the partnership would acquire and own the facility under the build-own-transfer agreement and (ii) that if Entergy Mississippi does not consummate the partnership structure under the terms of the order, there will be a cap of $136 million on the level of recoverable costs. Closing is targeted to occur by the end of the second quarter 2022.
Walnut Bend Solar Facility
In October 2020, Entergy Arkansas filed a petition with the APSC seeking a finding that the purchase of the 100 MW Walnut Bend Solar Facility is in the public interest. Entergy Arkansas primarily requested cost recovery through the formula rate plan rider. In July 2021 the APSC granted Entergy Arkansas’s petition and approved the acquisition of the resource and cost recovery through the formula rate plan rider. In addition, the APSC directed Entergy Arkansas to file a report within 180 days detailing its efforts to obtain a tax equity partnership. In January 2022, Entergy Arkansas filed its tax equity partnership status report and will file subsequent reports until a tax equity partnership is obtained. Entergy Arkansas views the progress of the outreach to potential tax equity investors and the current status of the discussions as consistent with its expectations for the timeline for achieving a tax equity partnership. Closing was expected to occur in 2022. The counter-party has notified Entergy Arkansas that it is seeking changes to certain terms of the build-own-transfer agreement, including both cost and schedule. Negotiations are ongoing, but at this time the project is not expected to achieve commercial operation in 2022.
West Memphis Solar Facility
In January 2021, Entergy Arkansas filed a petition with the APSC seeking a finding that the purchase of the 180 MW West Memphis Solar Facility is in the public interest. In October 2021 the APSC granted Entergy Arkansas’s petition and approved the acquisition of the West Memphis Solar Facility and cost recovery through the formula rate plan rider. In addition, the APSC directed Entergy Arkansas to file a report within 180 days detailing its efforts to obtain a tax equity partnership. Closing is expected to occur in 2023.
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2021 Solar Certification and the Geaux Green Option
In November 2021, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC seeking certification of and approval for the addition of four new solar photovoltaic resources with a nameplate capacity of 475 megawatts (the 2021 Solar Portfolio) and the implementation of a new green tariff, the Geaux Green Option (Rider GGO). The 2021 Solar Portfolio consists of four resources that are expected to provide $242 million in net benefits to Entergy Louisiana’s customers. These resources, all of which would be constructed in Louisiana, include (i) Vacherie Solar Energy Center, a 150 megawatt resource in St. James Parish; (ii) Sunlight Road Solar, a 50 megawatt resource in Washington Parish; (iii) St. Jacques Louisiana Solar, a 150 megawatt resource in St. James; and (iv) Elizabeth Solar Facility, a 125 megawatt resource in Allen Parish. St. Jacques Louisiana Solar would be acquired through a build-own-transfer agreement; the remaining resources involve power purchase agreements. The filing proposes to recover the costs of the power purchase agreements through the fuel adjustment clause and the acquisition costs through the formula rate plan.
The proposed Rider GGO is a voluntary rate schedule that would enhance Entergy Louisiana’s ability to help customers meet their sustainability goals by allowing customers to align some or all of their electricity requirements with renewable energy from the resources. Because subscription fees from Rider GGO participants would help to offset the cost of the resources, the design of Rider GGO also preserves the benefits of the 2021 Solar Portfolio for non-participants by providing them with the reliability and capacity benefits of locally-sited solar generation at a discounted price.
The LPSC has established a procedural schedule that is expected to result in an LPSC decision by the end of 2022. Discovery is currently underway.
Other Generation
Orange County Advanced Power Station
In September 2021, Entergy Texas filed an application seeking PUCT approval to amend Entergy Texas’s certificate of convenience and necessity to construct, own, and operate the Orange County Advanced Power Station, a new 1,215 MW combined-cycle combustion turbine facility to be located in Bridge City, Texas at an expected total cost of $1.2 billion inclusive of the estimated costs of the generation facilities, transmission upgrades, contingency, an allowance for funds used during construction, and necessary regulatory expenses, among others. The project includes combustion turbine technology with dual fuel capability, able to co-fire up to 30% hydrogen by volume upon commercial operation and upgradable to support 100% hydrogen operations in the future. In December 2021 the PUCT referred the proceeding to the State Office of Administrative Hearings. A hearing on the merits is scheduled for April 2022. A final order by the PUCT is expected in September 2022. Subject to receipt of required regulatory approvals and other conditions, the facility is expected to be in-service by May 2026.
Dividends and Stock Repurchases
Declarations of dividends on Entergy’s common stock are made at the discretion of the Board. Among other things, the Board evaluates the level of Entergy’s common stock dividends based upon earnings per share from the Utility operating segment and the Parent and Other portion of the business, financial strength, and future investment opportunities. At its January 2022 meeting, the Board declared a dividend of $1.01 per share. Entergy paid $775 million in 2021, $748 million in 2020, and $712 million in 2019 in cash dividends on its common stock.
In accordance with Entergy’s stock-based compensation plans, Entergy periodically grants stock options, restricted stock, performance units, and restricted stock unit awards to key employees, which may be exercised to obtain shares of Entergy’s common stock. According to the plans, these shares can be newly issued shares, treasury
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stock, or shares purchased on the open market. Entergy’s management has been authorized by the Board to repurchase on the open market shares up to an amount sufficient to fund the exercise of grants under the plans.
In addition to the authority to fund grant exercises, the Board has authorized share repurchase programs to enable opportunistic purchases in response to market conditions. In October 2010 the Board granted authority for a $500 million share repurchase program. As of December 31, 2021, $350 million of authority remains under the $500 million share repurchase program. The amount of repurchases may vary as a result of material changes in business results or capital spending or new investment opportunities, or if limitations in the credit markets continue for a prolonged period.
Sources of Capital
Entergy’s sources to meet its capital requirements and to fund potential investments include:
•internally generated funds;
•cash on hand ($443 million as of December 31, 2021);
•storm reserve escrow accounts;
•debt and equity issuances in the capital markets, including debt issuances to refund or retire currently outstanding or maturing indebtedness;
•bank financing under new or existing facilities or commercial paper; and
•sales of assets.
Circumstances such as weather patterns, fuel and purchased power price fluctuations, and unanticipated expenses, including unscheduled plant outages and storms, could affect the timing and level of internally generated funds in the future. In addition to the financings necessary to meet capital requirements and contractual obligations, the Registrant Subsidiaries expect to continue, when economically feasible, to retire higher-cost debt and replace it with lower-cost debt if market conditions permit.
Provisions within the organizational documents relating to preferred stock or membership interests of certain of Entergy Corporation’s subsidiaries could restrict the payment of cash dividends or other distributions on their common and preferred equity. All debt and preferred equity issuances by the Registrant Subsidiaries require prior regulatory approval and their debt issuances are also subject to issuance tests set forth in bond indentures and other agreements. Entergy believes that the Registrant Subsidiaries have sufficient capacity under these tests to meet foreseeable capital needs for the next twelve months and beyond.
The FERC has jurisdiction over securities issuances by the Utility operating companies and System Energy. The City Council has concurrent jurisdiction over Entergy New Orleans’s securities issuances with maturities longer than one year. The APSC has concurrent jurisdiction over Entergy Arkansas’s issuances of securities secured by Arkansas property, including first mortgage bond issuances. No regulatory approvals are necessary for Entergy Corporation to issue securities. The current FERC-authorized short-term borrowing limits and long-term financing authorization for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy are effective through October 2023. Entergy Arkansas has obtained first mortgage bond/secured financing authorization from the APSC that extends through December 2022. Entergy New Orleans also has obtained long-term financing authorization from the City Council that extends through December 2023. Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy each has obtained long-term financing authorization from the FERC that extends through October 2023 for issuances by the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities. In addition to borrowings from commercial banks, the Registrant Subsidiaries may also borrow from the Entergy System money pool and from other internal short-term borrowing arrangements. The money pool and the other internal borrowing arrangements are inter-company borrowing arrangements designed to reduce Entergy’s subsidiaries’ dependence on external short-term borrowings. Borrowings from internal and external short-term borrowings combined may not exceed the FERC-authorized limits. See Notes 4 and 5 to the financial statements for further discussion of Entergy’s borrowing limits, authorizations, and amounts outstanding.
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Equity Issuances and Equity Distribution Program
In January 2021, Entergy entered into an equity distribution sales agreement with several counterparties establishing an at the market equity distribution program, pursuant to which Entergy may offer and sell from time to time shares of its common stock. The sales agreement provides that, in addition to the issuance and sale of shares of Entergy common stock, Entergy may also enter into forward sale agreements for the sale of its common stock. The aggregate number of shares of common stock sold under this sales agreement and under any forward sale agreement may not exceed an aggregate gross sales price of $1 billion. In 2021, Entergy utilized the at the market equity distribution program and sold nearly $500 million, approximately $300 million of which has not been settled and is subject to adjustment pursuant to the forward sale agreements. In addition to settlement of existing forward sales agreements, Entergy Corporation currently expects to issue approximately $700 million of equity through 2024. Entergy is considering various methods, including, among others, at the market distributions, block trades, and preferred equity issuances. See Note 7 to the financial statements for discussion of the forward sales agreements and common stock issuances and sales under the equity distribution program.
Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, Winter Storm Uri, and Hurricane Ida (Entergy Louisiana)
In August 2020 and October 2020, Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Hurricane Zeta caused significant damage to portions of Entergy Louisiana’s service area. The storms resulted in widespread outages, significant damage to distribution and transmission infrastructure, and the loss of sales during the outages. Additionally, as a result of Hurricane Laura’s extensive damage to the grid infrastructure serving the impacted area, large portions of the underlying transmission system required nearly a complete rebuild.
In October 2020, Entergy Louisiana filed an application at the LPSC seeking approval of certain ratemaking adjustments in connection with the issuance of shorter-term mortgage bonds to provide interim financing for restoration costs associated with Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Hurricane Zeta. Subsequently, Entergy Louisiana and the LPSC staff filed a joint motion seeking approval to exclude from the derivation of Entergy Louisiana’s capital structure and cost rate of debt for ratemaking purposes, including the allowance for funds used during construction, shorter-term debt up to $1.1 billion issued by Entergy Louisiana to fund costs associated with Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Hurricane Zeta costs on an interim basis. In November 2020 the LPSC issued an order approving the joint motion, and Entergy Louisiana issued $1.1 billion of 0.62% Series mortgage bonds due November 2023. Also in November 2020, Entergy Louisiana withdrew $257 million from its funded storm reserves.
In February 2021 two winter storms (collectively, Winter Storm Uri) brought freezing rain and ice to Louisiana. Ice accumulation sagged or downed trees, limbs and power lines, causing damage to Entergy Louisiana’s transmission and distribution systems. The additional weight of ice caused trees and limbs to fall into power lines and other electric equipment. When the ice melted, it affected vegetation and electrical equipment, causing additional outages. As discussed in the “Fuel and purchased power recovery” section of Note 2 to the financial statements, Entergy Louisiana recovered the incremental fuel costs associated with Winter Storm Uri over a five-month period from April 2021 through August 2021.
In April 2021, Entergy Louisiana filed an application with the LPSC relating to Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, and Winter Storm Uri restoration costs and in July 2021, Entergy Louisiana made a supplemental filing updating the total restoration costs. Total restoration costs for the repair and/or replacement of Entergy Louisiana’s electric facilities damaged by these storms are currently estimated to be approximately $2.06 billion, including approximately $1.68 billion in capital costs and approximately $380 million in non-capital costs. Including carrying costs through January 2022, Entergy Louisiana is seeking an LPSC determination that $2.11 billion was prudently incurred and, therefore, is eligible for recovery from customers. Additionally, Entergy Louisiana is requesting that the LPSC determine that re-establishment of a storm escrow account to the previously authorized amount of $290 million is appropriate. In July 2021, Entergy Louisiana supplemented the application
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with a request regarding the financing and recovery of the recoverable storm restoration costs. Specifically, Entergy Louisiana requested approval to securitize its restoration costs pursuant to Louisiana Act 55 financing, as supplemented by Act 293 of the Louisiana Legislature’s Regular Session of 2021. As previously discussed, in August 2021, Hurricane Ida caused extensive damage to Entergy Louisiana’s distribution and, to a lesser extent, transmission systems resulting in widespread power outages. In September 2021, Entergy Louisiana supplemented the application with a request to establish and securitize a $1 billion restricted storm escrow account for Hurricane Ida related restoration costs, subject to a subsequent prudence review. In total, Entergy Louisiana requested authorization for the issuance of system restoration bonds in one or more series in an aggregate principal amount of $3.18 billion, which includes the costs of re-establishing and funding a storm damage escrow account, carrying costs and unamortized debt costs on interim financing, and issuance costs. After filing of testimony by LPSC staff and intervenors, which generally supported or did not oppose Entergy Louisiana’s requests, the parties negotiated and executed an uncontested stipulated settlement which was filed with the LPSC in February 2022. The settlement agreement contains the following key terms: $2.1 billion of restoration costs from Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, and Winter Storm Uri were prudently incurred and are eligible for recovery; carrying costs of $51 million are recoverable; a $290 million cash storm reserve should be re-established; a $1 billion reserve should be established to partially pay for Hurricane Ida restoration costs; and Entergy Louisiana is authorized to finance $3.186 billion utilizing the securitization process authorized by Act 55, as supplemented by Act 293. The LPSC voted to approve the settlement at its February 2022 meeting.
Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Winter Storm Uri (Entergy Texas)
In August 2020 and October 2020, Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta caused extensive damage to Entergy Texas’s service area. In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri also caused damage to Entergy Texas’s service area. The storms resulted in widespread power outages, significant damage primarily to distribution and transmission infrastructure, and the loss of sales during the power outages. In April 2021, Entergy Texas filed an application with the PUCT requesting a determination that approximately $250 million of system restoration costs associated with Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Winter Storm Uri, including approximately $200 million in capital costs and approximately $50 million in non-capital costs, were reasonable and necessary to enable Entergy Texas to restore electric service to its customers and Entergy Texas’s electric utility infrastructure. The filing also included the projected balance of approximately $13 million of a regulatory asset containing previously approved system restoration costs related to Hurricane Harvey. In September 2021 the parties filed an unopposed settlement agreement, pursuant to which Entergy Texas removed from the amount to be securitized approximately $4.3 million that will instead be charged to its storm reserve, $5 million related to no particular issue, of which Entergy Texas would be permitted to seek recovery in a future proceeding, and approximately $300 thousand related to attestation costs. In December 2021 the PUCT issued an order approving the unopposed settlement and determining system restoration costs of $243 million related to Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Winter Storm Uri and the $13 million projected remaining balance of the Hurricane Harvey system restoration costs were eligible for securitization. The order also determines that Entergy Texas can recover carrying costs on the system restoration costs related to Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Winter Storm Uri.
In July 2021, Entergy Texas filed with the PUCT an application for a financing order to approve the securitization of the system restoration costs that are the subject of the April 2021 application. In November 2021 the parties filed an unopposed settlement agreement supporting the issuance of a financing order consistent with Entergy Texas’s application and with minor adjustments to certain upfront and ongoing costs to be incurred to facilitate the issuance and serving of system restoration bonds. In January 2022 the PUCT issued a financing order consistent with the unopposed settlement.
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Cash Flow Activity
As shown in Entergy’s Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019 were as follows:
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In Millions) | |||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period | $1,759 | $426 | $481 | ||||
| Net cash provided by (used in): | |||||||
| Operating activities | 2,301 | 2,690 | 2,817 | ||||
| Investing activities | (6,179) | (4,772) | (4,510) | ||||
| Financing activities | 2,562 | 3,415 | 1,638 | ||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | (1,316) | 1,333 | (55) | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at end of period | $443 | $1,759 | $426 |
2021 Compared to 2020
Operating Activities
Net cash flow provided by operating activities decreased by $389 million in 2021 primarily due to:
•increased fuel costs, including those related to Winter Storm Uri. See Note 2 to the financial statements for a discussion of fuel and purchased power cost recovery;
•an increase of approximately $220 million in storm spending in 2021. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of recent storms;
•income tax payments of $98 million in 2021 compared to income tax refunds of $31 million in 2020. Entergy had net income tax payments in 2021 related to state income taxes and federal estimated taxes, offset by federal income tax refunds received associated with the completion of the 2014-2015 IRS audit. Entergy had income tax refunds in 2020 as a result of an overpayment on a prior year state income tax return;
•lower Entergy Wholesale Commodities revenues in 2021;
•an increase of $65 million in severance and retention payments in 2021 as compared to 2020. See Note 13 to the financial statements for a discussion of the severance and retention payments related to Entergy Wholesale Commodities. See “Entergy Wholesale Commodities Exit from the Merchant Power Business” above for a discussion of management’s strategy to exit the Entergy Wholesale Commodities merchant power business;
•a decrease of $55 million in proceeds received from the DOE resulting from litigation regarding spent nuclear fuel storage costs that were previously expensed. See Note 8 to the financial statements for discussion of the spent nuclear fuel litigation; and
•an increase of $40 million in pension contributions in 2021 as compared to 2020. See “Critical Accounting Estimates” below and Note 11 to the financial statements for a discussion of qualified pension and other postretirement benefits funding.
The decrease was partially offset by higher collections from Utility customers and a decrease in spending of $52 million on nuclear refueling outages in 2021 as compared to prior period.
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Investing Activities
Net cash flow used in investing activities increased by $1,407 million in 2021 primarily due to:
•an increase of $1,278 million in distribution construction expenditures primarily due to higher capital expenditures for storm restoration in 2021 and increased spending on the reliability and infrastructure of the distribution system, partially offset by lower spending in 2021 on advanced metering infrastructure;
•an increase of $366 million in transmission construction expenditures primarily due to higher capital expenditures for storm restoration in 2021;
•a decrease of $212 million in net receipts from storm reserve escrow accounts; and
•the purchase of the Hardin County Peaking Facility by Entergy Texas in June 2021 for approximately $37 million and the purchase of the Searcy Solar facility by the Entergy Arkansas tax equity partnership in December 2021 for approximately $132 million. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the Hardin County Peaking Facility and the Searcy Solar facility purchases.
The increase was partially offset by:
•the purchase of Washington Parish Energy Center by Entergy Louisiana in November 2020 for approximately $222 million. See Note 14 to the financial statements for further discussion of the Washington Parish Energy Center purchase;
•a decrease of $208 million in non-nuclear generation construction expenditures primarily due to higher spending in 2020 on the Montgomery County Power Station, Lake Charles Power Station, New Orleans Power Station, and New Orleans Solar Station projects, partially offset by a higher scope of work performed during outages in 2021 as compared to 2020;
•a decrease of $102 million in decommissioning trust fund investment activity;
•a decrease of $49 million in nuclear fuel purchases due to variations from year to year in the timing and pricing of fuel reload requirements, materials and services deliveries, and the timing of cash payments during the nuclear fuel cycle;
•a decrease of $26 million in information technology construction expenditures primarily due to decreased spending on various technology projects in 2021, including advanced metering infrastructure; and
•$25 million in plant upgrades for the Choctaw Generating Station in March 2020.
Financing Activities
Net cash flow provided by financing activities decreased by $854 million in 2021 primarily due to:
•long-term debt activity providing approximately $3,481 million of cash in 2021 compared to providing approximately $4,467 million in 2020;
•an increase of $107 million in net repayments of commercial paper in 2021 compared to 2020; and
•a decrease of $37 million in proceeds received from treasury stock issuances in 2021 due to a larger amount of previously repurchased Entergy Corporation common stock issued in 2020 to satisfy stock option exercises.
The decrease was partially offset by:
•net sales proceeds of $201 million from the issuance of common stock in 2021 under the at the market equity distribution program. See Note 7 to the financial statements for discussion of the equity distribution program;
•capital contributions of $51 million received in 2021 from the noncontrolling tax equity investor in AR Searcy Partnership, LLC and used by the partnership to acquire the Searcy Solar facility. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the Searcy Solar facility purchase; and
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•an increase of $50 million primarily due to higher prepaid deposits related to contributions-in-aid-of-construction generation interconnection agreements in 2021 as compared to 2020.
For the details of Entergy’s commercial paper program, see Note 4 to the financial statements. See Note 5 to the financial statements for details of long-term debt.
2020 Compared to 2019
See “MANAGEMENT’S FINANCIAL DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS - Liquidity and Capital Resources - Cash Flow Activity” in Item 7 of Entergy’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the SEC on February 26, 2021 for discussion of operating, investing, and financing cash flow activities for 2020 compared to 2019.
Rate, Cost-recovery, and Other Regulation
State and Local Rate Regulation and Fuel-Cost Recovery
The rates that the Utility operating companies charge for their services significantly influence Entergy’s financial position, results of operations, and liquidity. These companies are regulated and the rates charged to their customers are determined in regulatory proceedings. Governmental agencies, including the APSC, the LPSC, the MPSC, the City Council, and the PUCT, are primarily responsible for approval of the rates charged to customers. Following is a summary of the Utility operating companies’ authorized returns on common equity:
| Company | Authorized Return on Common Equity | |
|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas | 9.15% - 10.15% | |
| Entergy Louisiana | 9.0% - 10.0% Electric; 9.3% - 10.3% Gas | |
| Entergy Mississippi | 9.03% - 11.08% | |
| Entergy New Orleans | 8.85% - 9.85% | |
| Entergy Texas | 9.65% |
The Utility operating companies’ base rate, fuel and purchased power cost recovery, and storm cost recovery proceedings are discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements.
Federal Regulation
The FERC regulates wholesale sales of electricity rates and interstate transmission of electricity, including rates for System Energy’s sales of capacity and energy from Grand Gulf to Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, and Entergy New Orleans pursuant to the Unit Power Sales Agreement. The current return on equity and capital structure of System Energy are currently the subject of complaints filed by certain of the operating companies’ retail regulators. The current return on equity under the Unit Power Sales Agreement is 10.94%. Prior to each operating company’s termination of participation in the System Agreement (Entergy Arkansas in December 2013, Entergy Mississippi in November 2015, and Entergy Louisiana, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas, each in August 2016), the Utility operating companies engaged in the coordinated planning, construction, and operation of generating and bulk transmission facilities under the terms of the System Agreement, which was a rate schedule approved by the FERC. Certain of the Utility operating companies’ retail regulators are pursuing litigation involving the System Agreement at the FERC and in federal courts. See Note 2 to the financial statements for discussion of the complaints filed with the FERC challenging System Energy’s return on equity and capital structure, System Energy’s treatment of uncertain tax positions and the Grand Gulf sale leaseback arrangement, rates charged under the Unit Power Sales Agreement, and the prudence of Grand Gulf’s operations and 2012 extended power uprate.
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Market and Credit Risk Sensitive Instruments
Market risk is the risk of changes in the value of commodity and financial instruments, or in future net income or cash flows, in response to changing market conditions. Entergy holds commodity and financial instruments that are exposed to the following significant market risks.
•The commodity price risk associated with the sale of electricity by the Entergy Wholesale Commodities business.
•The interest rate and equity price risk associated with Entergy’s investments in pension and other postretirement benefit trust funds. See Note 11 to the financial statements for details regarding Entergy’s pension and other postretirement benefit trust funds.
•The interest rate and equity price risk associated with Entergy’s investments in nuclear plant decommissioning trust funds, particularly in the Entergy Wholesale Commodities business. See Note 16 to the financial statements for details regarding Entergy’s decommissioning trust funds.
•The interest rate risk associated with changes in interest rates as a result of Entergy’s outstanding indebtedness. Entergy manages its interest rate exposure by monitoring current interest rates and its debt outstanding in relation to total capitalization. See Notes 4 and 5 to the financial statements for the details of Entergy’s debt outstanding.
The Utility has limited exposure to the effects of market risk because it operates primarily under cost-based rate regulation. To the extent approved by their retail regulators, the Utility operating companies use commodity and financial instruments to hedge the exposure to price volatility inherent in their purchased power, fuel, and gas purchased for resale costs that are recovered from customers.
Entergy’s commodity and financial instruments are also exposed to credit risk. Credit risk is the risk of loss from nonperformance by suppliers, customers, or financial counterparties to a contract or agreement. Entergy is also exposed to a potential demand on liquidity due to credit support requirements within its supply or sales agreements.
Commodity Price Risk
Power Generation
As a wholesale generator, Entergy Wholesale Commodities’ core business is selling energy, measured in MWh, to its customers. See “Entergy Wholesale Commodities Exit from the Merchant Power Business” above for a discussion of management’s strategy to shut down and sell all remaining plants in the Entergy Wholesale Commodities merchant nuclear fleet. As of December 31, 2021, Palisades is the only remaining operating plant in the Entergy Wholesale Commodities merchant nuclear fleet. Almost all of the Palisades output is sold under a power purchase agreement that is scheduled to expire in 2022. Planned generation currently under contract from the Palisades plant is 99% for 2022, all of which is sold under normal purchase/normal sale contracts. Total planned generation for 2022 is 2.8 TWh.
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Entergy Wholesale Commodities Portfolio
Some of the agreements to sell the power produced by Entergy Wholesale Commodities’ power plants contain provisions that require an Entergy subsidiary to provide credit support to secure its obligations under the agreements. The primary form of credit support to satisfy these requirements is an Entergy Corporation guarantee. Cash and letters of credit are also acceptable forms of credit support. At December 31, 2021, based on power prices at that time, Entergy had liquidity exposure of $29 million under the guarantees in place supporting Entergy Wholesale Commodities transactions and $8 million of posted cash collateral. In the event of a decrease in Entergy Corporation’s credit rating to below investment grade, based on power prices as of December 31, 2021, Entergy would have been required to provide approximately $30 million of additional cash or letters of credit under some of the agreements. As of December 31, 2021, the liquidity exposure associated with Entergy Wholesale Commodities assurance requirements, including return of previously posted collateral from counterparties, would increase by an insignificant amount for a $1 per MMBtu increase in gas prices in both the short- and long-term markets.
As of December 31, 2021, substantially all of the credit exposure associated with the planned energy output under contract for the Palisades plant through 2022 is with counterparties or their guarantors that have public investment grade credit ratings.
Nuclear Matters
Entergy’s Utility and Entergy Wholesale Commodities businesses include the ownership and operation of nuclear generating plants and are, therefore, subject to the risks related to such ownership and operation. These include risks related to: the use, storage, and handling and disposal of high-level and low-level radioactive materials; the substantial financial requirements, both for capital investments and operational needs, including the financial requirements to address emerging issues like stress corrosion cracking of certain materials within the plant systems to position Entergy’s nuclear fleet to meet its operational goals; the performance and capacity factors of these nuclear plants; the risk of an adverse outcome to an expected challenge to the prudence of operations at Grand Gulf; the implementation of plans to exit the Entergy Wholesale Commodities merchant nuclear power business in 2022; regulatory requirements and potential future regulatory changes, including changes affecting the regulations governing nuclear plant ownership, operations, license amendments, and decommissioning; the availability of interim or permanent sites for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste, including the fees charged for such disposal; the sufficiency of nuclear decommissioning trust fund assets and earnings to complete decommissioning of each site when required; and limitations on the amounts and types of insurance commercially available for losses in connection with nuclear plant operations and catastrophic events such as a nuclear accident.
NRC Reactor Oversight Process
The NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process is a program to collect information about plant performance, assess the information for its safety significance, and provide for appropriate licensee and NRC response. The NRC evaluates plant performance by analyzing two distinct inputs: inspection findings resulting from the NRC’s inspection program and performance indicators reported by the licensee. The evaluations result in the placement of each plant in one of the NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process Action Matrix columns: “licensee response column,” or Column 1, “regulatory response column,” or Column 2, “degraded cornerstone column,” or Column 3, and “multiple/repetitive degraded cornerstone column,” or Column 4, and “unacceptable performance,” or Column 5. Plants in Column 1 are subject to normal NRC inspection activities. Plants in Column 2, Column 3, or Column 4 are subject to progressively increasing levels of inspection by the NRC with, in general, progressively increasing levels of associated costs. Continued plant operation is not permitted for plants in Column 5. All of the nuclear generating plants owned and operated by Entergy’s Utility and Entergy Wholesale Commodities businesses are currently in Column 1.
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In March 2021 the NRC placed Grand Gulf in Column 3 based on the incidence of five unplanned plant scrams during calendar year 2020, some of which were related to upgrades made to the plant’s turbine control system during the spring 2020 refueling outage. The NRC conducted a supplemental inspection of Grand Gulf in accordance with its inspection procedures for nuclear plants in Column 3 and, in October 2021, notified Entergy that all inspection objectives were met. The NRC issued its report in November 2021 and Grand Gulf was returned to Column 1.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of Entergy’s financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to apply appropriate accounting policies and to make estimates and judgments that can have a significant effect on reported financial position, results of operations, and cash flows. Management has identified the following accounting estimates as critical because they are based on assumptions and measurements that involve a high degree of uncertainty, and the potential for future changes in these assumptions and measurements could produce estimates that would have a material effect on the presentation of Entergy’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
Nuclear Decommissioning Costs
Entergy subsidiaries own nuclear generation facilities in both the Utility and Entergy Wholesale Commodities operating segments. Regulations require Entergy subsidiaries to decommission the nuclear power plants after each facility is taken out of service, and cash is deposited in trust funds during the facilities’ operating lives in order to provide for this obligation. Entergy conducts periodic decommissioning cost studies to estimate the costs that will be incurred to decommission the facilities. The following key assumptions have a significant effect on these estimates.
•Timing - In projecting decommissioning costs, two assumptions must be made to estimate the timing of plant decommissioning. First, the date of the plant’s retirement must be estimated for those plants that do not have an announced shutdown date. The estimate may include assumptions regarding the possibility that the plant may have an operating life shorter than the operating license expiration. Second, an assumption must be made regarding whether all decommissioning activity will proceed immediately upon plant retirement, or whether the plant will be placed in SAFSTOR status. SAFSTOR is decommissioning a facility by placing it in a safe, stable condition that is maintained until it is subsequently decontaminated and dismantled to levels that permit license termination, normally within 60 years from permanent cessation of operations. A change of assumption regarding either the period of continued operation, the use of a SAFSTOR period, or whether Entergy will continue to hold the plant or the plant is held for sale can change the present value of the asset retirement obligation.
•Cost Escalation Factors - Entergy’s current decommissioning cost studies include an assumption that decommissioning costs will escalate over present cost levels by factors ranging from approximately 2% to 3% annually. A 50-basis point change in this assumption could change the estimated present value of the decommissioning liabilities by approximately 6% to 18%. The timing assumption influences the significance of the effect of a change in the estimated inflation or cost escalation rate because the effect increases with the length of time assumed before decommissioning activity ends.
•Spent Fuel Disposal - Federal law requires the DOE to provide for the permanent storage of spent nuclear fuel, and legislation has been passed by Congress to develop a repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The DOE has not yet begun accepting spent nuclear fuel and is in non-compliance with federal law. The DOE continues to delay meeting its obligation and Entergy’s nuclear plant owners are continuing to pursue damage claims against the DOE for its failure to provide timely spent fuel storage. Until a federal site is available, however, nuclear plant operators must provide for interim spent fuel storage on the nuclear plant site, which can require the construction and maintenance of dry cask storage sites or other facilities. The costs of developing and maintaining these facilities during the decommissioning period can have a significant effect (as much as an average of 20% to 30% of total estimated decommissioning costs).
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Entergy’s decommissioning studies include cost estimates for spent fuel storage. These estimates could change in the future, however, based on the expected timing of when the DOE begins to fulfill its obligation to receive and store spent nuclear fuel. See Note 8 to the financial statements for further discussion of Entergy’s spent nuclear fuel litigation.
•Technology and Regulation - Over the past several years, more practical experience with the actual decommissioning of nuclear facilities has been gained and that experience has been incorporated into Entergy’s current decommissioning cost estimates. Given the long duration of decommissioning projects, additional experience, including technological advancements in decommissioning, could be gained and affect current cost estimates. In addition, if regulations regarding nuclear decommissioning were to change, this could affect cost estimates.
•Interest Rates - The estimated decommissioning costs that are the basis for the recorded decommissioning liability are discounted to present value using a credit-adjusted risk-free rate. When the decommissioning liability is revised, increases in cash flows are discounted using the current credit-adjusted risk-free rate. Decreases in estimated cash flows are discounted using the credit-adjusted risk-free rate used previously in estimating the decommissioning liability that is being revised. Therefore, to the extent that a revised cost study results in an increase in estimated cash flows, a change in interest rates from the time of the previous cost estimate will affect the calculation of the present value of the revised decommissioning liability.
Revisions of estimated decommissioning costs that decrease the liability also result in a decrease in the asset retirement cost asset. Revisions of estimated decommissioning costs that increase the liability result in an increase in the asset retirement cost asset, which is then depreciated over the asset’s remaining economic life. See Note 14 to the financial statements for further discussion of impairment of long-lived assets and Note 9 to the financial statements for further discussion of asset retirement obligations.
Utility Regulatory Accounting
Entergy’s Utility operating companies and System Energy are subject to retail regulation by their respective state and local regulators and to wholesale regulation by the FERC. Because these regulatory agencies set the rates the Utility operating companies and System Energy are allowed to charge customers based on allowable costs, including a reasonable return on equity, the Utility operating companies and System Energy apply accounting standards that require the financial statements to reflect the effects of rate regulation, including the recording of regulatory assets and liabilities. Regulatory assets represent incurred costs that have been deferred because they are probable of future recovery from customers through regulated rates. Regulatory liabilities represent the excess recovery of costs that have been deferred because it is probable such amounts will be returned to customers through future regulated rates. See Note 2 to the financial statements for a discussion of rate and regulatory matters, including details of Entergy’s and the Registrant Subsidiaries’ regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities.
For each regulatory jurisdiction in which they conduct business, the Utility operating companies and System Energy assess whether the regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities continue to meet the criteria for probable future recovery or settlement at each balance sheet date and when regulatory events occur. This assessment includes consideration of recent rate orders, historical regulatory treatment for similar costs, and factors such as changes in applicable regulatory and political environments. If the assessments made by the Utility operating companies and System Energy are ultimately different than actual regulatory outcomes, it could materially affect the results of operations, financial position, and cash flows of Entergy or the Registrant Subsidiaries.
Impairment of Long-lived Assets
Entergy has significant investments in long-lived assets in both of its operating segments, and Entergy evaluates these assets against the market economics and under the accounting rules for impairment when there are indications that the carrying amount of an asset or asset group may not be recoverable. This evaluation involves a significant degree of estimation and uncertainty. In the Entergy Wholesale Commodities business, Entergy’s
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investments in merchant generation assets are subject to impairment if adverse market or regulatory conditions arise, particularly if it leads to a decision or an expectation that Entergy will operate or own a plant for a shorter period than previously expected; if there is a significant adverse change in the physical condition of a plant; or, if capital investment in a plant significantly exceeds previously-expected amounts.
If an asset is considered held for use, and Entergy concludes that events and circumstances are present indicating that an impairment analysis should be performed under the accounting standards, the sum of the expected undiscounted future cash flows from the asset are compared to the asset’s carrying value. The carrying value of the asset includes any capitalized asset retirement cost associated with the decommissioning liability; therefore, changes in assumptions that affect the decommissioning liability can increase or decrease the carrying value of the asset subject to impairment for those assets for which a decommissioning liability is recorded. If the expected undiscounted future cash flows exceed the carrying value, no impairment is recorded. If the expected undiscounted future cash flows are less than the carrying value and the carrying value exceeds the fair value, Entergy is required to record an impairment charge to write the asset down to its fair value. If an asset is considered held for sale, an impairment is required to be recognized if the fair value (less costs to sell) of the asset is less than its carrying value.
The expected future cash flows are based on a number of key assumptions, including:
•Future power and fuel prices - Electricity and gas prices can be very volatile. This volatility increases the imprecision inherent in the long-term forecasts of commodity prices that are a key determinant of estimated future cash flows.
•Market value of generation assets - Valuing assets held for sale requires estimating the current market value of generation assets. While market transactions provide evidence for this valuation, these transactions are relatively infrequent, the market for such assets is volatile, and the value of individual assets is affected by factors unique to those assets.
•Future operating costs - Entergy assumes relatively minor annual increases in operating costs. Technological or regulatory changes that have a significant effect on operations could cause a significant change in these assumptions.
•Timing and the life of the asset - Entergy assumes an expected life of the asset. A change in the timing assumption, whether due to management decisions regarding operation of the plant, the regulatory process, or operational or other factors, could have a significant effect on the expected future cash flows and result in a significant effect on operations.
See Note 14 to the financial statements for a discussion of impairment conclusions related to the Entergy Wholesale Commodities nuclear plants.
Taxation and Uncertain Tax Positions
Management exercises significant judgment in evaluating the potential tax effects of Entergy’s operations, transactions, and other events. Entergy accounts for uncertain income tax positions using a recognition model under a two-step approach with a more likely-than-not recognition threshold and a measurement approach based on the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement. Management evaluates each tax position based on the technical merits and facts and circumstances of the position, assuming the position will be examined by a taxing authority having full knowledge of all relevant information. Significant judgment is required to determine whether available information supports the assertion that the recognition threshold has been met. Additionally, measurement of unrecognized tax benefits to be recorded in the consolidated financial statements is based on the probability of different potential outcomes. Income tax expense and tax positions recorded could be significantly affected by events such as additional transactions contemplated or consummated by Entergy as well as audits by taxing authorities of the tax positions taken in transactions. Management believes that the financial statement tax balances are accounted for and adjusted appropriately each quarter as necessary in accordance with applicable authoritative guidance; however, the ultimate outcome of tax matters could result in favorable or unfavorable effects on the consolidated financial statements. Entergy’s income
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taxes, including unrecognized tax benefits, open audits, and other significant tax matters are discussed in Note 3 to the financial statements.
Included in the IRS examination of Entergy’s 2015 tax returns is the tax effect of the October 2015 combination of two Entergy utility companies, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana and Entergy Louisiana. Entergy Louisiana maintained a carryover tax basis in the assets received and the tax consequences provided for an increase in tax basis as well. This resulted in recognition in 2015 of a $334 million permanent difference and income tax benefit, net of the uncertain tax position recorded on the transaction. As discussed in Note 3 to the financial statements, the IRS completed its examination of the 2014 and 2015 tax years and issued its 2014-2015 Revenue Agent Report in November 2020. Entergy Louisiana reversed the provision for uncertain tax positions with respect to the business combination. See additional discussion of the 2014 and 2015 IRS audit in Note 3 to the financial statements.
In addition, as discussed in Note 3 to the financial statements, in 2015, System Energy and Entergy Louisiana adopted a new method of accounting for income tax return purposes in which nuclear decommissioning liabilities are treated as production costs of electricity includable in cost of goods sold. The new method resulted in a reduction of taxable income of $1.2 billion for System Energy and $2.2 billion for Entergy Louisiana in 2015. In the third quarter 2020 the IRS issued Notices of Proposed Adjustment concerning this uncertain tax position allowing System Energy to include $102 million of its decommissioning liability in cost of goods sold and Entergy Louisiana to include $221 million of its decommissioning liability in cost of goods sold. The Notices of Proposed Adjustment will not be appealed.
As a result of System Energy being allowed to include part of its decommissioning liability in cost of goods sold, System Energy and Entergy recorded a deferred tax liability of $26 million in 2020. System Energy also recorded federal and state taxes payable of $402 million in 2020; on a consolidated basis, however, Entergy utilized tax loss carryovers to offset the federal taxable income adjustment and accordingly did not record federal taxes payable as a result of the outcome of this uncertain tax position. The state taxes due were paid in 2021.
As a result of Entergy Louisiana being allowed to include part of its decommissioning liability in cost of goods sold, Entergy Louisiana and Entergy recorded a deferred tax liability of $60 million in 2020. Both Entergy Louisiana and Entergy utilized tax loss carryovers to offset the taxable income adjustment and accordingly did not record taxes payable as a result of the outcome of this uncertain tax position.
The partial disallowance of the uncertain tax position to include the decommissioning liability in cost of goods sold resulted in a $1.5 billion decrease in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits related to federal and state taxes for Entergy which were recorded in 2020. Additionally, both System Energy and Entergy Louisiana, in 2020, recorded a reduction to their balances of unrecognized tax benefits for federal and state taxes of $461 million and $1.1 billion, respectively.
See Note 3 to the financial statements for discussion of the effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the federal income tax legislation enacted in December 2017.
Qualified Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits
Entergy sponsors qualified, defined benefit pension plans, including cash balance plans and final average pay plans. Generally, plan participation is determined based on the employee’s most recent date of hire and collective bargaining agreement where applicable. Additionally, Entergy currently provides other postretirement health care and life insurance benefits for substantially all full-time employees whose most recent date of hire or rehire is before July 1, 2014 and who reach retirement age and meet certain eligibility requirements while still working for Entergy.
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Entergy’s reported costs of providing these benefits, as described in Note 11 to the financial statements, are affected by numerous factors including the provisions of the plans, changing employee demographics, and various actuarial calculations, assumptions, and accounting mechanisms. Because of the complexity of these calculations, the long-term nature of these obligations, and the importance of the assumptions utilized, Entergy’s estimate of these costs is a critical accounting estimate for the Utility and Entergy Wholesale Commodities segments.
Assumptions
Key actuarial assumptions utilized in determining qualified pension and other postretirement health care and life insurance costs include discount rates, projected healthcare cost rates, expected long-term rate of return on plan assets, rate of increase in future compensation levels, retirement rates, expected timing and form of payments, and mortality rates.
Annually, Entergy reviews and, when necessary, adjusts the assumptions for the pension and other postretirement plans. Every three-to-five years, a formal actuarial assumption experience study that compares assumptions to the actual experience of the pension and other postretirement health care and life insurance plans is conducted. The interest rate environment over the past few years and volatility in the financial equity markets have affected Entergy’s funding and reported costs for these benefits.
Discount rates
In selecting an assumed discount rate to calculate benefit obligations, Entergy uses a yield curve based on high-quality corporate debt with cash flows matching the expected plan benefit payments. In estimating the service cost and interest cost components of net periodic benefit cost, Entergy discounts the expected cash flows by the applicable spot rates.
Projected health care cost trend rates
Entergy’s health care cost trend is affected by both medical cost inflation, and with respect to capped costs under the plan, the effects of general inflation. Entergy reviews actual recent cost trends and projected future trends in establishing its health care cost trend rates.
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets
In determining its expected long-term rate of return on plan assets used in the calculation of benefit plan costs, Entergy reviews past performance, current and expected future asset allocations, and capital market assumptions of its investment consultant and some of its investment managers. Entergy conducts periodic asset/liability studies in order to set its target asset allocations.
In 2017, Entergy confirmed its liability-driven investment strategy for its pension assets, which recommended that the target asset allocation adjust dynamically over time, based on the funded status of the plan, to an ultimate allocation of 35% equity securities and 65% fixed income securities. The ultimate asset allocation is expected to be attained when the plan is 100% funded. The target pension asset allocation for 2021 was 58% equity and 42% fixed income securities. In 2022, Entergy expects to adjust its asset allocation strategy for pension assets, which will target an overall shift to less fixed income securities and more equity securities.
In 2017, Entergy implemented a new asset allocation strategy for its non-taxable and taxable other postretirement assets, based on the funded status of each sub-account within each trust. The new strategy no longer focuses on targeting an overall asset allocation for each trust, but rather a target asset allocation for each sub-account within each trust that adjusts dynamically based on the funded status. The 2021 weighted average target postretirement asset allocation is 42% equity and 58% fixed income securities. See Note 11 to the financial statements for discussion of the current asset allocations for Entergy’s pension and other postretirement assets.
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Costs and Sensitivities
The estimated 2022 and actual 2021 qualified pension and other postretirement costs and related underlying assumptions and sensitivities are shown below:
| Costs | Estimated 2022 | 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (In millions) | ||||
| Qualified pension cost | $183 | $471.8 (a) | ||
| Other postretirement income | ($12.6) | ($25.9) | ||
| Assumptions | 2022 | 2021 | ||
| Discount rates | ||||
| Qualified pension | ||||
| Service cost | 3.07% | 2.81% | ||
| Interest cost | 2.49% | 2.08% | ||
| Other postretirement | ||||
| Service cost | 3.20% | 2.98% | ||
| Interest cost | 2.31% | 1.86% | ||
| Expected long-term rates of return | ||||
| Qualified pension assets | 6.75% | 6.75% | ||
| Other postretirement - non-taxable assets | 5.75% - 6.75% | 6.00% - 6.75% | ||
| Other postretirement - taxable assets - after tax rate | 4.75% | 5.00% | ||
| Weighted-average rate of increase in future compensation | 3.98% - 4.40% | 3.98% - 4.40% | ||
| Assumed health care cost trend rates | ||||
| Pre-65 retirees | 5.65% | 5.87% | ||
| Post-65 retirees | 5.90% | 6.31% | ||
| Ultimate rate | 4.75% | 4.75% | ||
| Year ultimate rate is reached and beyond | ||||
| Pre-65 retirees | 2032 | 2030 | ||
| Post-65 retirees | 2032 | 2028 |
(a) In 2021 qualified pension cost included settlement costs of $205.9 million.
Actual asset returns have an effect on Entergy’s qualified pension and other postretirement costs. In 2021, Entergy’s actual annual return on qualified pension assets was approximately 11% and for other postretirement assets was approximately 8%, as compared with the 2021 expected long-term rates of return discussed above.
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The following chart reflects the sensitivity of qualified pension cost and qualified pension projected benefit obligation to changes in certain actuarial assumptions (dollars in millions):
| Actuarial Assumption | Change in Assumption | Impact on 2022 Qualified Pension Cost | Impact on 2021 Qualified Projected Benefit Obligation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase/(Decrease) | ||||||
| Discount rate | (0.25%) | $13 | $236 | |||
| Rate of return on plan assets | (0.25%) | $15 | $— | |||
| Rate of increase in compensation | 0.25% | $9 | $41 |
The following chart reflects the sensitivity of postretirement benefit cost and accumulated postretirement benefit obligation to changes in certain actuarial assumptions (dollars in millions):
| Actuarial Assumption | Change in Assumption | Impact on 2022 Postretirement Benefit Cost | Impact on 2021 Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase/(Decrease) | ||||||
| Discount rate | (0.25%) | $2 | $37 | |||
| Health care cost trend | 0.25% | $2 | $25 |
Each fluctuation above assumes that the other components of the calculation are held constant.
Accounting Mechanisms
In accordance with pension accounting standards, Entergy utilizes a number of accounting mechanisms that reduce the volatility of reported pension costs. Differences between actuarial assumptions and actual plan results are deferred and are amortized into expense only when the accumulated differences exceed 10% of the greater of the projected benefit obligation or the market-related value of plan assets. If necessary, the excess is amortized over the average remaining service period of active employees or the average remaining life expectancy of plan participants if almost all are inactive, as is the case for certain qualified pension plans in which some companies within the Entergy Wholesale Commodities segment participate. Additionally, accounting standards allow for the deferral of prior service costs/credits arising from plan amendments that attribute an increase or decrease in benefits to employee service in prior periods. Prior service costs/credits are then amortized into expense over the average future working life of active employees. Certain decisions, including workforce reductions, plan amendments, and plant shutdowns may significantly reduce the expense amortization period and result in immediate recognition of certain previously-deferred costs and gains/losses in the form of curtailment gains or losses. Similarly, payments made to settle benefit obligations, including lump sum benefit payments, can also result in accelerated recognition in the form of settlement losses or gains.
Entergy calculates the expected return on pension and other postretirement benefit plan assets by multiplying the long-term expected rate of return on assets by the market-related value (MRV) of plan assets. In general, Entergy determines the MRV of its pension plan assets by calculating a value that uses a 20-quarter phase-in of the difference between actual and expected returns and for its other postretirement benefit plan assets Entergy uses fair value.
Accounting standards require an employer to recognize in its balance sheet the funded status of its benefit plans. See Note 11 to the financial statements for a further discussion of Entergy’s funded status.
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Employer Contributions
Entergy contributed $356 million to its qualified pension plans in 2021. Entergy estimates pension contributions will be approximately $200 million in 2022; although the 2022 required pension contributions will be known with more certainty when the January 1, 2022 valuations are completed, which is expected by April 1, 2022.
Minimum required funding calculations as determined under Pension Protection Act guidance, as amended by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, are performed annually as of January 1 of each year and are based on measurements of the assets and funding liabilities as measured at that date. Any excess of the funding liability over the calculated fair market value of assets results in a funding shortfall that must be funded over a fifteen-year rolling period. The Pension Protection Act also imposes certain plan limitations if the funded percentage, which is based on calculated fair market values of assets divided by funding liabilities, does not meet certain thresholds. For funding purposes, asset gains and losses are smoothed in to the calculated fair market value of assets. The funding liability is based upon a weighted average 24-month corporate bond rate published by the U.S. Treasury which is generally subject to a corridor of the 25-year average of prior segment rates. Periodic changes in asset returns and interest rates can affect funding shortfalls and future cash contributions.
Entergy contributed $32.8 million to its postretirement plans in 2021 and plans to contribute $42.8 million in 2022.
Other Contingencies
As a company with multi-state utility operations, Entergy is subject to a number of federal and state laws and regulations and other factors and conditions in the areas in which it operates, which potentially subjects it to environmental, litigation, and other risks. Entergy periodically evaluates its exposure for such risks and records a provision for those matters which are considered probable and estimable in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Environmental
Entergy must comply with environmental laws and regulations applicable to air emissions, water discharges, solid waste (including coal combustion residuals), hazardous waste, toxic substances, protected species, and other environmental matters. Under these various laws and regulations, Entergy could incur substantial costs to comply or address any impacts to the environment. Entergy conducts studies to determine the extent of any required remediation and has recorded liabilities based upon its evaluation of the likelihood of loss and expected dollar amount for each issue. Additional sites or issues could be identified which require environmental remediation or corrective action for which Entergy could be liable. The amounts of environmental liabilities recorded can be significantly affected by the following external events or conditions.
•Changes to existing federal, state, or local regulation by governmental authorities having jurisdiction over air quality, water quality, control of toxic substances and hazardous and solid wastes, and other environmental matters.
•The identification of additional impacts, sites, issues, or the filing of other complaints in which Entergy may be asserted to be a potentially responsible party.
•The resolution or progression of existing matters through the court system or resolution by the EPA or relevant state or local authority.
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Litigation
Entergy is regularly named as a defendant in a number of lawsuits involving employment, customers, and injuries and damages issues, among other matters. Entergy periodically reviews the cases in which it has been named as defendant and assesses the likelihood of loss in each case as probable, reasonably possible, or remote and records liabilities for cases that have a probable likelihood of loss and the loss can be estimated. Given the environment in which Entergy operates, and the unpredictable nature of many of the cases in which Entergy is named as a defendant, the ultimate outcome of the litigation to which Entergy is exposed has the potential to materially affect the results of operations, financial position, and cash flows of Entergy or the Registrant Subsidiaries.
New Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 1 to the financial statements for discussion of new accounting pronouncements.
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