IN THE NEWS
Louisiana Energy News
New solar farm comes online in Franklinton
October 22, 2024
Louisiana Illuminator
A new utility-scale solar farm went online Monday in Washington Parish, generating enough electricity to power roughly 11,500 homes. D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments, one of the nation’s largest independent solar power producers, unveiled its 50-megawatt solar facility on about 285 acres of private farmland just outside Franklinton. The Sunlight Road Solar facility boasts new technology in the form of all-terrain, sun-tracking sensors developed by the Oakland, Calif.-based Nevados.
The most important election in Louisiana that many don’t even know about
October 18, 2024
Louisiana Illuminator
By Nov. 5, over a half-million Louisiana residents will get the chance to vote someone new into one of the most powerful political offices in the state, though the candidates say most people don’t realize it. The race in question is for the District 2 seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission, an elected regulatory body that can directly impact the pocketbooks of Louisiana residents through the cost of energy. Early voting begins Friday and ends Oct. 29.
Public Service Commission selects firm to run statewide energy efficiency program
September 18, 2024
The Advocate
The Louisiana Public Service Commission this week selected the firm that will run a statewide energy efficiency program slated to launch in 2026. Aptim Environmental & Infrastructure, a Baton Rouge-based for-profit environmental solutions firm, won the contract over two other finalists, Frontier Energy and TRC, in a unanimous vote by the five-member commission.
Misinformation clouds legislative hearing on solar energy development in Louisiana
August 26, 2024
Louisiana Illuminator
Even in Louisiana, where fossil fuels have long been the dominant energy source, utilities and industrial power users continue to place more emphasis on tapping a renewable power supply — whether forced to do so by regulators or driven by environmental reasons.
Facebook's parent company is turning to this Louisiana solar farm for some of its power needs
August 21, 2024
The Advocate
Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and other worldwide social media platforms, will be filling some of its expansive electricity needs from sunbeams in northeast Louisiana. RWE, a German renewable power company, has inked long-term power providing deals with Meta for future solar farms in Ouachita Parish and Illinois, the company said.
Editorial: Regulators rightly reined in Entergy Louisiana rate hikes
August 20, 2024
The Times Picayune
The Louisiana Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities across most of the state, last week approved a slight rate hike for Entergy Louisiana customers, far below the 5.2% increase that the company had sought.
Louisiana utility regulators pass rule to keep electric vehicle charging competitive
August 17, 2024
Louisiana Illuminator
State regulators have established a policy they believe will spur more private investment in electric vehicle charging stations in Louisiana — limiting competition from utility companies.
Entergy Louisiana customers will soon pay higher rates. See how much.
August 14, 2024
The Advocate
Entergy Louisiana customers will see their bills rise slightly under new rates approved Wednesday, but the utility’s regulators were able to offset bigger rate hikes by settling long-running allegations that Entergy bilked ratepayers and mismanaged one of its massive nuclear plants.Jefferson Parish residents demand accountability for Entergy’s reliability in heated council meeting
August 7, 2024
Fox 8 News
Tensions reached a boiling point inside the Jefferson Parish Council Chambers Wednesday morning (Aug. 7). “Am I just speaking Greek here? We are never, ever going to be served by this public service commission. I don’t care who the members are,” exploded one man.
Louisiana looks to Idaho National Laboratory for a nuclear strategy
July 30, 2024
102 Industry Report
Louisiana leaders are working with Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL) Frontiers Initiative to help the state become a national leader in advanced nuclear energy, INL announced. INL experts will help the state develop a strategic plan to use nuclear energy to power its manufacturing sector and support growing grid-scale electrical demands.
Customers who save on electric bills could be forced to pay utility company for lost profits
July 26, 2024
New Orleans Business
Louisiana’s major electric utilities are still pushing state regulators to allow them to charge customers for the costs of a new statewide energy efficiency program and for the electricity customers will no longer need because of that program.
Fed up with repeated power outages, New Orleans officials seek answers from Entergy
July 24, 2024
The Times Picayune
New Orleans officials on Tuesday probed Entergy on why the city has experienced a spike in power outages this year, especially during fair weather, airing a longstanding gripe of residents and business owners who lament the lights going out on sunny days.
A plan to build one of Louisiana's biggest solar farms was rejected. Lawsuits have now been filed.
July 20, 2024
The Advocate
The rejection of a plan to build one of Louisiana's largest solar farms in St. James Parish has drawn lawsuits from the developer and a land company that allege local officials acted in defiance of "objective evidence" and the public will in denying the 2,200-acre complex.
Challenges to FERC grid rule set up post-Chevron court test
July 18, 2024
EnergyWire
Utility regulators, advocacy groups and at least one state are kicking off litigation against a federal order meant to spur long-term electric grid planning that could face new hurdles after the Supreme Court limited agency powers.A Decade of Delays: Time for Consumer-Focused Transmission
July 8, 2024
The Lens NOLA
For most Americans, keeping the lights on isn’t an issue. But Louisianans have some unique challenges. For households in Louisiana, bills are rising while the reliability of their electricity service isn’t improving. And although there aren’t foolproof solutions for addressing extreme weather events, better-planned and executed transmission-line development could help the state address both cost and reliability.
Guest column: Public Service Commission must be nimble to respond to changing energy environment
July 2, 2024
The Times Picayune
As I get ready to leave the Louisiana Public Service Commission after seven years, there is much to reflect upon about what I’ve seen and what I see coming. Let me start with the observation that my four colleagues are dedicated public servants, each of whom at one time or another I have agreed and disagreed with over the course of my time on the commission. The deliberative process, while slow, messy and frustrating at times, is alive and well at the PSC.
Candidates emerge for soon-vacant Public Service Commission seat
June 25, 2024
Louisiana Illuminator
One race in this November’s election will be for perhaps the most influential seat on one of the most powerful state-level boards in Louisiana. Last week’s news that an incumbent won’t seek reelection is prompting considerable interest from three potential Republican candidates, and it remains to be seen if Democrats can develop a viable candidate.
Louisiana’s largest industries tired of waiting for renewable energy
June 21, 2024
Louisiana Illuminator
Frustrated with the lack of renewable energy in Louisiana from utilities, some of the largest corporations doing business in the state have banded together to acquire their own solar power.
Sought by Entergy, industry, Louisiana solar farm fails amid public opposition.
June 19, 2024
The Advocate
Wearing dark blazers and serious faces, seven St. James High boys and their mentors stood before the Parish Council to praise a New York renewable power developer for financing a school leadership program that has changed their lives.
Craig Greene won’t seek reelection to Louisiana Public Service Commission
June 19, 2024
Louisiana Illuminator
Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Dr. Craig Greene announced Wednesday that he will not seek reelection once he concludes his term at year’s end.
Scaled down and offering financial help for the area, a solar farm project tries again in Louisiana
June 17, 2024
The Advocate
For more than two years, a New York renewable energy company has been working to build a large solar farm in rural western St. James Parish — is now poised for a final vote from parish officials after dialing back its earlier plans amid public opposition.
La. residents share similar views on fossil fuels and renewables regardless of politics
June 13, 2024
Louisiana Illuminator
An overwhelming majority of Louisiana residents support the expansion of renewable energy alongside fossil fuel production in the state, and most residents believe the state government is doing too little to protect air and water quality, according to a new survey by LSU researchers.
New laws could protect Louisiana landowners as carbon capture expands
June 10, 2024
The Advocate
With Louisiana on track to welcome the burgeoning carbon capture and sequestration industry, lawmakers just passed a package of legislation to regulate the controversial technology. One group of bills aims to protect impacted landowners by requiring companies to get those landowners’ consent before building carbon wells, or reservoirs that store carbon dioxide underground.
Entergy Texas proposes natural gas power plants as electricity need surges
June 5, 2024
Reuters
Entergy Texas plans to build two new natural gas power plants, as it confronts burgeoning electricity demand in the southern state, the company said. If approved by the state's utility regulator, the plants would come online by 2028, Entergy (ETI_p.N), opens new tab said on Tuesday.
Louisiana coastal restoration would see boost from wind energy under newly approved bills
May 30, 2024
The Times-Picayune
The state Legislature gave final approval to two bills on Thursday that would dedicate future revenue from alternative forms of energy such as wind power to coastal protection and restoration projects.
Law will help wealthy Louisiana landowner in dispute with power line builder
May 30, 2024
Louisiana Illuminator
Gov. Jeff Landry has signed a bill into law that intervenes in a north Louisiana land dispute between an interstate power line company and a wealthy property owner.
Tellurian sells Haynesville Shale acres to shore up Driftwood LNG plant
May 29, 2024
The Advocate
There will soon be a larger player in the Haynesville Shale. Aethon Energy Management of Dallas announced Wednesday it had reached a deal to acquire 31,000 acres from Tellurian Inc. in a $260 million deal. Houston-based Tellurian said it use the proceeds to pay off senior secured notes and “strengthen our balance sheet for the long term.”
Is U.S. offshore wind dead in the water - or just poised for the next big gust?May 28, 2024
Louisiana Illuminator
In the early 2000s, a long-time Louisiana engineer and entrepreneur thought it would be natural for the oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico to expand into offshore wind. The industry could use the same workforce, the same shipyards and possibly even the same platforms to generate renewable power.
New federal rule will overhaul transmission planning as electric grid strains
May 14, 2024
Louisiana Illuminator
A divided Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Monday issued a long-awaited overhaul of how regional electric transmission lines are planned and paid for, a move cheered by clean power groups but blasted by a conservative commissioner who said it was driven by “special interests” and exceeds the commission’s authority.
As Louisiana embraces carbon capture, state lawmakers seek to regulate industry
May 1, 2024
The Advocate
As Louisiana embraces the burgeoning and controversial carbon capture industry, state lawmakers are advancing bills that would protect impacted landowners, require emergency response plans for carbon sequestration facilities and give more money to parishes that house carbon wells.
US appeals court upholds permits for Commonwealth LNG plant on Louisiana coast
April 30, 2024
The Times Picayune
Louisiana's environmental regulators properly issued air pollution permits for a proposed $4 billion Commonwealth LNG export facility in Cameron Parish, according to a ruling from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Louisiana utilities won’t be able to hit customers with ‘ghost charges’
April 24, 2024, New Orleans City Business
Starting in 2026, the energy efficiency program will be run by a neutral, state-appointed third-party administrator and the practice of “ghost charges” – a practice in which utilities could calculate using models how much they saved customers and charge them for those savings – will end.
Few of Entergy's $1.9 billion in grid-hardening projects include underground power lines
April 24, 2024, Louisiana Illuminator
Entergy Louisiana’s plan to upgrade its power transmission and distribution systems will cost customers $1.9 billion and include over 2,100 grid-hardening projects to strengthen electrical infrastructure across the state, though only a small fraction involve burying power lines underground.
Louisiana lands $156 million to help people get solar panels. See what's planned.
April 22, 2024, The Advocate
Louisiana has been awarded a $156 million grant to deploy solar energy to homes and apartment buildings across the state, delivering a boost to renewables and an ongoing effort to create solar-powered hubs that can help residents when a hurricane knocks out the power grid.
Entergy accused of trying to rush $1.9 billion grid upgrade approval, with customers covering cost
April 17, 2024, Louisiana Illuminator
Entergy’s largest subsidiary is asking state utility regulators to approve a $1.9 billion “grid hardening” plan for power transmission and distribution infrastructure. Customers would pay for the work over five years through surcharges on their monthly bills, and the company wants a decision made by Friday — just days after it filed the final draft of the proposal.
Transmission line and landowners' rights at odds in DeSoto Parish
April 9, 2024, West Central's Best
MANSFIELD, La. – The plan to build a high-voltage power line across north Louisiana parishes has sparked controversy as some landowners are pushing back against concerns the private developer could take their land to make the multi-billion project happen.
In the central U.S., an electric grid bottleneck persists
March 31, 2024, Louisiana Illluminator
Forty-five million people live in the area managed by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, the organization that runs a massive portion of the North American electric grid running from Manitoba, Canada, to the Gulf of Mexico.
Gulf’s next wind auction puts focus on Louisiana after Texas shuns renewables
March 31, 2024, Louisiana Illuminator
Political winds, rather than the strength of actual air currents, are steering offshore wind energy development from Texas to Louisiana. After the Gulf of Mexico’s first-ever offshore wind lease auction drew zero bids for sites in the waters off Texas last year, federal regulators plan to tilt the second auction toward Louisiana.
Transformer fires trigger emergency shutdown of Waterford 3 nuclear plant
March 26, 2024, The Advocate
Entergy’s Waterford 3 nuclear generating plant in Killona was forced to shut down last week after two transformers caught fire in the plant’s main transformer yard, according to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
More wind energy could be on the way off Louisiana's coast. Here's the plan.
March 25, 2024, The Advocate
The waters off Louisiana's coast could be in line for more wind energy under a newly announced federal plan. The U.S. Department of the Interior has announced plans for a second offshore auction of four new locations to build wind energy generators in the Gulf of Mexico off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas, with the auction possibly occurring later this year.
Entergy’s floating power plant proposal for storm backup comes with risk, cost concerns
March 25, 2024, Louisiana Illuminator
To make south Louisiana’s oil and gas infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather, Entergy Louisiana wants to build a $441 million natural gas power plant at the mouth of Bayou Lafourche.
Louisiana's unusual nearshore wind farms could be bird 'minefields'
February 12, 2024, The Times Picayune
Plonk a collection of colossal, whirling blades in any location, and it's practically guaranteed that some birds will die.
Clean power advocates eye grid operator’s planning reforms warily
February 4, 2024, Louisiana Illuminator
PJM, the nation’s biggest grid operator, is changing how it plans transmission upgrades needed to ensure reliable service for the 65 million people who live in its footprint.
| Utility commissioner asks officials to review contract awarded to colleague's friend | |
| 12/19/2021 -- The Advocate Utility regulator Foster Campbell asked the Public Service Commission to reconsider its vote to award a $44,650 contract to a long-time friend of fellow commissioner Eric Skrmetta. |
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| No power, high bills: Entergy customers express frustration after Hurricane Ida | |
| 12/13/2021 -- The Houma Courier Some people who have been without electricity since Hurricane Ida are somehow still receiving electric bills. |
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| Natural gas exports, investments expected to swell after a historically challenging year, economists say | |
| 11/17/2021 -- The Advocate A year of shutdowns and hurricanes threatened oil and gas production on the Gulf Coast, but economists with LSU’s Center for Energy Studies predict an upswing in natural gas investments and refinement over the next several years. Oil investments, however, have a less-than-desirable outlook. |
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| Louisiana to stay in MISO after state regulators put off vote to leave transmission authority | |
| 11/17/2021 -- The Advocate The state’s utility regulators didn’t vote Wednesday on an effort to quit a regional transmission authority. |
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| Phillips 66 to shutter Alliance Refinery, convert it to fuel terminal; 900 jobs in jeopardy | |
| 11/8/2021 -- The Times-Picayune Houston-based Phillips 66 said Monday that it plans to shut its Alliance Refinery in Plaquemine Parish and convert it into a storage terminal, threatening as many as 900 jobs in the latest hit to Louisiana's refining sector. |
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| Louisiana has bet big on liquefied natural gas. Is it a good bet? | |
| 10/31/2021 -- The Advocate CAMERON — Darrell LeBlanc shovels ice onto a shrimp boat, the marsh buffering the Gulf of Mexico behind him, a scene that’s played out countless times along the Louisiana coast over much of the state’s history. But the backdrop on the horizon, a giant tangle of cranes and storage tanks, is unmistakably modern. |
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| One of the last coal-fired power plants in Louisiana to close, laying off dozens | |
| 10/28/2021 -- The Advocate One of the last coal-fired power plants in Louisiana is shutting down and laying off dozens of workers in DeSoto Parish. |
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| Subscribe Louisiana wants to harden the power grid against hurricanes. Here’s why that may not happen | |
| 10/23/2021 -- The Advocate As memory of the overly hot days without power after Hurricane Ida recedes, talk about “hardening” the electrical grid will become more abstract. |
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| Louisiana experiences a dramatic 12% average increase in electricity bills during October | |
| 10/22/2021 -- The Advocate This month’s bills for Louisiana’s two million or so electricity customers are $11.67 higher, on average, than they were in October 2020, according to the reports compiled by the Public Service Commission, which regulates the privately owned for-profit companies and the cooperative nonprofits that sell power throughout the state. |
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| Power outages might be fewer, shorter thanks to this Entergy project. Here's how it works. | |
| 10/20/2021 -- The Advocate Entergy is launching a multi-million-dollar project this week to replace power lines and utility poles along a three-mile stretch of Highland Road and install "smart devices" that can restart power after everyday events like fallen tree limbs or errant squirrels. |
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| Much of Louisiana is pushing back against big solar plants. St. Helena Parish might welcome them. | |
| 10/15/2021 -- The Advocate From rural Louisiana towns to the State Capitol, officials and residents have often met a budding solar energy boom with concern or outrage. |
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| Massive, controversial solar project near Lake Charles offers peek into Louisiana's energy future | |
| 10/5/2021 -- The Advocate Next to a vast expanse of pasture where cows graze outside Lake Charles, John Denison talks about a project sparking a collision of past, present and future. |
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| Entergy's shares slump after Ida as regulators circle and climate risks spook investors | |
| 9/30/2021 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. shares have fallen sharply in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, a signal that investors are concerned about recent scrutiny from regulators and the possibility that much larger infrastructure investments will be needed to fix damage and harden the local grid. |
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| Letters: PSC is too permissive with Entergy, overlooks slow maintenance | |
| 9/28/2021 -- The Advocate There are concerns regarding the condition of Entergy Louisiana facilities with evidence that more proactive maintenance work is needed. But what are the incentives for Entergy to perform comprehensive, preventative maintenance and how are they enforced? |
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| Entergy spends far more on power plants than improving the grid | |
| 9/27/2021 -- WWLTV NEW ORLEANS — Entergy’s subsidiaries serving southeast Louisiana spend four times as much generating their own electricity as they do operating, maintaining and fortifying the transmission grid to deliver power to customers, according to WWL-TV’s analysis of federal regulatory data. |
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| Kevin McGill: Aftermath of Ida means finger-pointing at utilities, including Entergy | |
| 9/27/2021 -- The Advocate There was brinksmanship with a whiff of ransom. In the aftermath of a citywide blackout that lasted for days after Hurricane Ida hit on Aug. 29, dissatisfaction among residents and city leaders was growing with utility company Entergy New Orleans and its parent, utility giant Entergy Corp. |
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| Mark Ballard: What regulators can do to improve utility systems | |
| 9/25/2021 -- The Advocate All we know is that someone or a group of someones hacked into a public Zoom meeting to throw up explicit scenes of people having sex when Louisiana Public Service Commission members tried to discuss what happened to utility and telecommunications companies during Hurricane Ida and how services were restored. |
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| Entergy's finances could be threatened by Hurricane Ida costs and political push back, Moody's warns | |
| 9/24/2021 -- The Times-Picyaune The investment rating agency Moody’s has changed its outlook for Entergy Corp. and its two Louisiana subsidiaries to "negative" after the company estimated the repairs needed after Hurricane Ida would be more expensive than previously anticipated. |
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| NEWS Hurricane Ida power restoration, repair costs could approach $3B in Louisiana: Who'll pay? | |
| 9/22/2021 -- The Monroe News-Star Hurricane Ida power restoration and repair costs could approach $3 billion in Louisiana with many customers on the hook to foot the bill without federal help. |
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| Entergy failed to adequately maintain & inspect power grid, class-action lawsuit says | |
| 9/20/2021 -- WWLTV NEW ORLEANS — A new class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Entergy customers accuses the company of “grossly inadequate maintenance and inspection” of a system that “would not sustain even a hurricane with wind gusts below 100 miles per hour." |
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| Entergy Louisiana customers could see a 15-year, $5 a month charge following 2020 storm damage | |
| 9/20/2021 -- The Advocate Entergy Louisiana is seeking permission from state regulators to charge its customers nearly $2.1 billion to cover the cost of repairing its power grid following last year's Hurricanes Laura, Delta, Zeta and the subsequent winter storm in February. |
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| Public Service Commission responds to recent spike in power bills | |
| 9/15/2021 -- WAFB BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Hundreds of customers around the Baton Rouge area are outraged after finding out their bill almost doubled, in some cases, tripled in costs over the past month. |
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| America's energy economy badly disrupted by Hurricane Ida | |
| 9/14/2021 -- The Advocate In 2005, and rightly so, the world was horrified when the federally built levees failed and metropolitan New Orleans was flooded. Less recognized was Hurricane Rita just weeks later, which because of its path through oil and gas platforms had an even larger impact on America’s energy economy. |
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| Louisiana used to make it cheaper to go solar; Legislature, PSC changed that | |
| 9/13/2021 -- The Times-Picayune In the two weeks since Hurricane Ida blacked out southeast Louisiana, PosiGen has already received a grant from the Emerson Collective and the 2040 Fund to provide about 200 batteries for clients who contracted with the Old Jefferson company to install home solar power panels. That will let them store and use electricity from the panels to power parts of their houses during future outages. |
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| Entergy typically asks customers to pay for hurricane damage. Could that change after Ida? | |
| 9/13/2021 -- The Times-Picayune After New Orleans was left in the dark for days following Hurricane Ida, City Council members are now searching for ways to force Entergy, rather than ratepayers, to cover the cost of needed repairs to the area's power grid. |
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| No power, no oil: After Hurricane Ida, Louisiana’s oil hub struggles to resume production | |
| 9/12/2021 -- The Advocate The sounds of power lines cracking, category four winds howling and generators buzzing filled Chet Chiasson’s ears as he and several other parish officials prayed for Hurricane Ida to have mercy on their bayou, their port and their livelihoods. |
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| As Ida restoration continues, Entergy keeps wary eye on storm in gulf | |
| 9/12/2021 -- The Times-Picayune Tropical Storm Nicholas, which formed Sunday morning in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, could impact restoration of power for some of the slightly more than 100,000 Entergy customers around southeast Louisiana who are still without it in the wake of Hurricane Ida two weeks ago, the utility said Sunday morning. |
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| Regulators question Entergy's transmission upgrades after 'catastrophic' failure | |
| 9/9/2021 -- WWLTV NEW ORLEANS — Government regulators say they are concerned about what Entergy described as a “catastrophic transmission failure” during Hurricane Ida, questioning if southeast Louisiana’s monopoly utility did enough in recent years to fortify the eight lines that carry high-voltage electricity into the area from the regional power grid. |
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| Ten days after Hurricane Ida, progress on power restoration but still more than 280,000 offline | |
| 9/8/2021 -- The Times-Picayune The number of homes and businesses still without power 10 days after Hurricane Ida chewed up the area's electricity infrastructure stood at about 286,000 on Wednesday, with substantially more progress in the most populated areas of Orleans and Jefferson parishes. |
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| NEWS When is my power going to be back on in Louisiana after Hurricane Ida? It's complicated | |
| 8/31/2021 -- The Shreveport Times Hurricane Ida shredded power grids in New Orleans, Houma's bayou country and much of southeastern Louisiana, complicating recovery as temperatures rise and water systems are compromised. |
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| Hurricane Ida Exposes Grid Weaknesses as New Orleans Goes Dark | |
| 8/30/2021 -- The New York Times Most of New Orleans went dark on Sunday after Hurricane Ida took out transmission lines and forced power plants offline. It was an all too familiar scene in a city that has often lost power during big storms. |
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| Hurricane Ida traps Louisianans, shatters the power grid | |
| 8/30/2021 -- The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Rescuers in boats, helicopters and high-water trucks brought hundreds of people trapped by Hurricane Ida’s floodwaters to safety Monday and utility repair crews rushed in, after the furious storm swamped the Louisiana coast and ravaged the electrical grid in the stifling, late-summer heat. |
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| Utilities, PSC warn customers to prepare for extended outages | |
| 8/27/2021 -- Th Baton Rouge Business Report Though Hurricane Ida’s exact path is still somewhat uncertain, the Capital Region appears to be in the crosshairs of what will be a major hurricane when it makes landfall late this weekend, and that means the entire area will experience extended power outages. |
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| DEMCO looks to buy power from new 'solar farm' in Amite, lower electricity rates | |
| 8/20/2021 -- The Advocate DEMCO has signed a deal with NextEra Energy to purchase electricity for the next 25 years from a new 100 megawatt solar project in Tangipahoa Parish. |
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| McDonalds and eBay to buy power from the largest Louisiana solar 'farm' in the works | |
| 8/4/2021 -- The Advocate The largest solar project proposed in Louisiana so far just got a little bigger and expects to sell its power to retail giants such as eBay Inc. and McDonalds Corp. |
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| La. energy battles show challenge of reaching net zero | |
| 7/27/2021 -- Energywire More than a year after it debuted, Entergy Corp.’s New Orleans Power Station still has climate advocates steaming over the decision to spend $210 million on a project that relies on natural gas. |
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| Who owns all these solar 'farms' across Louisiana? The answers may surprise you | |
| 7/26/2021 -- The Times-Picayune Of the 16 solar power farms proposed in Louisiana, nearly half are controlled by an East Coast hedge fund with an appetite for solar and wind projects contained in a growing $15 billion renewable power portfolio. |
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| Solar panels are wonderful, except when neighbors don't want tons of them | |
| 7/16/2021 -- The Advocate Solar panels are hot right now, and not just because they turn the heat of the sun into electricity: farmland is being purchased and developed for utility-scale acreage in rural areas. |
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| Setting the rules for Louisiana solar projects: Farmers, lobbyists discuss differences in hearings | |
| 6/29/2021 -- The Advocate Dozens of farmers, lobbyists and representatives for the solar industry started hashing out their differences Tuesday over rules for solar projects that have started popping up across the state, which have sparked pushback from farmers worried they can’t compete with the companies for land. |
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| Louisiana solar farms could see millions in incentives. Some votes head to rural residents. | |
| 6/28/2021 -- The Advocate Rural Louisiana residents will vote on more tax breaks for solar farms popping up across the state. The Board of Commerce and Industry approved the next step Monday for economic |
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| 'I thought we were an oil and gas state': Solar developments in Louisianadraw increased scrutiny | |
| 6/19/2021 -- The Advocate Two years ago, when regulators gave Entergy Louisiana the green light to buy power from a new utility-scale solar plant in West Baton Rouge Parish, the power company’s CEO hailed it as a win for customers and for the environment. |
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| Massive LNG export projects along the Louisiana coast could capture 1 million tons of carbon | |
| 5/27/2021 -- The Advocate A company proposing four liquefied natural gas export terminals in Louisiana plans to capture climate-changing greenhouse gases from at least two of its projects for storage deep underground to prevent carbon from entering the atmosphere. |
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| Zurik: Was maintenance sacrificed in Entergy’s record-profit year? | |
| 5/12/2021 -- Fox8live.com NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Energy companies across the state are expected to ask state regulators for permission to charge fees for damages from last year’s hurricane season. But customers and a watchdog group want the state’s largest power provider, Entergy, to answer more questions about cost-saving moves and record profits during a year that saw three hurricanes and a global pandemic. |
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| After winter storm, here’s how much profit Entergy made three months of year | |
| 4/28/2021 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. said Wednesday that revenue and profit surged in the first three months of the year, with utility executives attributing much of the gains to higher demand for heating caused by the blast of winter weather that hit the region in mid-February. |
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| Those who lost power in February storm still paying higher bills; the state wants to know why | |
| 4/14/2021 -- The Advocate Because electricity customers – even those who sat in the cold during the February storm – are having to pay about $10 more per month, Louisiana regulators ordered an investigation into the decisions made by utility company officials. |
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| Get electricity from Entergy? Your bill will be $9 higher for the next 5 months. Here's why. | |
| 4/8/2021 -- The Advocate Entergy customers will see an increase of about $9, on average, in their bills from April through August of this year, the utility company said in a letter to ratepayers Thursday. |
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| Entergy should pay $1B in refunds, damages to customers over faulty power plant, regulators say | |
| 4/3/2021 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. wrongfully charged customers over eight years for a nuclear power station that often malfunctioned and was repeatedly deemed unsafe, according to allegations in a federal complaint filed by three of the utility's regulators. |
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| Bill could make Louisiana a hub for carbon capture and sequestration | |
| 3/22/2021 -- The 12/12 Industry Report U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy has joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in introducing the nation’s first comprehensive carbon dioxide infrastructure package, which could make Louisiana a national hub for carbon capture and sequestration. |
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| Louisiana electric bills continue to spike in March, and 'we're not seeing the full impact yet' | |
| 3/12/2021 -- The Advocate As promised by utility executives, monthly electric bills have gone up and they’ll go up again next month. Entergy base bills increased $9.61, or 10.5%, to $100.52 for a residence using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity when March 2021 is compared to March 2020 for customers between Baton Rouge and Lake Charles. And bills were $105.44 – up $13.64, or 14.8% – in suburban New Orleans and the rest of the 1 million Entergy customers around the state, according to a report released by state regulators. |
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| LPSC sues Entergy for $360 million in damages | |
| 3/3/2021 -- wafb.com The Louisiana Public Service Commission, along with retail regulators in the City of New Orleans and Arkansas, filed a complaint yesterday at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) against System Energy Resources, Inc. (SERI) and Entergy Corporation, its parent company, seeking damages in excess of $360 million for the imprudent operation of the Grand Gulf nuclear plant. The plant is owned by SERI and located in Port Gibson, Mississippi. The complaint seeks damages for the sub-par performance of Grand Gulf for the period 2016 through 2020 and an investigation of SERI’s management of the plant from 2012 forward. It also seeks an investigation of the prudence of an $800 million capacity uprate of Grand Gulf in 2012, which led to overall decreased output from the plant in the period 2012-2020. |
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| Entergy should pay $1B in refunds, damages to customers over faulty power plant, regulators say | |
| 3/3/2021 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. wrongfully charged customers over eight years for a nuclear power station that often malfunctioned and was repeatedly deemed unsafe, according to allegations in a federal complaint filed by three of the utility's regulators. |
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| Entergy reports record profit of nearly $1.4 billion even as demand was hit by pandemic | |
| 2/24/2021 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. reported a record profit of nearly $1.4 billion last year, up 11% from 2019, despite lower sales across the board as demand for power from retailers, offices, industry and even residential consumers fell during the pandemic. |
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| Utility communications during outages under fire by Louisiana regulators: 'Something has to give' | |
| 2/24/2021 -- The Advocate Louisiana regulators gave the state’s utility companies passing grades for doing their bit to restore power after last week’s historic ice storm and record cold. |
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| Entergy shut off 3 times more power than needed in New Orleans during rolling blackouts | |
| 2/23/2021 -- The Times-Picayune Frustrated and angry New Orleans City Councilmembers launched an investigation into Entergy New Orleans Tuesday after the utility said it cut three times as much power to customers as needed during last week's historic cold snap. |
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| Progress in restoring electricity in Louisiana, water challenges remain | |
| 2/23/2021 -- The Houma Courier NEW ORLEANS — Progress is being made to restore electricity across parts of Louisiana and Mississippi that have experienced outages this week as a result of freezing cold temperatures, but challenges remain in getting water services restored. |
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| Our Views: A Great Freeze ought to be a wake-up call for regulators, industry | |
| 2/21/2021 -- The Advocate One of the dullest words in the political lexicon: infrastructure. But maybe not now, as millions have been freezing and without power during winter storms across the nation. |
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| About 2,000 customers without power in Baton Rouge area; Entergy warns of repeat outages | |
| 2/19/2021 -- The Advocate More than 2,000 people in the Baton Rouge area are still without power Friday morning, five days after an arctic blast froze the area, covering it with snow, sleet and ice. |
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| As threat of rolling blackouts ends in Louisiana, officials still urge people to cut back on power | |
| 2/19/2021 -- The Advocate As temperatures slowly return to normal following an Arctic blast of freezing temperatures and winter weather, state leaders and utility companies were still urging Louisianans to conserve their power through the weekend to relieve a taxed electrical grid. |
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| Frustration grows as Baton Rouge residents reach 4 days without power in frigid weather | |
| 2/19/2021 -- The Advocate Frustration is growing for Baton Rouge residents who have been without power for days as cold weather lingers in the area following this week’s ice storm. |
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| Almost 12,000 without power in Baton Rouge area: See the restoration timeline | |
| 2/18/2021 -- The Advocate Almost 12,000 Entergy and DEMCO customers in the greater Baton Rouge area were without power Thursday afternoon, days after a winter storm hit the state bringing with it a mix of snow, sleet and ice. |
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| The bills 'are going to hurt': Why Louisiana utility costs will keep climbing after deep freeze | |
| 2/18/2021 -- The Advocate For those who thought their January and February utility bills were high, wait until March and April. |
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| Entergy abruptly cuts power to South Louisiana Tuesday night | |
| 2/17/2021 -- WBRZ BATON ROUGE - Entergy pulled the plug on electricity to customers across its four-state service area late Tuesday in what the company said was a "forced" decision because of demand. |
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| Why Louisiana regulators are investigating the weather-related rolling blackouts | |
| 2/17/2021 -- The Advocate Louisiana utility regulators are taking a deep dive into the chain of events, including what they call greedy natural gas suppliers, that led to the rolling energy blackouts that left some 2 million customers in the dark and cold, some for more than an hour. |
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| Why some Entergy customers are seeing increases in their monthly electric bills | |
| 1/29/2021 -- The Advocate Louisiana utility regulators are looking into why some residential customers are receiving much higher electric bills this month from Entergy Louisiana – even though the rates haven’t changed. |
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| Craig Greene elected to chair PSC utility regulators | |
| 1/27/2021 -- The Advocate Utility regulator Craig Greene, a Baton Rouge Republican, was chosen Wednesday to be chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission for the next year. |
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| Solar farms in East Feliciana: Police Jury clears zoning to permit solar operations in parish | |
| 1/25/2021 -- The Advocate CLINTON — The East Feliciana Parish Police Jury amended its zoning ordinance on Jan. 19 to include large solar arrays that generate electricity as a permitted use for zoned for agricultural pursuits. |
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| With more solar farms in the works, West Baton Rouge leaders move to require permits | |
| 1/14/2021 -- The Advocate Solar energy farm builders will now need to submit their plans before building in West Baton Rouge Parish after the parish council approved a measure Thursday that would give them more oversight on those projects. |
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| Baton Rouge residents not happy as Entergy boxes show up; here's what the boxes do | |
| 1/13/2021 -- The Advocate The deployment of advanced metering technology from Entergy Louisiana has rankled some homeowners locally, who say they were caught off guard by the recent installation of white "access points" on street poles in their neighborhoods. |
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| Metairie Republican Eric Skrmetta wins third, final term on Public Service Commission | |
| 12/5/2020 -- The Advocate Eric Skrmetta won his third and final six-year term on the utility-regulating Public Service Commission on Saturday night. |
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| A look at why Louisiana electricity prices are so low and how it's playing a role in the PSC race | |
| 12/2/2020 -- The Advocate After paying some the highest electricity bills in the nation 13 years ago, Louisiana consumers now pay the lowest rates, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency. |
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| In races for Public Service Commission, funds from regulated utilities pour in | |
| 11/22/2020 -- The Advocate Truth is over the years almost the only contributors financing the political campaigns of the commissioners overseeing the state’s trucking and utility industries come from the very companies directly regulated by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. It’s totally legal. |
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| Despite pulling more votes this election, Eric Skrmetta is facing a runoff for PSC Commissioner | |
| 11/5/2020 -- The Advocate Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta pulled down more votes Tuesday night than he did to win reelection in 2014. But the two-time Republican incumbent finds himself facing a rookie Democratic candidate in the Dec. 5 runoff. |
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| Northwest Louisiana elections results: Foster Campbell returns to Public Service Commission | |
| 11/4/2020 -- The Shreveport Times Longtime Public Service Commissioner Democrat Foster Campbell defeated Republican challenger Shane Smiley in the District 5 race on Tuesday. |
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| Eric Skrmetta, Allen Borne to meet in Louisiana Public Service Commission runoff | |
| 11/3/2020 -- The Times-Picayune Incumbent Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta will meet Allen Borne Jr. in the Dec. 5 runoff for the Louisiana regulatory body's 1st District post. |
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| Foster Campbell: A lifetime of public service | |
| 10/19/2020 -- ktbs.com ELM GROVE, La. -- Fifty years doing anything is a long time. So imagine five decades as a Louisiana politician. |
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| New solar farm in West Baton Rouge with Entergy electricity contract sold; more under construction | |
| 10/6/2020 -- The Advocate A newly constructed 50-megawatt solar farm on 560 acres in West Baton Rouge Parish that has a supply contract with Entergy Louisiana has been sold to a joint venture called Helios Infrastructure. |
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| Hurricane Laura repair costs are now up to $1.7 billion for Louisiana, Entergy says | |
| 9/22/2020 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. said Tuesday that repairing the damage caused by Hurricane Laura will cost as much as $1.7 billion, with the bulk of the costs being borne by its Entergy Louisiana subsidiary after the storm wreaked havoc in Lake Charles and surrounding parishes. |
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| Ahead of Hurricane Sally, power companies in Louisiana shift resources from Laura restorations | |
| 9/14/2020 -- The Times-Picayune Electric and gas utilities in Louisiana were making last-minute preparations on Monday to deal with possible power outages from what is expected to be the second hurricane to threaten the state in less than a month. |
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| Mark Ballard: After Hurricane Laura, it will be hard work to get the lights back on; here's why | |
| 9/6/2020 -- The Advocate A week after Hurricane Laura came ashore near Cameron with 150 mile-per-hour winds, the head of Entergy Louisiana, Phillip May, has found himself in the eye of a storm of sweaty, often homeless, southwest Louisiana residents wondering just when they’ll be able to turn on their lights again. |
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| Entergy's profits surge by 50%-plus despite coronavirus crushing the local economy | |
| 7/29/2020 -- The Times-Picyaune Entergy Corp. on Wednesday posted a robust 53% increase in profit for the second quarter to $361 million, despite the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the broader economy. |
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| Monroe Republican challenges Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell | |
| 7/23/2020 -- The Shreveport Times Monroe Republican Shane Smiley is challenging Democratic Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell for a seat that represents all of northern Louisiana. |
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| Monroe Republican challenges Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell | |
| 6/23/2020 -- The Shreveport Times Monroe Republican Shane Smiley is challenging Democratic Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell for a seat that represents all of northern Louisiana. |
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| Once more into the breach for a former utility regulator | |
| 6/22/2020 -- The Advocate Former utility regulator John Schwegmann is entering the election fray – against his wife’s advice – and running again for the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| Utility customers won't lose service during COVID-19 emergency | |
| 3/16/2020 -- The Shreveport Times Most Louisiana utility customers put at economic risk by coronavirus won’t have to lose service for missing a payment, thanks to an emergency order by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| ‘LaPolitics:’ Politically busy times at the Public Service Commission | |
| 3/6/2020 -- The Baton Rouge Business Report While the state Public Service Commission has its hands full already with questions about electric cooperatives, rural broadband access and solar power, its members must also tend to political business on the campaign side of things, especially as another election cycle draws closer. |
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| Entergy bills likely to rise, and officials are trying to find how to stop it from happening | |
| 12/19/2019 -- The Advocate State regulators agreed Wednesday to talk a look at all options – including letting industrial customers leave the system – to find a way to handle a coming increase in monthly electric bills tied to Entergy’s building new electricity generating plants. |
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| Rising monthly Entergy bills renew deregulation arguments | |
| 12/16/2019 -- The Advocate Entergy Louisiana’s 1.1 million residential customers paid less in 2018 for electricity than anyone else across the country. |
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| David Dismukes: An exceptionally uncertain time for energy markets | |
| 11/4/2019 -- The 10/12 Industry Report The last decade has completely changed the way most analysts look at energy markets. In the past, and particularly throughout the two decades prior to the shale revolution, geopolitical impacts drove market outcomes. While fundamentals were important, geopolitical events served as important inflection points relative to market trends starting in the early 1970s and continuing until the Arab Spring of 2010. |
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| Federal regulators look at River Bend nuclear plant | |
| 9/18/2019 -- The Advocate The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is double-checking the effectiveness of fixes put in place after Entergy discovered some employees weren’t following proper procedures back in 2016. |
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| Louisiana energy still driving economy | |
| 9/17/2019 -- The Advocate In the recent article “Louisiana petrochemical contractors look for 'the next wave' of construction boom,” our state’s construction and trade workers expressed concern about the business climate and the progress of major industrial projects. |
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| Regulators OK new solar panel rules that change electricity price; some call it a death knell to industry | |
| 9/11/2019 -- The Advocate Before an unusually crowded audience, Louisiana regulators approved Wednesday, as expected, changes in billing and protocols for individuals who have installed solar panels to make their own electricity. |
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| West Baton Rouge solar plant with 197,000 panels begins construction: Entergy Louisiana to purchase its power | |
| 8/13/2019 -- The Advocate Some 197,000 solar panels capable of powering thousands of homes are going into one of the largest solar plants to be built in Louisiana on a 560-acre site near Port Allen. |
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| Entergy Louisiana to raise electricity rates, and there are two big reasons why | |
| 7/13/2019 -- The Advocate Entergy customers in two large sections of the state saw an increase in their electricity bills for June and will again in September for different reasons — namely a new power plant and the fading effects of federal tax reform that had benefited customers. |
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| New St. Charles $869M Entergy power plant online | |
| 5/30/2019 -- The Advocate Power company Entergy Louisiana's newest plant near the St. Charles Parish community of Montz is up and running as of May 23, the company announced. |
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| Entergy ends contract to operate, maintain ExxonMobil refinery power plant; EthosEnergy taking over contract | |
| 4/2/2019 -- The Advocate Entergy is ending a contract to operate and maintain a power plant at the ExxonMobil refinery at the end of May, but most of the 66 workers have been offered jobs with the company that will take over contract. |
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| Entergy wins approval to buy solar power from planned West Baton Rouge plant | |
| 2/21/2019 -- The Advocate Entergy Louisiana has won approval to buy solar power from a 50-megawatt power plant slated for West Baton Rouge Parish, a previously-announced project that is expected to save the utility's customers $29 million over the 20-year contract. |
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| Entergy ordered to refund $58M, meaning lower bills for many Louisiana customers | |
| 1/16/2019 -- The Advocate Entergy Louisiana’s 1 million customers will receive a break on their bills for three months because of a recent ruling by federal regulators. |
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| Louisiana's nuclear power plants cleared for operation into 2040s | |
| 1/7/2019 -- The Advocate Both of Louisiana's nuclear power plants have been federally relicensed to operate into the 2040s, Entergy announced Monday. |
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| Louisiana's nuclear power plants cleared for operation into 2040s | |
| 1/7/2019 -- The Advocate Both of Louisiana's nuclear power plants have been federally relicensed to operate into the 2040s, Entergy announced Monday. |
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| The death of cheap power: cost of electricity expected to rise in 2019 and beyond, study says | |
| 12/30/2018 -- The Advocate For years, Entergy Louisiana’s 1 million customers paid among the lowest electric bills in the nation. |
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| PSC cracking down on electric co-ops | |
| 11/27/2018 -- The American Press Nine out of 10 rural homes in this country were without electric service in the mid-1930s. President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided when he was elected in 1933 that something had to be done to serve the underserved. |
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| Despite Louisiana regulators' demands, rural electric cooperatives pay still kept away from public | |
| 10/14/2018 -- The Advocate Angered by the lucrative and largely unknown perks, state regulators last month demanded rural electric cooperatives give them an accounting of pay, insurance and other benefits for board members and executives of the nonprofits. |
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| Self-dealing in utility co-ops | |
| 10/1/2018 -- The Advocate In response, several of the member-owned organizations are going through management shake-ups and renewed attention to rules that may not have been followed concerning perks of board members and staff. |
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| Entergy seeks to re-license two nuclear plants, amid questions over performance in power emergency | |
| 9/30/2018 -- The Advocate Entergy has received preliminary approval to operate its nuclear plant near St. Francisville for another two decades, though federal agencies are investigating a power-demand emergency in which two of Entergy's nuclear facilities were down. |
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| Investigation launched into high pay, perks at Louisiana electric co-ops | |
| 9/19/2018 -- The Advocate The Louisiana Public Service Commission opened an investigation Wednesday into the compensation and other perks of board members and top executives of all Louisiana's rural electric cooperatives. |
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| Will the intense heat lead to power blackouts in Louisiana? | |
| 9/18/2018 -- The Times-Picayune It's brutally hot in south Louisiana -- even for September -- and the forecast offers no relief. As a result, there's a bigger drain than usual on the regional power supply, and utilities have been on alert in case demand exceeds the available electricity. If the situation becomes critical, it could result in rolling blackouts for customers. |
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| PSC Commissioner Craig Greene adopts a new son | |
| 9/5/2018 -- The Advocate Public Service Commissioner Craig Greene recently returned from China with a new member for his family. Greene and his wife, Kristen, adopted a two and half year-old boy from a special needs orphanage in Zhuhai, China. Boomer Riley Greene took family names from the Baton Rouge Republican and his wife. |
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| Entergy wants customers to cover $6 million in 2016 flood losses | |
| 8/16/2018 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Louisiana wants its customers to pay for the billing revenue it lost during widespread flooding in 2016, including those who weren't directly impacted by the disaster. |
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| Entergy seeks to charge many Louisiana customers to recoup nearly $6M lost amid 2016 flood | |
| 8/15/2018 -- The Advocate Entergy lost about $5.9 million from unpaid electric bills during the August 2016 floods and now wants its money. The utility is asking state regulators to allow a surcharge on monthly bills for the roughly 468,000 customers in 20 parishes, even if their accounts were never in arrears. This additional rider to monthly bills would cover the amounts not collected because of orders not shut off the lights and assess late fees on people flooded out of their homes. Entergy sells power to about 1 million customers in 59 parishes. |
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| Entergy customers to see lower electricity bills now that 2005 hurricane debt paid off | |
| 8/1/2018 -- The Advocate Louisiana regulators approved lowering monthly electricity bills for Entergy customers now that expenses of getting the power back on after hurricanes Katrina and Rita have been paid. |
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| Entergy customers to see lower electricity bills now that 2005 hurricane debt paid off | |
| 8/1/2018 -- The Advocate Louisiana regulators approved lowering monthly electricity bills for Entergy customers now that expenses of getting the power back on after hurricanes Katrina and Rita have been paid. |
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| How Louisiana solar power prospects shifting to business, utility-scale projects | |
| 7/28/2018 -- The Advocate As the Mall of Louisiana’s thousands of customers traverse its 1.5 million square feet of retail space on any given weekend, something is quietly happening above their heads: Hundreds of solar panels are collecting the sun’s rays and converting them into energy to help keep the lights on and the air conditioning blowing. |
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| Lower bills coming for Entergy customers | |
| 7/26/2018 -- The Shreveport Times More than 1 million Entergy customers in Louisiana who have been paying off repairs from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita for 10 years will finally see their bills lowered beginning in August. |
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| Entergy Louisiana reaches deal to buy solar power from plant proposed for Baton Rouge area | |
| 5/31/2018 -- The Advocate In an effort to further diversify its electricity portfolio, Entergy Louisiana has reached a 20-year deal to purchase solar power from a proposed 50-megawatt plant that would be built in West Baton Rouge Parish, the utility said Thursday. |
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| Entergy Louisiana gets regulator approval to buy power plant being built in Washington Parish | |
| 5/16/2018 -- The Advocate Entergy Louisiana’s $261 million plan to buy a 361-megawatt plant to be built in Washington Parish has been approved by state regulators. |
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| Rates going down next month for Entergy customers; see why, how much to expect | |
| 4/18/2018 -- The Advocate Homes that buy their electricity from Entergy Louisiana will see their monthly bills drop nearly 5 percent starting with the May invoice coming out in the next two weeks. |
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| PSC members want quick rate refunds | |
| 2/28/2018 -- The American Press Members of the Louisiana Public Service Commission want the utility companies they regulate to return to their customers the corporate tax savings they are enjoying because of Congress’ Tax Cut and Jobs Act. How much can be returned and when it can be done is still pretty much up in the air. |
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| Electrical co-ops eye industry-rich St. James Parish for latest power frontier; Entergy resists push | |
| 2/12/2018 -- The Advocate CONVENT — St. James Parish government is opening up negotiations that would allow as many as three rural electric cooperatives to provide power to the industry-heavy parish now served exclusively by Entergy Corp. |
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| Louisiana regulators want legislators to return dollars improperly taken | |
| 2/8/2018 -- The Advocate Now that a judge has ruled the Louisiana Legislature shouldn’t have taken dollars from dedicated funds to help balance the budget, state regulators want the money back. |
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| Political Horizons: Net neutrality resolution skirmish in PSC meeting shows partisan divide | |
| 2/4/2018 -- The Advocate For those who still hold that Baton Rouge has missed the hyperpartisan political culture that defines Washington these days, a brief vignette from last week’s Louisiana Public Service Commission meeting might prove enlightening. |
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| Louisiana Public Service Commission breaks along party lines | |
| 1/31/2018 -- The Advocate An effort to ensure Democrats have a chance, from time to time, to chair the state’s regulatory board, which is majority Republican, was shot down Wednesday on party-line vote. |
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| Entergy expects $100M in savings from new Federal Tax Law | |
| 1/30/2018 -- The Monroe News-Star January 30, 2018 The Monroe News-Star Entergy Louisiana estimates a savings of up to $100 million annually as a result of the federal tax cuts enacted by Congress last month, Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell said. |
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| Louisiana PSC wants to get to the bottom of energy shortage in state Thursday | |
| 1/18/2018 -- The Advocate Louisiana Public Service Commissioners want an investigation into what led an organization that manages power for much of the state to urge customers to reduce electricity usage to avoid periodic blackouts during this week's brutal cold snap. |
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| Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards asks for lower utility rates | |
| 1/4/2018 -- The Advocate The million customers of Entergy Louisiana could see their monthly bills drop by about $4 per month if the Public Service Commission heeds the request of Gov. John Bel Edwards and lowers rates to match savings from the federal tax rewrite. |
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| After Congress gives tax break to utilities, John Bel Edwards wants lower power bills | |
| 1/4/2018 -- The Times-Picayune Gov. John Bel Edwards asked the Louisiana Public Service Commission Wednesday (Jan. 3) to look at lowering utility rates for state residents and businesses now that utility companies won't have to pay as much in federal taxes. |
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| PSC commissioner: If Louisiana energy companies get a tax break, they need to pass it down to customers | |
| 1/4/2018 -- The Advocate The million customers of Entergy Louisiana could see their monthly bills drop by about $4 per month if the Public Service Commission heeds the request of Gov. John Bel Edwards and lowers rates to match savings from the federal tax rewrite. |
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| Dr. Craig Greene wins Public Service Commission race outright | |
| 10/15/2017 -- The Advocate Craig Greene, a Baton Rouge orthopedic surgeon making his first bid for public office, won Saturday’s election to the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| Dr. Craig Greene wins Public Service Commission race outright | |
| 10/15/2017 -- The Advocate Craig Greene, a Baton Rouge orthopedic surgeon making his first bid for public office, won Saturday’s election to the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| Craig Greene wins District 2 Public Service Commission seat in primary race; wins by landslide in Livingston Parish | |
| 10/14/2017 -- The Livingston Parish News LIVINGSTON – Political newcomer Craig Greene needed only the Oct. 14 primary election to claim the District 2 seat for the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| https://www.livingstonparishnews.com/news/craig-greene-wins-district-public-service-commission-seat-in-primary/article_04568f62-b15f-11e7-ada2-fb66338376d0.html | |
| 10/14/2017 -- The Livingston Parish News LIVINGSTON – Political newcomer Craig Greene needed only the Oct. 14 primary election to claim the District 2 seat for the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| PSC ignoring some legislative changes | |
| 10/3/2017 -- The American Press Members of the Louisiana Public Service Commission didn’t go far enough to fully comply with the latest statute from the Legislature, but members did vote 4-0 to allow more companies to haul toxic waste in the state. That reluctance means the issue of how hazardous waste should be handled will be decided by the courts. |
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| All three PSC candidates attend their first forum together | |
| 10/2/2017 -- The Advocate Appearing together Monday at a forum for the first time in the campaign, the three Republican candidates for the Public Service Commission took digs at each other while trying to define conservatism. |
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| All three PSC candidates attend their first forum together | |
| 10/2/2017 -- The Advocate Appearing together Monday at a forum for the first time in the campaign, the three Republican candidates for the Public Service Commission took digs at each other while trying to define conservatism. |
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| Two of three PSC candidates spell out views for sparse crowd | |
| 9/18/2017 -- The Advocate Though the candidates generally agreed on most issues, they differed Thursday on the role the Public Service Commission should play in attracting jobs to Louisiana. |
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| PSC forum is mostly about party unity | |
| 9/12/2017 -- The Advocate Louisiana Public Service Commission candidates wanted Tuesday to talk about utility regulation. But the forum’s audience would have none of it. |
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| Entergy earns $409.9 million in second quarter, easily beats Wall Street forecasts | |
| 8/2/2017 -- The Advocate A loss from shedding its merchant nuclear plants dropped Entergy Corp.'s second-quarter profit to $409.9 million, $2.27 per share, from $567.3 million, or $3.11 per share, |
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| Political Horizons: The election for the most important job you've never heard of deserves more attention | |
| 7/23/2017 -- The Advocate The best debut video in what otherwise is a boring election season has to be Public Service Commission candidate Craig Greene talking about checking if a cow is pregnant. |
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| Gov John Bel Edwards doesn't endorse in PSC election the interim commissioner he chose | |
| 7/18/2017 -- The Advocate Three summers back, oil was king and Louisiana reaped its benefits. Black gold sold at $105 a barrel on average in June 2014 and crested higher some days that July. That was then. |
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| Are Baldone, Edwards at odds over his PSC campaign? | |
| 7/17/2017 -- The Lafayette Daily Advertiser Damon Baldone’s announced run for Louisiana Public Service Commission, District 2, will come without the support of the governor who appointed him as interim commissioner. |
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| Could new technology limit power outages in Louisiana? 'Aspirational,' but possible, Entergy CEO says | |
| 7/8/2017 -- The Advocate After a tornado ripped through New Orleans East in February and caused extensive damage, Entergy dispatched a crew of workers to comb through wreckage and try to determine if the utility company could have done more to prevent some of the thousands of power outages that resulted. |
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| Entergy applies for 20-year license extension for River Bend | |
| 7/5/2017 -- The Advocate ST. FRANCISVILLE — Entergy has submitted an application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to extend its operating license for its River Bend Station for an additional 20 years. |
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| Entergy applies for 20-year license extension for River Bend | |
| 7/5/2017 -- The Advocate ST. FRANCISVILLE — Entergy has submitted an application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to extend its operating license for its River Bend Station for an additional 20 years. |
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| Power plant plans big boost for SW Louisiana | |
| 7/2/2017 -- The Advocate Energy Louisiana’s proposed $872 million power plant in Westlake received a green light by the state last week to start construction. |
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| Entergy gets OK on Lake Charles power plant; what will it cost local customers? | |
| 6/29/2017 -- The Times-Picayune The Louisiana Public Service Commission voted Wednesday (June 27) to approve plans for Entergy's $872 million power plant in Lake Charles. With regulatory approval secured, the utility company expects to begin construction on the facility in early 2018. |
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| Baton Rouge surgeon announces candidacy for Louisiana PSC seat | |
| 6/2/2017 -- The Baton Rouge Business Report A Baton Rouge orthopaedic surgeon has jumped into the race for the Louisiana Public Service Commission’s District 2 seat, left vacant by former Commissioner Scott Angelle, who resigned to take a federal post in President Donald Trump’s administration. |
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| Governor names former lawmaker to Louisiana utility agency | |
| 6/1/2017 -- The Houma Courier BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) ” Gov. John Bel Edwards has temporarily appointed a former state lawmaker to a vacancy on Louisiana’s utility regulatory agency. |
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| Scott Angelle resigns Louisiana Public Service Commission for federal job | |
| 5/24/2017 -- The Times-Picayune BATON ROUGE -- Louisiana's utility regulatory board has a vacancy. Scott Angelle of Breaux Bridge resigned Tuesday (May 23) from his elected seat on the Public Service Commission, a job the Republican held since 2013. |
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| What will Trump's energy policies mean for Louisiana? Utility bill impact still unclear | |
| 4/14/2017 -- The Advocate Coal is king in President Donald Trump's energy initiatives so far, but in natural gas-rich Louisiana, power companies, regulators and environmental groups are waiting to see how his administration's recent moves translate into concrete policies. |
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| Our Views: PSC, utilities out to go Dutch | |
| 4/1/2017 -- The Advocate The coziness between regulators and the regulated was once a way of life at the Public Service Commission, and we hope members have not forgotten the black eye the commission took because members had themselves entertained handsomely back in the day. |
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| Energy La. officials tout plans for Westlake Plant | |
| 3/21/2017 -- The American Press Officials with Entergy Louisiana are wanting to build an $872 million power plant in Westlake to meet the growing regional demand for energy and to replace existing infrastructure that has aged over the years. |
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| Louisiana Regulators postpone decision on rolling back ethic rules | |
| 3/15/2017 -- The Advocate Louisiana Public Service Commissioners Wednesday morning decided against taking up an effort to change ethics rules and allow the utilities they regulate go back to wining and dining them, according to four participants in the meeting being held at Toledo Bend. |
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| Public Service Commissions to consider rollback of ethic rules | |
| 3/14/2017 -- The Advocate Louisiana Public Service Commissioners are heading to Toledo Bend to vote Wednesday on lifting an ethics ban and allowing the utilities they regulate go back to wining and dining them. |
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| Entergy customers to see refund after agreement splits costs on nuclear power plant mistake | |
| 12/21/2016 -- The Advocate Entergy customers in most of Louisiana will receive a little something extra on their January electricity bills as the utility settled a dispute over who should pay for a $140 million mistake at the Waterford 3 nuclear power plant. |
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| Entergy hires Accenture to help with meter data management system | |
| 12/19/2016 -- The Advocate Entergy has tapped Accenture to help implement a meter data management system for its grid in Louisiana, New Orleans, Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas. |
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| Louisiana Senate runoff had lowest voter turnout in recent years | |
| 12/12/2016 -- The Times-Picayune The Louisiana Senate race that sent Republican John Kennedy to Washington wasn't exactly a barn-burner. |
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| Clay Higgins' key to winning congressional seat: 'New media matched up with '30s campaign style' | |
| 12/12/2016 -- The Advocate Back in July, when candidates were signing up to run for elective office, dozens claimed to be outsiders who planned to use social media to overcome establishment advantages of money and name recognition. |
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| Stephanie Grace: Saturday election could topple some political dominoes | |
| 12/12/2016 -- The Advocate With the exception of the Baton Rouge mayor's race and the 3rd Congressional District contest, Saturday's runoff elections didn't carry a whole lot of suspense. |
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| U.S. Senate runoff candidate Foster Campbell's history of combative effectiveness | |
| 12/7/2016 -- The Advocate A decade ago, prior to meeting with railroad officials over a rash of deaths at rail crossings, then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco pleaded with Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell to ratchet back his rhetoric in hopes the gathering would accomplish something. |
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| Louisiana congressional race: Career public servant vs. YouTube star | |
| 12/6/2016 -- The Times-Picayune Louisiana voters are going to the polls Saturday (Dec. 10) to decide between a career public servant -- someone who has held elected office or a high-profile appointed government position for most of the past three decades -- and a reality star with no political experience, who is best known for his tough talk on television. |
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| Louisiana solar late-bloomer finally regulated | |
| 12/1/2016 -- The Advocate After more than a year of delay, during which time utility companies made up their own tariffs, state regulators finally tweaked definitions, detailed some procedures and spelled out the way Louisiana’s solar industry could realize its long-touted goal of lowering monthly electric bills. |
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| Boosted by national support, Foster Campbell reports huge fundraising haul | |
| 11/29/2016 -- The Advocate After making appearances on network news programs and receiving supportive messages from a long roster of celebrities, Louisiana Democrat Foster Campbell has reported collecting $2.5 million in campaign donations between Oct. 20 and Nov. 20 -- more than twice the amount he raised in the entire run-up to the Nov. 8 primary. |
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| Angelle, Higgins press to campaign's end | |
| 11/29/2016 -- The Lafayette Daily Advertiser Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle and lawman Clay Higgins this week are pushing their bruising campaigns for Louisiana's open 3rd Congressional District seat to a Dec. 10 conclusion. |
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| Entergy receives permission to build a new St. Charles Parish plant | |
| 11/17/2016 -- The Advocate Louisiana utility regulators voted Thursday to allow Entergy to build a new electricity-making plant near the St. Charles Parish community of Montz. |
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| Scott Angelle, Clay Higgins in runoff for Acadiana's congressional seat | |
| 11/8/2016 -- The Advocate Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle, as anticipated, on Tuesday night won a spot in in the runoff to represent Acadiana in Congress. |
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| John Kennedy and Foster Campbell go to Senate runoff | |
| 11/8/2016 -- The Advocate Though considered a toss-up for weeks, when the votes were counted Tuesday night, the U.S. Senate race narrowed to the two candidates predicted from the very beginning: Republican state Treasurer John N. Kennedy and Democratic Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell. |
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| Entergy reports $388 million profit | |
| 10/25/2016 -- The Advocate New Orleans-based Entergy Corp.'s third-quarter profit of $388.2 million, or $2.16 per share, compared to a loss of $723 million, or $4.04 cents per share, a year ago. |
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| Candidate Scott Angelle runs for Acadiana congressional seat | |
| 10/25/2016 -- The Houma Courier BATON ROUGE -- The 12-candidate race for Acadiana's 3rd U.S. Congressional District seat is making Lafayette Republican state Rep. Stuart Bishop uncomfortable. |
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| Former Louisiana House Speaker Charlie DeWitt fills in on Public Service Commission | |
| 10/21/2016 -- The Times-Picayune Former Louisiana House Speaker Charlie DeWitt will fill a vacancy on the Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities throughout the state, until the end of December. |
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| Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards names Charlie DeWitt as interim PSC commissioner | |
| 10/21/2016 -- The Advocate Gov. John Bel Edwards on Friday named former House Speaker Charlie DeWitt to serve in the Louisiana Public Service Commission seat left vacant by the death of PSC Chairman Clyde Holloway earlier this week. |
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| Clyde Holloway made a difference | |
| 10/18/2016 -- The Alexandria Town Talk It has been a tough month for long-time local political leaders. A week ago, Alexandria lost former mayor Ned Randolph. This week, former congressman and current Louisiana Public Service Commission Chairman Clyde Holloway passed away. |
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| Well-known Louisiana congressman, Public Service Commission chair Clyde Holloway dies Sunday | |
| 10/17/2016 -- The Advocate Clyde Holloway, chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission and a former congressman, died at his home in Forest Hill Sunday night. |
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| Sinking land could doom proposed Entergy plant in New Orleans East, report finds | |
| 10/5/2016 -- The Times-Picayune The $216 million power plant Entergy wants to build in New Orleans East will help reduce power outages in the city, but sinking land close to the plant site threatens the overall viability of the project. A health impact report released Wednesday (Oct. 5) by the Louisiana Public Health Institute and the Alliance for Affordable Energy highlights the subsidence threat, along with the potential for pollution and higher customer bills. |
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| $75 million Entergy project to improve West Bank service | |
| 9/15/2016 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Louisiana plans to spend about $75 million rebuilding electricity transmission lines on the West Bank of Jefferson Parish to reduce power outages. The company expects to begin the work no sooner than September 2017. |
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| Fair or foul? Regulators to decide if Entergy customers should pay for $140M mistake | |
| 8/28/2016 -- The Advocate Rarely is a Louisiana Public Service Commission meeting as significant in scope as the discussion and vote Wednesday on two Entergy requests: that its customers pay for a $140-million mistake at nuclear power plant and permission to build a new natural gas-fueled plant. |
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| Cameron LNG expansion project underway | |
| 8/18/2016 -- The American Press If you’re wondering where to find the industrial expansion going on in Southwest Louisiana, look no further than Hackberry where construction on the Cameron LNG project is well underway. |
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| Entergy New Orleans offering $25M in free electricity -- $127 per customer over 5 years | |
| 7/25/2016 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy New Orleans is offering customers up to $25 million in free electricity over the next four years under a proposed plan to restructure the company. The utility is pitching the plan as a step to further separate itself from its parent company and to make it easier to raise funds. |
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| For Public Service Commission seat, incumbent Lambert Boissiere III lone qualifying candidate Monday | |
| 7/20/2016 -- The Times-Picayune Incumbent Lambert C. Boissiere III was the lone candidate as of Wednesday afternoon (July 20) to qualify for the Nov. 8 election for the District 3 seat on the state Public Service Commission. The winner will represent parts of the greater New Orleans area on statewide electric power, phone and other utility matters. |
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| Sempra's Cameron LNG receives export permit | |
| 7/18/2016 -- The Advocate Sempra Energy's Cameron LNG has gotten federal permission to export an additional 1.41 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day to countries that do not have a free-trade agreement with the United States. |
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| Owens announces run for PSC District 4 seat | |
| 7/18/2016 -- The Alexandria Town Talk Reldon Owens has announced his candidacy for the District 4 seat of the Public Service Commission. |
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| City Council members blast Entergy’s plan for new power plant at Michoud | |
| 6/30/2016 -- The Advocate Entergy New Orleans is trying to rush approval of a new power plant at Michoud in New Orleans East while failing to justify the size of the project, City Council members and their advisers said as they blasted the utility Thursday. |
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| PSC Chairman Clyde Holloway says he may not run for reelection this fall | |
| 6/29/2016 -- The Advocate The state’s top utility regulator, Louisiana Public Service Commission Chairman Clyde Holloway, said in a prepared statement Wednesday morning that he may not seek reelection this fall. |
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| Public Service Commission: the next battleground in La. Politics | |
| 6/28/2016 -- The Lafayette Independent While the Public Service Commission very rarely creates the kind of election drama seen in statewide and legislative races, a few personalities are pointing for other offices, and contested seats may soon be on a ballot heading your way. |
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| Westlake Chemical buys Axiall Corp. for $2.3 billion | |
| 6/11/2016 -- American Press Westlake Chemical announced an agreement on Friday allowing the Houston-based company to buy Axiall Corp. for roughly $2.3 billion. Company officials said the entire transaction, including Axiall’s debt and other liabilities, is valued at $3.8 billion. |
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| ExxonMobil accounts for $3.5 billion in EBR sales, impact study says | |
| 6/8/2016 -- The Advocate The ripple effect of ExxonMobil’s Baton Rouge area operations has led to more than 26,800 jobs in East Baton Rouge parish, $3.5 billion in sales and $1.3 billion in earnings. |
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| Foster Campbell says Entergy to refund customers about $50 million | |
| 5/4/2016 -- The Advocate A decision by federal regulators could require Entergy to refund about $50 million to its more than 1 million customers in Louisiana, announced Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell late Wednesday. |
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| Baton Rouge area plant managers see pause in new projects | |
| 5/2/2016 -- The Advocate Plant managers in the Baton Rouge area expect a pause in capital investments over the next six months, according to the Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance’s member survey. |
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| Environmental groups gather to consider options Louisiana has to meet federal clean energy standards | |
| 4/28/2016 -- The Advocate A small group of energy efficiency and environmental justice representatives met Thursday to begin putting together a plan the state could institute to meet requirements of the federal Clean Power Plan. |
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| Praxair steps on the gas with $100 million carbon monoxide unit in Geismar | |
| 4/27/2016 -- The Advocate Industrial gas firm Praxair Inc. will spend more than $100 million to add a new carbon monoxide purification unit at its Geismar plant. |
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| OxyChem planning $145 million Geismar plant expansion, adding 12 jobs paying $80,000 annual salaries | |
| 4/18/2016 -- The Advocate Occidental Chemical Corp. announced a $145 million expansion of the company’s manufacturing plant in Geismar to make refrigerants. |
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| Natural gas could be Acadiana's next big thing | |
| 3/15/2016 -- The Lafayette Daily Advertiser Just weeks ago, Cheniere Energy, a $20 billion facility in Cameron Parish, made its historic first shipment of liquefied natural gas to South America. |
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| Sasol delaying, reviewing Lake Charles plant | |
| 3/7/2016 -- The Advocate Sasol said some units at its $8 billion ethane cracker now under construction in Calcasieu Parish will open in 2019, a year later than planned, because of a drop in profits brought on by low oil prices. |
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| Scott Angelle eschews Senate race; will run for House seat instead | |
| 3/3/2016 -- The Times-Picayune Will he or won't he? That question has circled Louisiana's political sphere since the end of the gubernatorial race last year, and on Thursday (March 3) Scott Angelle answered it. |
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| Louisiana could see sharp increase in greenhouse gas emissions if planned petrochemical plants built, report says | |
| 2/29/2016 -- The Advocate Louisiana could experience an increase in its output of greenhouse gases by 30 percent if all the petrochemical projects proposed and approved in 2015 are built, according to a report from the Environmental Integrity Project. |
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| Federal rule is on hold, but Louisiana’s environmental chief still plans to restrict coal-fired power plant emission | |
| 2/27/2016 -- The Advocate Even though the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay on Feb. 9 halting enforcement of a federal rule to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, Louisiana’s Department of Environmental Quality is moving ahead with developing plans to implement it. |
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| Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell running for the U.S. Senate | |
| 2/26/2016 -- The Advocate Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, a Democratic populist who has been in elected office since 1976, is running for the U.S. Senate. |
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| Entergy launches website to sell region to developer | |
| 2/24/2016 -- The Advocate As part of its economic development efforts, Entergy has developed a freestanding website targeting site selection firms and companies looking to expand in Louisiana and three other states the energy firm services. |
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| Baton Rouge-area plant managers worry economic slump will halt major petrochemical investments | |
| 2/10/2016 -- The Advocate Plant managers in the Baton Rouge area are growing more concerned about the continued slump in oil prices, new taxes and regulations, and a slowing of both the petrochemical industry and global economy, according to the Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance. |
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| Entergy's River Bend nuclear station to undergo special inspection | |
| 2/8/2016 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy's River Bend nuclear station in St. Francisville will be the subject of a special inspection by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, after an unplanned reactor shutdown on Jan. 9, the commission announced Monday (Feb. 8). |
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| Edwards gives boost to Campbell for Senate | |
| 2/4/2016 -- The Monroe News-Star RUSTON — Gov. John Bel Edwards signaled Thursday he would support fellow Democrat and Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell if Campbell decides to run in the U.S. Senate race. |
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| Entergy breaks ground on New Orleans solar project | |
| 2/2/2016 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy New Orleans broke ground Tuesday (Feb. 2) on the utility's first solar power project in the city. It will start generating power for New Orleans customers later this year. |
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| Natural gas prices tumbled in '15 | |
| 1/7/2016 -- The Alexandria Town Talk Spot prices for natural gas at the Henry Hub averaged $2.61 per million British thermal units, which was the lowest annual average mark in 16 years. |
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| Mark Ballard: U.S. Sen. David Vitter and Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle both close to energy sector in Louisiana governor’s race | |
| 9/26/2015 -- The Advocate Like the rusted oil drums and toxic ponds from drilling activities years ago, the legacy lawsuit controversy, long thought to have been settled, is emerging again in this year’s contest for governor. |
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| Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle has reputation for persistent persuasion | |
| 9/20/2015 -- The Advocate It's routine for politicians to write autobiographies, introducing themselves to voters and explaining, often in mindnumbing detail, the pivotal influences on their road to public service. |
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| Foster Campbell endorses Edwards for governor | |
| 9/2/2015 -- The Monroe News-Star Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell officially endorsed state Rep. John Bel Edwards for governor at Campbell’s PSC office in Shreveport on Tuesday. |
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| Angelle: Local guy with a long-term vision | |
| 8/29/2015 -- The Alexandria Town Talk EDITOR’S NOTE: First in a weekly series profiling the candidates for governor. Ask him to characterize his penchant for public service, and Scott Angelle will tell you he’s a “fighter,” a “bottom-up” leader who has scaled the government ladder from parish leadership to executive levels of state government. |
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| Entergy wins approval to merge Louisiana utilities | |
| 8/26/2015 -- The Times-Picayune The Louisiana Public Service Commission approved a deal Wednesday (Aug. 26) to combine Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana into a single utility providing electricity and gas service to customers statewide. The merger is expected to close later this year. |
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| Entergy merger approved by commission | |
| 8/26/2015 -- The Shreveport Times The Louisiana Public Service Commission approved the merger of Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana on Wednesday allowing them to become one single utility company. |
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| Baton Rouge Republicans back Vitter and Angelle for governor | |
| 8/21/2015 -- The Advocate Two of the GOP candidates for governor — Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle, of Breaux Bridge, and U.S. Sen. David Vitter, of Metairie — received the endorsement Thursday of the Republican Party of East Baton Rouge Parish. |
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| Scott Angelle comes to the rescue | |
| 7/31/2015 -- The Advocate While Friday’s gubernatorial forum at the Cajundome was fairly exciting, for Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle, it paled in comparison to the ride home. |
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| Regulators, customers question Entergy on spike in Baton Rouge-area power outages | |
| 7/13/2015 -- The Advocate Those near-daily thunderstorms and downpours with intense lightning and high winds this year so regularly knock out electricity that state regulators want Entergy, the privately owned utility company that services half of Louisiana, to explain why. |
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| Supreme Court rules against limiting power plant emissions | |
| 6/29/2015 -- The Times-Picayune WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court has ruled against federal regulators' attempt to limit power plant emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants. |
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| Stephanie Grace: Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle pitches policy with personality in his gubernatorial candidacy | |
| 6/11/2015 -- The Advocate Of all the major gubernatorial candidates, Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle is the hardest to pinpoint. |
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| 'Inappropriate influence': Consumer group seeks to ban campaign contributions by utility companies to regulatory authorities | |
| 5/26/2015 -- The Advocate Louisiana should follow the example of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia by prohibiting the campaign contributions that utility companies give the elected officials who regulate their industries, the Alliance for Affordable Energy argued in a report on ethics to be released Tuesday. |
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| Louisiana utility companies were unprepared for April's storms, TV station reports | |
| 5/14/2015 -- The Times-Picayune Several of Louisiana's energy companies admitted to being unprepared by storms that converged upon Baton Rouge and much of the state in April. |
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| Entergy plans solar project in eastern New Orleans | |
| 5/12/2015 -- The Times-Picayune The Times-Picayune Entergy New Orleans will build its first solar power project in the city, part of its effort to explore the reliability and cost of using sunlight to power local homes and businesses. The pilot project will be in service by late 2016. |
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| PSC has no jurisdiction in Newellton/St. Joe gas issue | |
| 5/6/2015 -- The Monroe News-Star A dispute over natural gas going on between the Tensas Parish towns of Newellton and St. Joseph does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, according to spokesman Bill Robertson. |
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| Entergy responds to criticism from Jefferson Parish politicians | |
| 4/29/2015 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Louisiana officials responded Wednesday evening (April 29) after Jefferson Parish politicians lambasted the utility company for its handling of a severe storm that produced a tornado in Kenner. More than 10,000 customers in Kenner lost power, and many trees and utility poles were laid to waste. |
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| AEP-SWEPCO promotes energy efficiency programs | |
| 4/26/2015 -- The Shreveport Times An extra 38 to 45 cents tacked onto AEP-SWEPCO customers’ bills is paying for an energy efficiency program designed to save them even more on their utility bills and, in a broader picture, conserve electricity as well as delay construction of more power plants. |
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| Louisiana regulators promise refund | |
| 4/17/2015 -- The Advocate State regulators promised Thursday to refund to the state’s utilities customers money the Louisiana Legislature took to help balance the state budget should they win a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the practice. |
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| Utilities could benefit from PSC suit | |
| 4/9/2015 -- The Monroe News-Star Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell wants his name off a motion by the PSC to block a class action suit returning designated funds it believes the Louisiana Legislature took illegally from the PSC to the companies who paid the fees. |
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| MISO to review Entergy’s LC project | |
| 3/5/2015 -- The American Press With industry expansions comes an increase in the region’s electrical load. It was for this reason that Entergy executives last month requested that an independent system operator fast-track its approval for a transmission plant in Lake Charles. |
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| Electric grid faces unexpected threat: consumer responsibility | |
| 2/3/2015 -- The Advocate Energy-conserving Americans threaten the long-term future of the country’s power grid. Industry experts tell The Wall Street Journal that less power use is hampering utilities’ ability to maintain the hodgepodge of high-voltage lines and generating plants. Utilities can’t raise rates too much because that will just push more people to invest in “energy-saving gizmos” and solar panels, further reducing the demand for electricity from the grid. |
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| Entergy unveils $665 million Westwego power plant | |
| 1/31/2015 -- The Advocate With the flip of a ceremonial switch — a gesture that was repeated a few times for good measure — Entergy officials on Monday unveiled the company’s newest power generator: a $665 million natural-gas-burning facility in Westwego that uses about a third less fuel than older models and is expected to save customers in Louisiana tens of millions of dollars a year on their electricity bills. |
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| Sasol delays $14 billion fuel complex near Lake Charles | |
| 1/28/2015 -- The Advocate South African energy giant Sasol will delay making a final investment decision on its proposed gas-to-liquids plant in the Lake Charles area because of the collapse in oil prices. |
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| Entergy cranks up new $655 million Ninemile natural gas-fired unit | |
| 1/26/2015 -- The Times-Picayune
Entergy Corp. on Monday marked the recent startup of a new $655 million natural gas-fired unit at its Ninemile power plant in Westwego, the utility's first newly built generating facility in Louisiana in 30 years, as the company responds to power-hungry industrial expansions unfolding across the state. |
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| Entergy gets permission to upgrade natural gas pipes in Baton Rouge | |
| 1/22/2015 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. received permission Wednesday to start replacing many of the old pipes that carry natural gas in Baton Rouge. |
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| Entergy to spend $187 million on Lake Charles area power project | |
| 1/9/2015 -- The Advocate Entergy Gulf States Louisiana plans to build a $187 million power transmission facility in the Lake Charles area, the region projected to have the fastest job growth in the state from an industrial boom that’s driving a need for more electricity. |
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| Entergy plans $187 million transmission project for Lake Charles area | |
| 1/8/2015 -- The Times-Picayune
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana said it plans to build a $187 million transmission project in the Lake Charles area, part of the utility's effort to ready its grid for rising electricity demand amid a regional industrial boom. |
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| Entergy project ranks among largest power plants added in 2014, report says | |
| 1/7/2015 -- The Times-Picayune
The country's fleet of aging power plants got a boost from a spate of new projects completed last year, including the Entergy Ninemile 6 plant in Westwego, according to a new SNL Energy report. The project ranked among the nation's largest power generation projects completed in 2014. |
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| Entergy customers could see bill increase | |
| 1/4/2015 -- The American Press It should be no surprise for residents that the multibillion-dollar industrial projects are going to bring with them some challenges. And one of those could affect how much the 1 million Entergy Corp.’s Louisiana customers pay on their monthly bills. |
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| Heads up, Entergy customers: Your bill is likely to increase because Louisiana needs more power | |
| 1/2/2015 -- The Advocate To meet the demands of Louisiana’s ongoing industrial boom, the state’s largest utility needs to come up with more power — about the same amount as it takes to light New Orleans on the hottest day of the year — before the end of 2016, and then find even more by the end of 2019. |
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| Entergy to buy Arkansas power plant for $948 million | |
| 12/9/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
A group of three Entergy Corp. subsidiaries will buy a natural gas-fired power plant in Arkansas for $948 million in order to meet growing demand for electricity across the utility's footprint. |
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| Entergy subsidiaries buying natural gas power units | |
| 12/9/2014 -- The Advocate Entergy Gulf States Louisiana LLC has agreed to buy two of the four units at the Union Power Station in El Dorado, Arkansas, near the Louisiana border, a move that the company says will help it meet the state’s growing power needs and keep costs down for customers. |
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| La. DEQ: New rules expand EPA's scope | |
| 12/8/2014 -- The Shreveport Times BATON ROUGE — The state environmental agency says a proposed federal rule to reduce carbon dioxide releases from power plants exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's authority, will put electrical grids at risk and is unfair in how it would be applied to states. |
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| Eric Skrmetta hangs on to win Public Service Commission runoff over Forest Wright | |
| 12/6/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Eric Skrmetta narrowly defeated political upstart Forest Wright on Saturday (Dec. 6) to keep his seat on the state Public Service Commission, the regulatory body that oversees services that affect consumers, including water and electricity rates. |
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| Entergy rates rising for customers outside New Orleans | |
| 12/1/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Entergy Louisiana customers will see their monthly electricity bill go up by an average of 47 cents starting Monday, the result of a rate hike approved by utility regulators a year ago. Altogether, rates are going up by $10 million per year. |
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| Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell opposes EPA's power plant carbon emissions rule | |
| 11/25/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell has joined 16 other state attorneys general in opposing proposed Environmental Protection Agency guidelines aimed at curbing carbon emissions. |
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| Eric Skrmetta says Forest Wright's ad is false in Public Service Commission runoff; judge orders it temporarily off air | |
| 11/25/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Louisiana Public Service Chair Eric Skrmetta has obtained a temporary restraining order to block his opponent, Forest Wright, from airing what Skrmetta says is a deceptive advertisement as part of a runoff bid to unseat him. Wright denied the ad was misleading and called Skrmetta's claims "bogus." |
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| Public Service Commission runoff sparked by sparring energy philosophies | |
| 11/19/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
The contest over whom southeastern Louisiana wants watching out for its energy interests will culminate Dec. 6 with either Eric Skrmetta winning another term on the Public Service Commission or upstart Forest Wright showing him the door. |
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| Jobs, growth on tap for SW La. | |
| 11/8/2014 -- The American Press As several of the billion-dollar industrial projects get under way in Southwest Louisiana, the region could see employment grow by nearly 5 percent a year over the next five years, along with 22,000 new residents, according to a report issued Friday that details the effects those projects will bring. |
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| Eric Skrmetta, Forest Wright headed to runoff in Public Service Commission race | |
| 11/4/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Eric Skrmetta and Forest Wright will meet again on the Dec. 6 ballot after both failed to garner enough votes Tuesday to win the race for the contested 1st District seat on the state Public Service Commission. |
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| Campbell wins third term on Public Service Commission | |
| 11/4/2014 -- The Monroe News Star Democrat Foster Campbell won his third term to the Louisiana Public Service Commission Tuesday night, beating Republican Winnfield attorney Keith Gates with 80 percent of precincts reporting. |
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| Future of solar power in La. may hinge on Nov. election | |
| 10/29/2014 -- The Alexandria Town Talk NEW ORLEANS – The future of rooftop solar energy, and of renewable energy in Louisiana in general, could hang in the balance as polar opposites battle Nov. 4 for a swing seat on the state's Public Service Commission. |
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| Sasol gives final approval to $8.1 billion Louisiana project | |
| 10/28/2014 -- The Advocate Sasol Ltd. has given the green light to an $8.1 billion ethane cracker and chemical complex near Lake Charles that could morph into a near-$22 billion investment, if a proposed gas-to-liquids plant is also built. |
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| Sempra breaks ground on Cameron Parish LNG facility | |
| 10/23/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Construction crews broke ground on Sempra Energy's new Hackberry, La. liquefaction processing complex and liquefied natural gas export terminal Thursday (Oct. 23). |
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| Westlake Chemical plans $330 million expansion in Sulphur | |
| 10/23/2014 -- The Advocate Westlake Chemical will spend $330 million to expand its Sulphur plant, a move that will create 25 jobs. |
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| Eric Skrmetta outraises opponents in Public Service Commission race, gets heat for big utility backers | |
| 10/22/2014 -- The Advocate Eric Skrmetta has raised significantly more money than his opponents in the race to keep his seat on the state Public Service Commission, attracting more than $90,000 in contributions during the most recent reporting period. |
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| Merger of two Louisiana Entergy utilities requested | |
| 10/2/2014 -- The Advocate Entergy Louisiana LLC and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana LLC have asked the Louisiana Public Service Commission for permission to merge into a single utility. |
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| Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Gulf States customers to get refund | |
| 10/1/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States customers are in line to receive $35 million in refunds -- about $7.50 for the average Entergy Louisiana customer and about $14.30 for the average Entergy Gulf States customer -- after the Louisiana Public Service Commission successfully challenged payments made under an Entergy system cost-sharing agreement. |
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| Entergy customers may get refund | |
| 10/1/2014 -- The Advocate The Louisiana Public Service Commission is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a formula that would result in a refund for Entergy Corp. electricity customers. |
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| Louisiana Public Service Commission approves $37 million in refunds to Entergy customers | |
| 10/1/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
State utility regulators on Wednesday (Oct. 1) approved $37 million in refunds to Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States customers statewide. The refund will appear on customer bills starting at the end of October. |
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| Statewide energy efficiency program sees more delays | |
| 10/1/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
A statewide energy efficiency program scheduled to take effect Wednesday (Oct. 1) will be delayed another month as state utility regulators continue to draft its rules. The delay is the latest hurdle for the program, which was killed in February 2013 only to be resurrected by regulators two months later. |
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| Entergy asks to merge 2 businesses, projects $5 billion investment by 2019 | |
| 10/1/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana on Tuesday asked the Louisiana Public Service Commission for permission to merge into a single utility. Company officials say the proposal is necessary to meet growing industrial demand for electricity. |
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| Infrastructure, other issues create hurdles for state's petrochemical industry, chemical association president says | |
| 9/29/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Louisiana Chemical Association President Dan Borne describes himself as realistic optimist. He's optimistic about the $90 billion in manufacturing investment Louisiana is anticipated to receive, but he knows the state faces challenges to handle the growth that's coming. |
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| Louisiana’s industrial boom faces challenges | |
| 9/29/2014 -- The Advocate Increased, intense demand for natural gas could dampen the $90 billion “tsunami of investment” in new industrial plants or expansions expected in Louisiana, a chemical industry spokesman said Monday. |
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| Entergy customers in line for one-time refund | |
| 9/29/2014 -- The Shreveport Times Customers of Entergy Louisiana can look forward to a refund on their power bills as the result of a victory by the Louisiana Public Service Commission in its long-running fight to equalize the costs of generation on the Entergy System. |
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| Comment period extended on federal air quality proposal | |
| 9/16/2014 -- The Advocate Those wanting to comment on the Clean Power Plan, which targets reductions of carbon dioxide from power plants — including a 40 percent reduction from Louisiana plants, will have an extra 45 days to do so, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday. |
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| Industry group backs Eric Skrmetta for Public Service Commission | |
| 9/15/2014 -- The TImes-Picayune
Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta on Monday (Sept. 15) picked up the support of the political action arm of the powerful Louisiana Association of Business and Industry in his bid to keep his District 1 seat in the November election. |
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| Campbell seeks third term on PSC | |
| 8/20/2014 -- The Monroe News Star Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell qualified Wednesday in Baton Rouge to seek a third, six-year term to represent District 5, which covers virtually all of northeastern Louisiana. |
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| Eric Skrmetta announces re-election bid for Public Service Commission District 1 seat | |
| 8/18/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta said on Monday (Aug. 18) he will seek re-election for his District 1 seat this fall. Skrmetta, a Republican, was elected to the post in 2008. |
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| Email controversy ensnares Public Service Commission Chair Eric Skrmetta, solar proposal | |
| 8/5/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Louisiana Public Service Commission Chair Eric Skrmetta has become entangled in controversy after an email from a Baton Rouge lobbyist surfaced on Tuesday (Aug. 5) describing his expectation of re-election support from the solar industry in exchange for favorable new net metering rules. The email has prompted a New Orleans energy policy advocate to run against Skrmetta during elections this fall. |
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| Solar compromise offered | |
| 8/5/2014 -- The Advocate The state’s chief utility regulator crafted a compromise that will save many solar installation companies from imminent bankruptcy. But the price he asked was to support his re-election and abandon any backing of his opponent. |
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| Louisiana Public Service Commission to question Cleco CEO | |
| 8/4/2014 -- The Alexandria Town Talk Cleco Corp.’s top executive and several board members are expected to appear at Wednesday’s meeting of the Louisiana Public Service Commission to answer questions related to a possible sale of the Pineville-based utility. |
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| Public service commissioner wants automated outage notification system | |
| 7/26/2014 -- The Shreveport Times Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell wants state regulated electricity companies and co-ops to implement an automated system notifying customers of power outages. |
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| La. leads nation in industrial construction value | |
| 7/23/2014 -- The Advocate Louisiana led all U.S. states in the value of industrial construction projects during 2013 and was ranked second overall for all commercial construction, according to a new report released Tuesday. |
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| Energy industry still fueling La. Economy | |
| 7/15/2014 -- The American Press Calcasieu Parish will experience a taxable property bonanza until 2017 because of expiring exemptions on more than $2 billion of refinery property. |
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| EPA: Ozone standards not enough | |
| 7/15/2014 -- The Advocate A science panel advising the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on possible tougher standards on ozone pollution has come out with recommendations that could put much of the state out of compliance. |
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| Study shows energy industry powers La. Economy | |
| 7/11/2014 -- The Advocate East Baton Rouge Parish is one of four parishes that will enjoy a taxable-property bonanza over the five years ending 2017, thanks to expiring tax exemptions on refineries. |
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| Louisiana's oil and gas impact huge, economist says | |
| 7/11/2014 -- The Lafayette Daily Advertiser
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana's bustling energy sector is generating "economic activity like I've never seen in 40 years," says economist Loren Scott. |
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| Supreme Court justices rebuke EPA, but uphold global warming rules | |
| 6/23/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court largely left intact Monday the Obama administration's only existing program to limit power plant and factory emissions of the gases blamed for global warming. But a divided court also rebuked environmental regulators for taking too much authority into their own hands without congressional approval. |
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| Despite low coal use, La. must reduce CO2 by 40 | |
| 6/16/2014 -- The Advocate When the Obama administration announced its new plan to cut carbon dioxide from power plants to combat climate change, Louisiana found itself on the hook for a 40 percent reduction over the next 15 years or so — one of the bigger decreases demanded in the state-by-state goals. |
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| Mary Landrieu criticizes Barack Obama again for his plan to cut carbon emissions | |
| 6/10/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., once again criticized President Barack Obama's plan to cut carbon dioxide pollution through proposed federal regulations during a visit to a coal-fired power plant in Pointe Coupee Parish Monday afternoon (June 9). |
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| States should challenge new EPA regulations | |
| 6/6/2014 -- The American Press Families, as well as business, could be hit hard by new Environmental Protection Agency regulations that seek to reduce America’s carbon dioxide emissions 30 percent from 2005 levels by the year 2030. |
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| La. utilities react to EPA carbon reduction plan | |
| 6/2/2014 -- The Lafayette Daily Advertiser
Louisiana utilities are scrambling to figure out the potential impact of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposal announced Monday that, for the first time, requires a reduction in carbon pollution by existing power plants. |
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| EPA carbon rule draws mixed reaction from Louisiana business, policy leaders | |
| 6/2/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Louisiana policy and business leaders have only just started to review the Obama's administration's plan to reduce carbon emissions from the nation's power plants by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. But the 645-page proposal is already drawing mixed reaction as to how it will impact the state. |
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| PSC member: new EPA plan will drive up power costs | |
| 6/2/2014 -- AP via The New Orleans Business Report
Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Clyde Holloway says the commission should sue to block the Obama administration’s plan to limit carbon dioxide pollution from electric power plants. Holloway says it would drive up the cost of electricity in Louisiana, which had the nation’s lowest average retail rate in 2012. |
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| Natural gas key to lower Louisiana power plant pollution, report says | |
| 5/28/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Louisiana relies primarily on power plants fueled by natural gas to produce its electric power, a factor that has helped keep air pollution in check in the state in recent years, according to a new report by Ceres, a Boston-based sustainability advocacy group. The state's largest power companies also rank favorably when it comes to total emissions. |
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| Entergy signs 10-year power deal with north Louisiana gas plant | |
| 5/15/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Entergy has signed a decade-long deal to supply power to a planned natural gas plant in north Louisiana, one in a series of large industrial contracts the utility has locked down in recent months. The company expects above average growth over the next decade thanks to an industrial boom along the Gulf Coast fed by low natural gas prices. |
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| Natchez objects to pipeline abandonment | |
| 5/15/2014 -- The Advocate
NATCHEZ, Miss . — The city is asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to deny American Midstream Partners’ petition to abandon the Midla natural gas pipeline in Mississippi and Louisiana. |
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| CEO says Entergy will thrive on industrial boom | |
| 5/2/2014 -- The Washington Times JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Entergy Corp. CEO Leo Denault is predicting above-average growth in the next five to 10 years, thanks to an industrial boom along the Gulf Coast powered by low natural gas prices. |
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| Supreme Court Revives EPA Rule on Air Pollution Across State Lines | |
| 4/29/2014 -- The Wall Street Journal WASHINGTON—The Environmental Protection Agency can reinstate limits on power-plant pollution that blows across state lines, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, handing a defeat to electric utilities that opposed the effort as costly regulatory overreach. |
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| Cleco seeks to recover $110M for pollution equipment upgrades from customers | |
| 4/28/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Electric power provider Cleco Corp. is asking for permission to collect $110 million from customers across Louisiana to cover the cost of new pollution control equipment installed at several of its coal-fired power plants in the state. |
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| Entergy: Equipment woes cause of Wednesday power outage | |
| 4/24/2014 -- The Advocate
Almost 30,000 Entergy customers were without power for a few hours Wednesday night, but power has been restored and all systems are operating properly, an Entergy spokesman said. |
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| Louisiana energy center among 3,500 MW of southeastern power generation facilities to be acquired by LS Power for $1.57 billion | |
| 4/22/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
New York-based LS Power Equity Advisors, LLC, a U.S. power and energy infrastructure owner announced Monday (April 21) that it signed a deal to acquire approximately 3,500 megawatts of generation resources in the southeastern part of the country through its affiliate NATGEN Southeast Power, LLC from Calpine Corporation. |
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| Entergy expects to see larger first quarter earnings increase | |
| 4/15/2014 -- The Advocate
New Orleans-based Entergy Corp. expects first-quarter earnings of around $2.28 per share, well above the 94 cents recorded in a year ago and stock analysts’ $1.15 forecast. |
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| Workforce development, diversifying keys to keeping Louisiana's energy boom from going bust, report says | |
| 3/26/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Three decades ago Louisiana stood and watched as rising natural gas prices prompted countless fertilizer plants, methanol plants and other chemical producers to leave the state to take advantage of cheaper prices overseas. |
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| Shale gas will continue changing world energy outlook | |
| 3/18/2014 -- The Houma Courier
A reliable and sustainable energy future is in the cards for the U.S., but the picture for the rest of the world is growing increasingly cloudy, BP's global energy markets general manager said Tuesday. |
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| Company building Ark. center to handle Entergy | |
| 3/15/2014 -- The Advocate
A company that manages New Orleans-based Entergy Corp. power lines in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas marked the start of construction Friday on a regional center in Little Rock, Ark. |
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| Sasol: Progress made on engineering, design for Westlake complex | |
| 3/11/2014 -- The Advocate
Energy and chemical giant Sasol reported Monday it is making progress on the engineering and design of its Westlake complex, a multibillion-dollar project that includes an ethane cracker and a facility to turn natural gas into diesel in southwest Louisiana. |
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| Nucor sets expansion decision by end of 2015 | |
| 3/4/2014 -- The Advocate
CONVENT — A $750 million plant that began manufacturing direct reduced iron Dec. 24 already leads all other competitors, according to the man who wears the three largest hats for the plant’s corporate owner. |
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| St. James industrial growth not without some pain | |
| 2/17/2014 -- The Advocate CONVENT — Ride along River Road through the parish seat of Convent, in St. James Parish, and Hymel’s Seafood Restaurant is the place to stop for lunch. |
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| Entergy earnings fall in fourth quarter 2013, leadership looks to industrial boom for growth | |
| 2/11/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Higher income tax, compensation and other expenses cut Entergy Corp. earnings by 50 percent during the fourth quarter 2013. The utility provided an optimistic outlook, however, pointing to booming industrial growth along the Gulf Coast as one of several factors it expects to help bolster earnings in coming years. |
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| Greater New Orleans area workforce 'untapped resource' in regional energy boom, report says | |
| 1/31/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Cheap and abundant natural gas is expected to bring $21 billion in planned energy, chemical and manufacturing investments in southeast Louisiana, perhaps the largest catalyst for job creation the region has seen in decades, according to a Greater New Orleans Community Data Center report released Thursday (Jan. 30). The report says the workforce in New Orleans and surrounding cities and parishes represent a vast, untapped resource in filling thousands of skilled labor positions needed to bring those investments to fruition. |
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| Methanex Reaches ‘milestone’ with Geismar Plant | |
| 1/30/2014 -- The Advocate Vancouver-based Methanex spent $145 million during the fourth quarter on the two methanol plants it is moving to Geismar. |
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| Business lobby says Louisiana's workers 'inadequate and under-prepared' for coming project boom | |
| 1/14/2014 -- The Times-Picayune
Louisiana's most powerful business and industry lobby will make the development of a highly skilled workforce its top priority for 2014, as the state's burgeoning industrial sector is being met with a drought of locally trained craft workers. |
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| Home Electricity Use Falls to Lowest Level in Decade | |
| 12/31/2013 -- The Times-Picayune
The average amount of electricity consumed in U.S. homes has fallen to levels last seen more than a decade ago, back when the smartest device in people's pockets was a Palm pilot and anyone talking about a tablet was probably an archaeologist or a preacher. |
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| Chemical Company Considering Louisiana for $3 Billion Plant | |
| 12/19/2013 -- The Advocate Axiall Corp., which has manufacturing complexes in Plaquemine and Lake Charles, is considering building a $3 billion ethane cracker and ethylene derivatives plant somewhere in Louisiana, a facility that would create up to 250 new jobs. |
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| Entergy Corp. Turns Over Control of Power Grid to Independent Operator | |
| 12/19/2013 -- The Times-Picayune
Midcontinent Independent System Operator took control this week of Entergy Corp.'s sprawling power grid, a move in the works for more than two years and projected to save customers more than $1 billion over a decade, the New Orleans-based power company said Thursday. |
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| Louisiana Regulators Consider Entergy Setback in Mississippi | |
| 12/11/2013 -- The Advocate Louisiana regulators said Tuesday that they likely would complete their review but didn’t think the $1.8 billion transaction Entergy Corp. wants would come off now that Mississippi utility regulators rejected the merger proposal. |
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| Entergy and PSC agree on rate structure for next five years | |
| 12/11/2013 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. and Public Service Commission staff agreed Tuesday to a modest increase in rates for some of the utility’s 1 million Louisiana customers, but no hike in monthly bills for others. |
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| Entergy Gulf States inks 6-year contract to power Sasol facility in Westlake | |
| 12/10/2013 -- The Times-Picayune
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana has inked a six-year power supply deal with the South African energy company behind a planned $7 billion petrochemical project in Westlake. The contract is a sign plans are moving forward even though financing for the project has yet to be announced. |
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| Mississippi Utility Regulators Reject Entergy-ITC Merger | |
| 12/10/2013 -- The Times-Picayune
Mississippi utility regulators have rejected a merger proposal by Entergy Corp. and ITC Holdings Corp., saying the deal could've meant a $300 million rate increase for Mississippi customers over 30 years. |
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| Campbell will fight Entergy rate hike | |
| 12/10/2013 -- The Monroe News Star Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell said Tuesday he will fight a rate increase for Entergy at the commission’s next meeting Monday in Baton Rouge. |
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| Shell Will Not Build $12.5 Billion Ascension Plant | |
| 12/6/2013 -- The Advocate Royal Dutch Shell PLC said Thursday it won’t build a plant to convert natural gas to diesel in Ascension Parish because the estimated construction cost of at least $12.5 billion in September has since ballooned to more than $20 billion. |
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| Shell Reverses on Plans to Build $12.5 Billion Ascension Plant | |
| 12/5/2013 -- The Times-Picayune
Shell has decided not to pursue a large $12.5 billion gas-to-liquids facility in Ascension Parish that Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration had announced with much fanfare in mid-September. |
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| NRC Approves Waterford 3's Safety Plan to Prevent Nuclear Meltdown | |
| 12/3/2013 -- The Times-Picayune
Entergy's Waterford 3 nuclear plant on the west bank of St. Charles Parish is capable of withstanding an extreme natural disaster and is currently implementing additional safety measures to ensure against a Fukushima-type meltdown of its core reactors, according to a recent evaluation by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. "What this means is that Entergy is on track to meet the requirements of this order that we issued last year in response to the Fukushima incident in Japan," NRC spokesman David McIntyre said. "It means that we approve of the plan and that they are taking steps to implement it." |
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| Area Could Gain Jobs as Chemical Plants Expand | |
| 11/23/2013 -- The Houma Courier
Cheap natural gas is giving Louisiana petrochemical plants a leg up over worldwide competitors. Now, as plants pour billions of dollars into expansions and upgrades, south Louisiana could receive yet another economic boost |
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| Planning Urged to Prepare for Louisiana's Chemical Boom | |
| 11/21/2013 -- The Advocate With nearly $84 billion in petrochemical plant construction projects and thousands of workers in the pipeline for Louisiana over the next few years, officials say it is time to start planning how to handle the impending boom. |
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| Manufacturing boom will put Louisiana planning to the test | |
| 11/20/2013 -- The Times-Picayune
In the next few years, "Louisiana will experience the biggest manufacturing expansion on record," said Susana Schowen of the Louisiana Economic Development office. An estimated $84 billion in capital projects have either started or been announced in Louisiana for the coming years. |
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| Report: Manufacturing will grow in Central Louisiana | |
| 11/19/2013 -- The Alexandria Town Talk The area’s economy will grow at a solid rate over the next five years, according to reports cited at Monday’s Summit on the Future of Higher Education in Central Louisiana. |
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| Economist: Louisiana recovering faster than nation | |
| 11/15/2013 -- The Monroe News Star BATON ROUGE — Thanks to a booming petrochemical industry and numerous jobs headed to the state in the next few years, Louisiana’s current economic conditions and its economic future far surpass the national outlook, says economist Loren Scott. |
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| Entergy Celebrates 100th Anniversary on Wednesday | |
| 11/13/2013 -- The Advocate New Orleans-based Entergy Corp. celebrated its 100th anniversary Wednesday with activities in power plants and offices throughout the 10 states where the utility operates. |
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| Louisiana Sasol project named Foreign Direct Investment Deal of the Year at World Forum in China | |
| 11/12/2013 -- The Times-Picayune
South African energy company Sasol's integrated gas-to-liquids and chemicals project in Louisiana was named Foreign Direct Investment Deal of the Year at the 2013 World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment in Shanghai, China, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's office announced Tuesday. |
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| Cheniere Updates Progress at Sabine Pass LNG Terminal | |
| 11/11/2013 -- The Advocate Houston-based Cheniere Energy Inc. has reported that construction on the first two natural gas liquefaction units at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal in southwest Louisiana are 45 percent complete and ahead of schedule as of Sept. 30. |
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| Rolling on the River | |
| 11/4/2013 -- The Advocate Louisiana is enjoying its biggest industrial boom since the oil bust in the 1980s, and much of the action — tens of billions of dollars of investment — is happening along the 70-mile corridor between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. |
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| Moret Touts Louisiana to Foreign Investors | |
| 11/1/2013 -- The Advocate WASHINGTON — Louisiana’s economic development chief, Stephen Moret, told a crowd of potential foreign investors and others Thursday that the state is poised for the biggest economic boom in the nation, thanks to capital investments from South African energy giant Sasol and many more. |
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| Mosaic Cancels $1.1 Billion Plant | |
| 10/29/2013 -- The Advocate Mosaic Co. will buy as much as 800,000 tons of ammonia a year from CF Industries Holdings Inc., instead of spending $1.1 billion to build a plant in St. James Parish. |
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| Methanex, Entergy agree on power contract for plant | |
| 10/23/2013 -- The Advocate Entergy Gulf States Louisiana L.L.C. will supply up to 30 megawatts of power to Methanex’s new methanol plant in Geismar under an agreement announced Wednesday, Oct. 23. |
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| Big Supply, High Demand | |
| 10/23/2013 -- The Advocate LAFAYETTE — U.S. drillers have pushed natural gas production to levels that are changing America in fundamental ways. |
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| Entergy and ITC refile merger in Texas, asking La. to restart work | |
| 9/25/2013 -- AP via The Advocate JACKSON, Miss . — Entergy Corp. and ITC Holdings Corp. have refiled their merger application in Texas, indicating the companies believe they can go forward without restructuring their overall merger agreement. |
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| E.P.A. Rules on Emissions at Existing Coal Plants Might Give States Leeway | |
| 9/23/2013 -- The New York Times WASHINGTON — Four years ago, Congress rejected the idea of a cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by putting a price on them. But the plan announced by the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday to regulate emissions from existing coal-fired power plants could foster creation of such a system, at least on a regional basis, and a push for renewable energy and energy efficiency in states that so far have embraced neither. |
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| PSC refuses to single out energy efficiency costs on monthly bills | |
| 9/19/2013 -- The Advocate State utility regulators Wednesday turned back an effort to single out the costs of an energy efficiency program on monthly electric bills. |
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| PSC sets deadline for solar contracts | |
| 9/18/2013 -- The Shreveport Times BATON ROUGE – If you live in areas served by electric co-ops in northeast Louisiana, Caddo and Bossier parishes or in Washington and St. Tammany parishes and you’re putting solar panels on your home to reduce your electricity bill and maybe sell some power to your utility company, you’d better hurry. |
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| E.P.A. Is Expected to Set Limits on Greenhouse Gas Emissions by New Power Plants | |
| 9/13/2013 -- The New York Times Following up on President Obama’s pledge in June to address climate change, the Environmental Protection Agency plans next week to propose the first-ever limits on greenhouse gas emissions from newly built power plants. |
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| Shaking Pennies and Fists Against Utility Rate Increases | |
| 9/9/2013 -- The New York Times WORRIED as rising bills for electricity and other utilities eat into their monthly retirement budgets, older Americans are pushing back against proposed rate increases, especially those they see as a result of company mismanagement or greed. |
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| Entergy labors to reach mark | |
| 9/2/2013 -- The Advocate A year ago this weekend, several hundred thousand homes and businesses in the greater New Orleans area languished in heat and darkness as utility crews worked to repair massive damage left by the slow-moving Hurricane Isaac, which had lingered for days, pounding the region with heavy rains and high winds and delaying work across south Louisiana. |
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| River Bend nuclear plant operating with normal oversight | |
| 8/27/2013 -- The Advocate ST. FRANCISVILLE — The River Bend nuclear power plant is operating with a normal level of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission oversight this year, based on last year’s overall satisfactory safety performance, an NRC official said Tuesday. |
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| PSC refuses to merge rate hikes | |
| 8/22/2013 -- The Advocate State regulators took action Wednesday to stave off concerns that some Entergy customers would pay more for their electricity each month so that customers in other parts of Louisiana wouldn’t end up paying more. |
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| PSC approves statewide energy-efficiency program | |
| 8/22/2013 -- The Monroe News-Star BATON ROUGE — Louisiana's public utility regulators have given preliminary approval to a voluntary statewide energy-efficiency program. While efforts to make the program mandatory have been dropped, the state's three largest energy companies said they would sign on to the optional initiative as a show of good faith. |
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| Entergy plan shelved | |
| 8/22/2013 -- The Advocate State regulators suspended consideration Wednesday of a $1.8 billion proposal for Entergy to spin off its transmission business, a move company officials say is important to the corporation’s financial future. |
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| Statewide energy-efficiency program gets preliminary approval by Louisiana utility regulators | |
| 8/21/2013 -- The Times-Picayune Louisiana's public utility regulators gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a voluntary statewide energy-efficiency program. While efforts to make the program mandatory have been dropped, the state's three largest energy companies said they would sign on to the optional initiative as a show of good faith. |
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| Utilities panel chairman to oppose new energy efficiency proposal | |
| 8/20/2013 -- The Times-Picayune A contentious statewide energy efficiency program will be discussed for the umpteenth time at Wednesday's state utilities meeting in Baton Rouge, where commissioners are scheduled to vote on a compromise proposal. However, panel Chairman Eric Skrmetta said he will oppose this latest plan, which would aim to make the program voluntary for Louisiana's energy companies. |
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| The swing vote | |
| 8/19/2013 -- The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report The Louisiana Public Service Commission has been working on ways to improve energy efficiency since 2009. But the program's fate lies in the hands of one politically savvy commissioner elected less than a year ago. |
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| Entergy Louisiana job cuts focus on management positions | |
| 8/1/2013 -- The Advocate The head of Entergy’s Louisiana subsidiaries told state regulators Wednesday that the company’s restructuring is focused on management-level employees and the layoffs eventually should translate into a $250 million savings, much of which will go to lowering customers bills. |
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| Louisiana utilities regulators again delay vote on energy-efficiency program | |
| 7/31/2013 -- The Times-Picayune State utility regulators in Baton Rouge decided to delay vote on a proposed energy-efficiency initiative again Wednesday. Scott Angelle, the newest commissioner on the panel, said he wanted to delay a vote on the program until August because he needed more time to craft language for the proposal. |
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| Entergy to lay off 240 in La. | |
| 7/31/2013 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. said Tuesday it will lay off 800 people — 240 or nearly one-third of them in Louisiana — in an effort to improve the company’s performance. |
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| Entergy Corp. to cut 800 jobs as second-quarter earnings drop by 55 percent | |
| 7/30/2013 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. said Tuesday it will eliminate 800 jobs company-wide, including 160 positions in the New Orleans metro area, as part of a reorganization expected to save up to $250 million by 2016. |
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| State’s first energy wind farm planned in St. Mary Parish | |
| 7/29/2013 -- The Advocate FRANKLIN — St. Mary Parish could be the site of the state’s first commercial wind farm of energy-producing turbines under a plan by a Metairie company. |
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| Entergy makes offer | |
| 7/23/2013 -- The Advocate Responding to predictions of higher monthly bills, Entergy Louisiana offered a new plan its chief executive officer said Monday would prevent any increase in customer charges should state regulators approve a $2 billion spinoff of its transmission business. |
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| Entergy expects workforce reduction | |
| 7/17/2013 -- The Advocate New Orleans-based Entergy Corp. expects an undetermined number of layoffs to result from efforts to increase efficiency, the company said Tuesday after releasing second-quarter earnings estimates. |
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| NRC names new inspector at Waterford 3 nuclear plant in St. Charles Parish | |
| 7/15/2013 -- The Times-Picayune Nuclear engineer Christopher Speer will be the new resident inspector for the Waterford 3 nuclear power plant in St. Charles Parish, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Monday. Speer is one of two inspectors charged with overseeing the plant on a daily basis, to make sure operations are running safely and smoothly. |
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| Ideas to Bolster Power Grid Run Up Against the System’s Many Owners | |
| 7/12/2013 -- The New York Times WASHINGTON — Bill Richardson often denigrated America’s power transmission network as a “third-world grid” when he was President Bill Clinton’s energy secretary, but the more current description of it is “balkanized,” with 500 separate owners. Marc L. Spitzer, a former member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said even that analogy was not harsh enough. |
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| Copper theft remains issue for area utility companies | |
| 7/9/2013 -- The American Press In two recent theft cases, someone climbed utility poles in Reeves and Dry Creek to steal copper, Kevin Turner, general manager of Beauregard Electric Co-Op, told board members at their July 2 meeting. |
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| PSC considers consumer programs | |
| 6/27/2013 -- The Advocate State regulators Wednesday backed off their opposition to establishing a program that would provide rebates to consumers who buy energy efficient appliances, but voted to study the issue for at least another month. |
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| Louisiana Public Service Commission restores statewide energy efficiency program | |
| 6/26/2013 -- The Times-Picayune Louisiana utility regulators on Wednesday restored a statewide energy-efficiency program that had been halted in February, just two months after it was adopted. |
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| Energy efficiency program stalled for adjustments | |
| 6/26/2013 -- AP via The Monroe News-Star The state’s utility regulatory agency Wednesday revived a planned statewide energy efficiency program — but delayed implementation to work on program modifications. |
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| Ortego urges Public Service Commission to leave solar rates intact | |
| 6/24/2013 -- The Lafayette Daily Advertiser A local lawmaker says Acadiana voters ought to urge Public Service Commissioner Clyde Holloway, R-Forest Hill, to leave intact lower rates that solar power customers now enjoy. |
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| Federal regulators give OK to Entergy Corp.'s plan to spin off transmission business | |
| 6/20/2013 -- The Times-Picayune Federal energy regulators on Thursday approved Entergy Corp.'s plans to get out of the transmission business. |
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| Bill to sunset solar energy tax credit sent to Gov. Bobby Jindal | |
| 6/4/2013 -- The Times-Picayune A bill to phase out tax credits for solar energy systems was given final approval by the Louisiana House on Tuesday. |
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| Solar tax credit bill returns to House | |
| 6/4/2013 -- The Advocate The Louisiana Senate on Monday revamped, then approved, legislation that would reduce Louisiana’s solar energy tax break for some. |
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| Entergy seeks to improve communication for 2013 hurricane season | |
| 5/31/2013 -- The Times-Picayune With federal weather forecasters predicting an above-normal hurricane season, Entergy officials say they are working to improve communication with residents, businesses and local officials to let them know how long power may be out in New Orleans and across the region during a storm. |
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| The power to choose? | |
| 5/27/2013 -- The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report It's the fantasy of just about anyone who writes big, fat checks to their electric company: the ability to pick a provider. |
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| Solar tax credit bill clears committee | |
| 5/23/2013 -- The Advocate Despite confusion over the proposal, a state Senate panel agreed Thursday to move legislation aimed at curbing the spiraling cost to the state on a tax credit for wind and solar systems. |
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| PSC to revisit “Energy efficiency” program | |
| 5/21/2013 -- The Advocate The chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission on Tuesday acknowledged that he cut off testimony prior to a vote that rolled back a program that included incentives for consumers to improve their homes and buy energy-efficient appliances. |
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| Louisiana Public Service Commission to revisit vote halting energy-efficiency program | |
| 5/21/2013 -- The Times-Picayune Weeks after a coalition of local environmental groups filed suit challenging a recent vote to halt a statewide energy-efficiency program without taking public comment, the Louisiana Public Service Commission now plans to revisit the issue next month, the board's head said Tuesday. |
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| Entergy natural gas customers to receive refunds and lower rates | |
| 5/21/2013 -- The Advocate State regulators Tuesday approved a settlement that would lower Entergy’s profit margin, pay a refund and roll back rates for about 92,000 natural gas customers in Baton Rouge. |
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| Electricity prices on the rise across region | |
| 5/13/2013 -- The Times-Picayune Electricity prices across greater New Orleans are up over last month, according to figures released this week by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| Head of New Orleans City Council's Utility Committee expresses concern over proposed rate increase | |
| 5/9/2013 -- The Times-Picayune The chairwoman of the New Orleans City Council's Utility Committee said Thursday she is apprehensive about Entergy Louisiana's proposed rate hike for its customers in Algiers. |
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| Louisiana House votes to phase out solar energy tax credits by 2020 | |
| 5/7/2013 -- The Times-Picayune Louisiana is on the path to phase out the state's solar energy tax credit: The state House on Tuesday easily approved a bill to end the incentives by 2020. |
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| Solar tax credit rollback approved | |
| 5/7/2013 -- The Advocate A solar energy tax credit would be phased out by 2020 under a bill approved in the Louisiana House on Tuesday. |
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| Looking ahead, new Entergy Corp. CEO looks to improve efficiency | |
| 5/3/2013 -- The Times-Picayune LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Taking the podium with little of the fanfare that pervaded the utility giant's past annual meetings, where presentations mixed rock music, worker photos, movie clips and classic literature, Entergy Corp. |
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| Louisiana House committee votes to phase out solar energy tax credits | |
| 4/29/2013 -- The Times-Picayune Louisianians receiving solar energy tax credits could see those incentives phased out under a bill passed in committee Monday. |
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| Circuit court in La. orders trial on PSC challenge | |
| 4/28/2013 -- The Advocate The 1st Court of Appeal, on Friday, ordered a district court to hold a trial on a state agency’s challenge to the Louisiana Legislature taking its money to balance the state’s operating budget. |
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| Entergy Corp. posts first-quarter profit on higher electricity sales | |
| 4/25/2013 -- The Times-Picayune New Orleans utility giant Entergy Corp. returned to a first-quarter profit as more seasonable temperatures compared to last year spurred higher electricity sales volume. |
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| Nonprofit groups sue PSC over energy program vote | |
| 4/23/2013 -- The Advocate Three nonprofit organizations sued the Louisiana Public Service Commission in Baton Rouge on Monday, asking for reinstatement of an energy efficiency program that was abolished on a 3-2 vote in February. |
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| Environmental groups file suit over Public Service Commission vote on energy-efficiency program | |
| 4/22/2013 -- The Times-Picayune A coalition of local environmental groups filed suit Monday (April 22) to challenge a vote state utility regulators took to scrap a newly-adopted statewide energy-efficiency program without first allowing public comment. |
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| Entergy, River Bend nuclear plant behind the curve in standard practices, safety report says | |
| 3/7/2013 -- The Times-Picayune Standard practices at Entergy's River Bend Nuclear Station near Baton Rouge will remain "behind the curve" until the Nuclear Regulatory Commission improves its oversight practices, according to a science advocacy group report released Thursday. |
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| La. nuclear plant problem cited | |
| 3/7/2013 -- The Advocate A “near-miss” at River Bend Nuclear Station near St. Francisville in May was one of 14 near-misses in 2012 at 12 nuclear plants across the country highlighted in a report the Union of Concerned Scientists released Thursday. |
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| River Bend Nuclear Station receives 'good news' from federal regulatory commission | |
| 3/6/2013 -- The Times-Picayune River Bend Nuclear Station near Baton Rouge saw its oversight rating improve at the end of 2012, according to a letter sent to plant officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday, March 4. |
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| PSC overturns energy efficient plan | |
| 2/27/2013 -- The Advocate State regulators overturned Wednesday an “energy efficiency” program they approved in December. |
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| Statewide energy efficiency program halted after utility regulator meeting | |
| 2/27/2013 -- The Times-Picayune Louisiana's utilities regulators voted to halt implementation of a statewide energy-efficiency program during a Wednesday meeting in Baton Rouge. |
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| Entergy Louisiana proposes raising residential electric rates by $8 per month | |
| 2/15/2013 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Louisiana residential customers could see their monthly utility bills jump nearly $8 starting next year, the company said in a filing late Friday with the state Public Service Commission. |
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| Entergy seeks higher rates | |
| 2/15/2013 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. asked state regulators Friday afternoon to increase the monthly rates it charges Louisiana customers for electricity. |
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| Entergy report offers glimpse of storm response during Hurricane Isaac | |
| 2/7/2013 -- The Times-Picayune Few new details emerged from a report Thursday that provides Entergy's accounting of its power restoration response in the wake of last year's Hurricane Isaac. |
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| PSC elects chair, vice chair | |
| 1/31/2013 -- The Advocate The state’s board of elected utility regulators Wednesday chose Commissioner Eric Skrmetta as its chairman for 2013. |
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| Angelle wants standards-profits link | |
| 1/31/2013 -- The Advocate Scott Angelle’s first action as a regulator was to order an investigation Wednesday that would link utility company profits to specific standards, such its ability to get the lights on after hurricanes. |
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| Louisiana utility regulators elect new leadership | |
| 1/30/2013 -- The Times-Picayune The Louisiana Public Service Commission, which regulates public utilities and various intrastate transportation businesses in the state, elected a new chair and vice chair Wednesday during their first executive meeting of 2013. |
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| Entergy Corp. CEO Wayne Leonard calls it a career after 14 years | |
| 1/26/2013 -- The Times-Picayune For the first time in memory, Wayne Leonard's desk is free of clutter. Fourteen years ago, Leonard was named to the top job at Entergy Corp., Louisiana's second-largest company and New Orleans' lone Fortune 500 firm. |
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| Average power bills fall in January in New Orleans, rise elsewhere in region | |
| 1/17/2013 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy New Orleans customers will save a few bucks on their power bills this month, according to figures released this week by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| Jimmy Field talks about his years on the Public Service Commission and what lies ahead | |
| 1/11/2013 -- The Times-Picayune Jimmy Field served on the Public Service Commission, Louisiana's utility regulation board, for 16 years beginning in 1996. During his time on the commission, he was described by Republicans and Democrats alike as fair-minded. Less than two weeks after his retirement, Fields sat down with NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune to discuss his legacy and what's next. |
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| New set of executives to lead Entergy’s planned changes | |
| 1/3/2013 -- The Advocate A new group of executives is taking over Entergy Corp. in the coming weeks, just as the privately owned utility faces increased federal scrutiny and embarks on a historic project that will change how electricity is delivered to 2 million Louisiana customers. |
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| Field’s commission tenure noted for statesmanship | |
| 1/2/2013 -- The Advocate During his last public hearing as the utility regulator representing Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Jimmy Field’s fellow commissioners remembered his statesmanship during the often stormy meetings of the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| Average power bills mostly flat in December in greater New Orleans | |
| 12/19/2012 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Louisiana customers continued to reap the least expensive electricity in the region in December, though retail costs stayed mostly flat from last month, according to figures from the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| Group: Cleaner energy needed | |
| 12/19/2012 -- The Advocate LAFAYETTE — Members of the Sierra Club asked the City-Parish Council Tuesday to reconsider its reliance on coal as an energy source prior to the council’s approval of the sale of $65.1 million in bonds to pay for its share of upgrades to the Rodemacher power plant in Boyce. |
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| Louisiana Public Service Commission approves statewide energy-efficiency program | |
| 12/12/2012 -- The Times-Picayune Louisiana utility regulators have taken the first step toward implementing a statewide energy-efficiency program to develop ways to cut down on power consumption and help save money for hundreds of thousands of homeowners and businesses. |
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| FERC cites Entergy for alleged electric grid violations | |
| 11/27/2012 -- Reuters A unit of Entergy Corp violated more than a dozen standards in the operation of its four-state electric transmission system, said a preliminary report by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's enforcement staff. |
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| FERC accuses Entergy of transmission violations | |
| 11/20/2012 -- The Times-Picayune The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said Tuesday that it has preliminarily determined that Entergy Services, an Entergy Corp. subsidiary that provides shared services across the New Orleans utility giant's service territories, failed to adequately perform critical functions required for reliable operation of its transmission system. |
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| Wind turbine on Lake Pontchartrain coming up short of power projections | |
| 11/20/2012 -- The Times-Picayune When it was introduced more than two years ago, the hope was that the experimental wind turbine near the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Mandeville would provide at least a portion of the power needed to run the 24-mile bridge. But preliminary results indicate that the wind machine may come up a little short. |
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| Justice Department says Entergy's plan to spin off its transmission grid will end antitrust concerns | |
| 11/14/2012 -- AP via The Times-Picayune Federal officials say Entergy Corp. can buy two power plants from KGen Power Corp., but say the antitrust investigation of Entergy is not over. |
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| New Orleans City Council's utility committee recommends Entergy's plan to join regional grid operator | |
| 11/12/2012 -- The Times-Picayune The New Orleans City Council's utility committee has recommended giving Entergy Corp. conditional approval to turn over control of its power transmission system to a regional grid operator by late 2013, clearing a hurdle in a plan that has been a contentious and confusing one for local and state regulators for more than a year. |
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| Angelle wins PSC seat | |
| 11/7/2012 -- The Advocate With nearly all the votes counted late Tuesday, former Jindal administration leader, Scott A. Angelle, appeared to have won the race to become the new state utility regulator representing Baton Rouge, Houma and Lafayette areas. |
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| Phillip May named new CEO for Entergy Louisiana | |
| 11/7/2012 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. said Phillip May will become the next chairman, president and chief executive officer of two Louisiana subsidiaries. |
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| Entergy moves closer to joining regional grid operator | |
| 10/30/2012 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. moved a step closer to turning over control of its power transmission system to a regional grid operator last week, a plan that the New Orleans utility giant hopes to have in place by the end of 2013. |
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| Five compete for spot on PSC | |
| 10/30/2012 -- The Lafayette Daily Advertiser Presidential contenders aren't the only candidates on the Nov. 6 ballot, and voters here will have five options when deciding which political hopeful should secure a seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission, which is the state's utility regulatory agency. |
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| Entergy moves closer to joining regional grid operator | |
| 10/30/2012 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. moved a step closer to turning over control of its power transmission system to a regional grid operator last week, a plan that the New Orleans utility giant hopes to have in place by the end of 2013. |
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| Five compete for spot on PSC | |
| 10/30/2012 -- The Lafayette Daily Advertiser Presidential contenders aren't the only candidates on the Nov. 6 ballot, and voters here will have five options when deciding which political hopeful should secure a seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission, which is the state's utility regulatory agency. |
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| Electric service to see bills rise | |
| 10/29/2012 -- The Advocate The 100,000 or so DEMCO customers will see their monthly bills increase more than 4 percent starting April 1 for a year; then they will start receiving refunds for a year. |
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| Novices vie for Public Service Commission | |
| 10/28/2012 -- The Houma Courier BATON ROUGE — While two candidates in the local Public Service Commission race have experience in the highest reaches of state government, the remaining three are relatively new to regional politics, and all contend they're offering voters an alternative. |
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| State lawmaker running for local PSC seat | |
| 10/26/2012 -- The Houma Courier BATON ROUGE — In his campaign to win the Public Service Commission's 2nd District seat, state Rep. Erich Ponti said he's the only candidate with real-world experience, as evidenced by his small-business background and conservative credentials. |
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| Entergy: Outage responses under review | |
| 10/25/2012 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. is reviewing its response after Hurricane Isaac, particularly how customers were updated on repair efforts, the head of the utility’s Louisiana subsidiaries told state regulators Wednesday. |
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| Former natural resources secretary on ballot | |
| 10/25/2012 -- The Houma Courier BATON ROUGE — It has been 12 years since Scott Angelle's name has appeared on a ballot, but he's seeking voter approval once more in his bid to capture the local seat on the Public Service Commission. |
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| Entergy officials say they are making changes after Hurricane Isaac | |
| 10/24/2012 -- AP via The Times-Picayune BATON ROUGE -- Entergy officials told Louisiana's utility regulators Wednesday that the company is working to improve communication with its customers, after complaints about lengthy outages and inadequate updates after Hurricane Isaac. |
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| Official: Solar energy tax credit needs limits | |
| 10/23/2012 -- The Advocate Public Service Commissioner Clyde Holloway and the renewable energies industry faced off before legislators Monday on the merits of a solar energy tax credit. |
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| Angelle tops 5 in money for PSC | |
| 10/22/2012 -- The Advocate Scott Angelle, the former aide to Gov. Bobby Jindal who is running to be a utility regulator for much of the Baton Rouge and Lafayette area, has more money in his campaign war chest than all his opponents combined. |
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| After the Boom in Natural Gas | |
| 10/20/2012 -- The New York Times EVELYN, La. - THE crew of workers fought off the blistering Louisiana sun, jerking their wrenches to tighten the fat hoses that would connect their cement trucks to the Chesapeake Energy drill rig — one of the last two rigs the company is still using to drill for natural gas here in the Haynesville Shale. |
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| DOE delays decision on Cheniere Energy facility | |
| 10/18/2012 -- The American Press The U.S. Department of Energy said Wednesday it needs additional time to consider an environmental group’s objections to Houston-based Cheniere Energy’s plans to construct an export terminal for liquefied natural gas in Cameron Parish. |
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| Seeing red | |
| 10/15/2012 -- The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report If ever there were any doubts about the state of the Louisiana Democratic Party, consider the District 2 race for Public Service Commission. |
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| Louisiana's renewable energy program starts to pick up steam, two years after inception | |
| 10/11/2012 -- The Times-Picayune When Louisiana regulators launched a pilot program to encourage the development of renewable power sources, Greg Nolan Jr. saw an opening for his Thibodaux sugar mill. Nolan's mill, Lafourche Sugar, had long desired to create its own power by using a sugarcane byproduct called bagasse. |
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| Solar energy fee fuels debate | |
| 10/7/2012 -- The Eunice News The road to “America’s Energy Independence” – which both Democratic and GOP candidates have spoken about in this election year’s presidential campaigns – is, much like Louisiana roads, destined to have a few bumps in it. |
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| Louisiana ranks near the bottom in pushing energy efficiency initiatives | |
| 10/3/2012 -- The Times-Picayune Louisiana ranks near the back of the pack in pushing the state toward energy efficiency initiatives, according to an annual scorecard released Wednesday by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. |
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| Candidates debate utility fees use | |
| 10/2/2012 -- The Advocate Candidates for the utility regulator post for Baton Rouge and Lafayette disagreed Monday on whether the state Public Service Commission should keep the fees and fines the agency gathers. |
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| PSC race candidates say they will accept donations from utilities | |
| 10/1/2012 -- AP via The Times-Picayune BATON ROUGE -- The two best-funded candidates for an open seat on the state's utility regulatory agency say they will continue to take campaign contributions from companies they would regulate. |
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| Vitter: OK forced utility sales | |
| 9/27/2012 -- The Advocate Jefferson — Weeks after he delivered a blistering critique of Entergy Louisiana’s response to widespread power outages following Hurricane Isaac, Jefferson Parish President John Young was joined by Sen. David Vitter in writing a letter that asks state lawmakers to consider crafting new legislation that would allow for forced sales of a utilities’ assets if the company “fails to perform.” |
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| David Vitter wants government to have power to force utility to sell its assets | |
| 9/26/2012 -- The Times-Picayune Sen. David Vitter, R-La., has joined the chorus of elected officials pledging a hard look at the response from Entergy, the state's largest utility, in the wake of Hurricane Isaac. In a letter sent Tuesday to Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and the state's legislative leaders, Vitter, the state's junior senator, and Jefferson Parish President John Young called for a constitutional amendment that would give the government the power to force a utility to sell its assets if it fails to perform, an option created to ensure reliability "in those hopelessly rare cases when needed," according to a copy obtained by the Times-Picayune. |
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| Data Barns in a Farm Town, Gobbling Power and Flexing Muscle | |
| 9/23/2012 -- The New York Times QUINCY, Wash. — Set in the dry hills and irrigated farmland of Central Washington, Grant County is known for its robust harvest of apples, potatoes, cherries and beans. But for Microsoft, a prime lure was the region’s other valuable resource: cheap electrical power. |
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| Power, Pollution and the Internet | |
| 9/22/2012 -- The New York Times SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Jeff Rothschild’s machines at Facebook had a problem he knew he had to solve immediately. They were about to melt. |
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| Entergy: Isaac costs at least $400 million | |
| 9/18/2012 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. says its estimated damages from Hurricane Isaac range from $400 million to $500 million, and the storm is expected to reduce the utility’s third-quarter revenue. |
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| Isaac damages could cost Entergy up to $500 million | |
| 9/18/2012 -- The Times-Picayune Damages from Hurricane Isaac, the slow-moving, Category 1 storm that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of customers across Louisiana, are expected to cost Entergy Corp. as much as $500 million, the New Orleans utility giant said Tuesday. Isaac, which lingered over New Orleans for more than two days, gave Louisiana's electrical grid its first real test since 2008's Hurricane Gustav left much of the state in the dark. |
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| Power to the people | |
| 9/17/2012 -- The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report Entergy officials started tracking Isaac back when he was still getting organized in the Atlantic Ocean. The weekend before landfall, projections had the storm headed for Florida, and Entergy was preparing to send a support team to help utilities in the Sunshine State. But as the storm drifted west, Entergy realized Louisiana was going to need help. |
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| Louisiana's electrical grid tested during Hurricane Isaac | |
| 9/16/2012 -- The Times-Picayune Hurricane Isaac gave Louisiana's electrical grid its first real test since 2008's Hurricane Gustav knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people, some for more than two weeks. In New Orleans, Isaac was the second-worst storm Entergy has ever dealt with: Service was out to more than 126,000 customers in the city at its peak, second to about 172,000 during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. |
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| PSC to launch inquiry into outages | |
| 9/13/2012 -- The Advocate After an often-angry debate Wednesday, the state’s regulators hired a lawyer to launch a special investigation into Entergy Corp.’s handling of power restoration in some south Louisiana parishes after Hurricane Isaac. |
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| PSC to investigate Hurricane Isaac power outages | |
| 9/12/2012 -- AP via The Times-Picayune BATON ROUGE -- Despite initial objections, Louisiana's public utilities commission decided Wednesday to conduct an investigative hearing into the power outages that plagued state residents for days after Hurricane Isaac. |
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| Entergy CEO to retire Jan. 31 | |
| 9/6/2012 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer J. Wayne Leonard on Wednesday announced plans to retire Jan. 31, resulting in a series of management changes at the New Orleans-based power company. |
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| Entergy Corp. CEO Wayne Leonard will retire in January | |
| 9/5/2012 -- The Times-Picayune J. Wayne Leonard, the longest-serving head of Entergy Corp., said Wednesday that he would step down from the position in January, one in a flurry of moves that will also produce changes at the helm of one of its Louisiana subsidiaries. |
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| Nearly all power restored in BR area | |
| 9/5/2012 -- The Advocate Power was back for almost everyone in the Baton Rouge area, the Louisiana Public Service Commission reported Tuesday night. |
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| Local donors contribute to Public Service campaigns | |
| 9/4/2012 -- The Houma Courier BATON ROUGE — The candidates seeking to claim the 2nd District of the Public Service Commission this fall have collectively amassed more than $634,000 in their campaign accounts. |
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| Public's anger at lengthy power outage after Isaac boils over | |
| 9/4/2012 -- The Times-Picayune On their sixth afternoon camped on the sidewalk of Belleville Street, a dozen neighbors seeking refuge from sweltering, dark homes stood watch over the remains of Algiers Point's public enemy No. 1. It had been a 40-foot oak tree, uprooted by Hurricane Isaac and tipped precariously into the power lines across the street. |
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| City Council grills Entergy on response to Hurricane Isaac | |
| 9/4/2012 -- The Times-Picayune As thousands remained without power a week after Hurricane Isaac began its slow plod through the city, Entergy New Orleans defended its response to the storm as "outstanding" during a grilling by the City Council that stretched on for nearly four hours Tuesday. Even so, the council unanimously passed a resolution launching a inquiry into how the company prepared for, then reacted to, the storm that sat above the city for more than 50 hours last week. |
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| Isaac highlights PSC role | |
| 9/3/2012 -- The Advocate The soundtrack of storms for many Baton Rouge residents is not the generator-like drone of Gov. Bobby Jindal reading statistics a couple of times a day; it’s the drone of actual generators throughout the night. |
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| More get electricity; many still in the dark | |
| 9/3/2012 -- The Advocate Utility companies were able to restore power Saturday to more than three-quarters of the Baton Rouge-area customers who lost electricity earlier this week during Tropical Storm Isaac, according to the state Public Service Commission. |
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| Hurricane Isaac power restoration shows room for improvement, officials say | |
| 9/2/2012 -- The Times-Picayune The number of homes and businesses in Jefferson and Orleans parishes that were still without power Sunday fell by a third from the day before, as utility officials acknowledged the mounting frustration among residents still left in the dark -- and some initial hiccups with coordinating the restoration response after Hurricane Isaac. Entergy executives said information about how long electricity may be out should be made available to customers more quickly. They also conceded that the utilities had logistical issues in deploying repair crews, getting work orders to linemen and coordinating the stages of restoration, such as removing trees and repairing utility poles and power lines. |
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| Progress made, but thousands still lack power | |
| 9/2/2012 -- The Houma Courier The CEO of Entergy, Bill Mohl is pleading for time and understanding as the company works to repair power infrastructure crippled by Hurricane Isaac. |
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| Hurricane Isaac power outages have customers steaming in more ways than one | |
| 9/1/2012 -- The Times-Picayune As more than 217,000 residents of Jefferson and Orleans parishes suffered through a fourth day without power after Hurricane Isaac, their patience flagged Saturday as temperatures rose and utility companies were unable to provide them with much detailed information on when they might again have juice. |
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| Some still waiting for power days after hurricane | |
| 9/1/2012 -- The Houma Courier After losing power during Hurricane Isaac, those still without electricity are getting more anxious to have it restored. |
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| Hurricane Isaac power restoration 'getting better each day,' Entergy official says | |
| 8/31/2012 -- The Times-Picayune At mid-afternoon Friday, John Kegel and his four-man utility crew from Union, Ill., their big trucks blocking a lane of traffic on South Claiborne Avenue, tamped the ground into place around a new 55-foot utility pole they had just erected to carry power into Central City. |
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| Crews work to restore power after Isaac, about 78 percent of Orleans in the dark | |
| 8/31/2012 -- The Times-Picayune Several hundred thousand electricity customers across southern Louisiana have had their power restored since heavy winds from the remnants of Isaac left behind more than 870,000 homes and businesses without power. |
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| Days without power after Isaac take their toll on New Orleans, Jefferson residents | |
| 8/31/2012 -- The Times-Picayune After four days of darkness at her eastern New Orleans home, Margie Lewis resorted to stringing an extension cord from her neighbor's house across the street and into her living room, just to plug in a solitary fan. "We have five adults stuck in one room with one fan," said Harold Giles, her son-in-law. "That takes a whole lot of patience." |
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| Jefferson Parish president excoriates Entergy for pace of power recovery after Hurricane Isaac | |
| 8/31/2012 -- The Times-Picayune Jefferson Parish President John Young is calling for inquiries and penalties against Entergy for what he described as an unacceptably slow pace of power restoration after Hurricane Isaac. From 9 a.m. to after 7 p.m. Friday, he said, 8,631 customers were restored, still leaving 137,400 customers, or about 66 percent of the parish, without electricity. |
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| Utilities begin repairing Isaac's damage | |
| 8/30/2012 -- The Times-Picayune By late afternoon Thursday, utility companies had restored power to tens of thousands of customers across southern Louisiana, making some headway hours after heavy winds from the remnants of Isaac died down and left behind more than 870,000 homes and businesses without power. |
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| Candidates for utility regulator detail stances | |
| 8/29/2012 -- The Advocate Four of the six candidates vying to be the utility regulator representing the Baton Rouge and Lafayette areas told a business group Tuesday that the Public Service Commission is vital to ensuring a strong economy for Louisiana. |
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| PSC hopefuls open to change | |
| 8/27/2012 -- The Advocate The six candidates for utility regulator representing the Baton Rouge and Lafayette region said in separate interviews that they are open to consider lowering the profit guaranteed to electric companies. |
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| Miss. regulators look at utility profits | |
| 8/20/2012 -- The Advocate Utility regulators in Mississippi picked up the call of Louisiana’s Public Service Commission chairman and began investigating whether private electricity companies are making too much profit. |
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| PSC candidates compete for open seat | |
| 8/15/2012 -- The Monroe News-Star BATON ROUGE — With no incumbent in the race, the three candidates for the Second Public Service Commission District say they each have an equal chance of winning. |
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| Ark. PSC complicates Entergy spinoff | |
| 8/13/2012 -- AP via The Advocate JACKSON, Miss. —Arkansas regulators want guarantees that their authority will be preserved if Entergy Corp.’s utilities join a regional transmission group, raising questions about whether the deal will go through. |
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| Louisiana's solar tax credit price tag high above estimates | |
| 8/9/2012 -- AP via The Times-Picayune BATON ROUGE -- A tax break passed by lawmakers four years ago to spur investment in solar energy has become a more costly deal for the state than expected, siphoning millions of dollars from Louisiana's coffers above what had been estimated. |
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| MPSC to analyze rate formula | |
| 8/8/2012 -- The Jackson Clarion-Ledger The Mississippi Public Service Commission is looking into whether consumers should pay less to electric companies when those businesses borrow money at lower interest rates as part of their operations. |
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| Electric bills lower in state | |
| 7/23/2012 -- The Advocate Baton Rouge-area customers of Entergy Corp. are seeing some of the lowest monthly electric bills in the past decade, largely because of a dramatic drop in the price of natural gas, say regulators and company officials. |
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| Entergy expects earnings increase | |
| 7/18/2012 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. announced Tuesday it expects second-quarter earnings of around $2.05 per share, up from $1.76 a year earlier, thanks in large part to lower income taxes. |
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| Low natural gas prices may draw industries to Louisiana | |
| 7/15/2012 -- The Times-Picayune With natural gas at decade-low prices, state economic officials are working to catch a wave of new investment interest from industries eager to tap into the abundant supply of the clean-burning fuel to power their plants. "We're working hard to position ourselves to get a disproportionate share of that new activity," Stephen Moret, secretary of Louisiana Economic Development, said in an interview last week. |
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| Power bills don’t fall with fuel costs | |
| 7/12/2012 -- AP via The Advocate NEW YORK — A plunge in the price of natural gas has made it cheaper for utilities to produce electricity. But the savings aren’t translating to lower rates for customers. Instead, U.S. electricity prices are going up. |
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| Campbell seeks drop in utility profits | |
| 7/6/2012 -- The Advocate Private utility companies need to trim their guaranteed profit margin paid monthly by customers who have no choices in the marketplace, says Foster Campbell, chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| La. Entergy customers to receive refunds | |
| 7/2/2012 -- The Advocate Customers of the Entergy Corp. subsidiaries in Louisiana should expect a refund sometime within the next year because the utility improperly sold its electricity, causing some customers to pay too much, according to documents filed with Louisiana regulators. |
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| PSC votes against nuclear plant charges for Entergy customers | |
| 6/29/2012 -- The Advocate State regulators refused Wednesday to allow Entergy Corp. to immediately charge its customers for about $63 million spent preparing to build another nuclear power plant at River Bend, near St. Francisville. |
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| Energy savings reaped in N.O. | |
| 6/24/2012 -- The Times-Picayune A year after the launch of its $11 million citywide energy-efficiency program, New Orleans officials and executives at Entergy New Orleans say the program has made strides in cutting down on power consumption and helping save money for thousands of local homeowners and businesses. More than 8,580 businesses and individuals participated in the Energy Smart initiative since last April, according to Entergy, which submitted an annual report about the program's progress to the New Orleans City Council earlier this month. Entergy estimates that the efforts helped cut electricity use by more than 15 million kilowatt-hours, enough to power 1,300 homes for an entire year. |
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| Entergy ceases Toledo Bend power generation | |
| 6/19/2012 -- The Shreveport Times TOLEDO BEND — A utility company that depends on Toledo Bend Reservoir for hydroelectric power generation six months out of the year temporarily suspended its operations Friday, meaning for the first time in two years the water body will be at a more healthy level going into the summer months. |
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| Carbon Capture, the Next Generation | |
| 6/18/2012 -- The Wall Street Journal Here comes the next generation of carbon capture. With energy companies abandoning expensive projects to remove carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants, attention is shifting toward newer technologies that scientists say will be better and cheaper. These systems under development have the potential to cut the cost of capturing carbon by more than half, experts say. |
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| Electricity? That's in Aisle 5. | |
| 6/15/2012 -- The Wall Street Journal Will consumers buy electricity from the same stores where they go for groceries or big-screen televisions? Increasingly, the answer is "yes." |
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| Shaw Group to develop new power technology | |
| 6/6/2012 -- The Advocate The Shaw Group Inc. will work with Net Power LLC and Exelon to develop a new technology for gas-fired power generation that the companies say could result in major benefits for electricity producers and consumers, energy security and the environment. |
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| PSC Commissioner Jimmy Field announces retirement plans | |
| 6/4/2012 -- The Advocate Public Service Commissioner Jimmy Field announced Friday morning that he will retire at the end of his term on Dec. 31. |
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| Regulatory panel inspecting River Bend | |
| 6/4/2012 -- The Advocate A special team from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is conducting an inspection at the River Bend nuclear plant in St. Francisville following a May 24 problem with a main pump. |
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| Entergy New Orleans proposes electricity, gas rate increases this fall | |
| 6/3/2012 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy New Orleans customers will see a slight increase on their power bills this fall under a plan submitted Thursday by the utility to the New Orleans City Council, which regulates Entergy's rates. |
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| Project fights blackouts | |
| 5/25/2012 -- The Advocate Lafayette — Acadiana is expected to make it through the summer without the threat of rolling blackouts. Cleco, Entergy and Lafayette Utilities System have announced that a $193 million joint project to improve the region’s electrical transmission grid will be substantially complete by June. |
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| PSC lets Entergy join power coalition | |
| 5/24/2012 -- The Advocate LAFAYETTE — The state’s regulators Wednesday allowed Entergy Corp. to transfer functional control of its electricity grid to a regional coalition of power companies that would stretch from the Gulf of Mexico to Hudson Bay. |
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| Entergy subsidiaries get approval for power grid switch | |
| 5/23/2012 -- New Orleans CityBusiness The Louisiana Public Service Commission approved a request from Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States to shift control of their power grid to a third-party operator today, a move that could prompt approval from New Orleans regulators as well. |
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| Entergy keeping an eye on natural gas prices, proceeding with transmission spinoff | |
| 5/4/2012 -- The Times-Picayune There's not much Entergy Corp. can do to help its bottom line after a mild winter across much of the country and abundant supplies of natural gas that have driven down electricity costs for consumers and businesses, officials at the New Orleans power provider told shareholders at the company's annual meeting Friday. "But what we can control is operational excellence and portfolio management and how we can deal with these things going forward," Leo Denault, Entergy's executive vice president and chief financial officer, said to the crowd of about 200 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans. |
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| Entergy offers new outage service | |
| 4/26/2012 -- The Advocate Entergy will begin calling, emailing or texting customers to let them know when their power is out and when it will be restored under a new communications program launched Wednesday in Louisiana. |
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| Mississippi Public Service Commission approves coal-fired power plant | |
| 4/24/2012 -- AP via The Times-Picayune The Mississippi Public Service Commission voted Tuesday to give new approval for Mississippi Power Co.'s coal-fired power plant in Kemper County, pushing aside opponents' calls for a fresh look at the plant's finances. The commission voted 2-1 to approve the $2.4 billion plant. Southern District Commissioner Leonard Bentz and Central District Commissioner Lynn Posey, both Republicans, voted for the plant. Northern District Commissioner Brandon Presley, a Democrat, voted against it. |
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| 'Smart meter' pilot program plagued with equipment, user problems | |
| 4/19/2012 -- The Times-Picayune A $10 million pilot program by Entergy New Orleans to install thousands of in-home displays that provide real-time updates on a household's power consumption has continued to be plagued by equipment problems and a perceived learning curve for participants using the devices, according to officials. The SmartView pilot program, launched last year, called for installing thousands of so-called "smart meters" outside homes, with four different cross sections of the initiative aimed at enabling customers to save money by adjusting their energy use. |
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| Big Cajun I sticks with natural gas | |
| 4/12/2012 -- The Advocate Cheap and stable natural gas prices put the lid on plans to convert a natural gas-fired electric power plant in New Roads to coal powered. |
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| Renewable Sources of Power Survive, but in a Patchwork | |
| 4/10/2012 -- The New York Times JUST a few years ago, the future of renewable energy looked as bright and shiny as a white turbine blade coming out of the mold. The federal government was handing out money under the stimulus package, states were approving clean energy mandates, young companies were racing ahead with promising new technologies and big global developers were planting stakes for ambitious, utility-scale projects. |
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| Nuclear Power’s Death Somewhat Exaggerated | |
| 4/10/2012 -- The New York Times NUCLEAR energy is going through an odd patch. It refuses to die, but it does not prosper. |
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| New Limit Pending on Emissions | |
| 3/27/2012 -- The New York Times After months of delay, the Obama administration is about to unveil the first federal standards to explicitly limit greenhouse-gas emissions from new electric power plants — one of the chief sources of carbon dioxide emissions linked to climate change. |
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| Entergy takes bid by Shaw for unit | |
| 3/27/2012 -- The Advocate Entergy Louisiana LLC announced Monday it has given the Shaw Group Inc., of Baton Rouge, the go-ahead to begin building the utility’s new gas-fired generating unit in Westwego. |
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| For New Generation of Power Plants, a New Emission Rule From the E.P.A. | |
| 3/27/2012 -- The New York Times The Obama administration’s proposed rule to control greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants — the first ever — could go far toward closing out the era of old-fashioned coal-burning power generation. |
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| As Reactors Age, the Money to Close Them Lags | |
| 3/20/2012 -- The New York Times WASHINGTON — The operators of 20 of the nation’s aging nuclear reactors, including some whose licenses expire soon, have not saved nearly enough money for prompt and proper dismantling. If it turns out that they must close, the owners intend to let them sit like industrial relics for 20 to 60 years or even longer while interest accrues in the reactors’ retirement accounts. |
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| A Drill to Replace Crucial Transformers (Not the Hollywood Kind) | |
| 3/14/2012 -- The New York Times The electric grid, which keeps beer cold, houses warm, and city traffic from turning to chaos, depends on about 2,100 high-voltage transformers spread throughout the country. |
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| http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2012/03/customer_utility_bills_may_be.html | |
| 3/6/2012 -- The Times-Picayune The chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission is calling for a review of profit rates that have been established for Louisiana utilities, saying that customer bills may be inflated because the allowances for electric and gas utilities are too high. |
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| Electric generating units proposed for three locks on Red River | |
| 2/24/2012 -- The Times-Picayune The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will prepare an environmental assessment report on three hydroelectric power generation projects proposed to be built at three lock-and-dam units along an 84-mile stretch of the Red River, also known as the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway. All three locks are operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. |
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| Bill risks energy assistance | |
| 2/22/2012 -- The Monroe News-Star About 9,000 Louisiana households that currently receive assistance to pay energy bills are at risk of losing that financial help if Congress approves President Barack Obama's lower funding request for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. |
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| La. regulator says state's solar energy credit too high | |
| 2/16/2012 -- The Alexandria Town Talk PINEVILLE -- Clyde Holloway welcomed his fellow public service commissioners to Central Louisiana on Wednesday. |
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| Inside Report for Feb. 15, 2012 | |
| 2/15/2012 -- The Advocate When the Louisiana Public Service Commission convenes for its monthly meeting Wednesday morning in Pineville, Foster Campbell will take the gavel for the first time since being elected in 2003. |
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| New Orleans City Council approves deal for new Entergy power plant | |
| 2/2/2012 -- The Times-Picayune The New Orleans City Council agreed Thursday to let Entergy New Orleans buy 20 percent of the electricity produced at a natural gas-fired plant that sister company Entergy Louisiana plans to build at its Ninemile Point station near Westwego. Acquiring electricity from the new plant would reduce Entergy New Orleans' reliance on its older, less efficient Michoud plant, but its customers also would be responsible for covering some of the estimated $721 million construction cost of the new unit. |
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| PSC orders Entergy to pay refunds on electricity bills | |
| 1/26/2012 -- The Advocate Louisiana utility regulators Wednesday afternoon ordered Entergy Corp. to refund $75 million to its customers in the Baton Rouge area. |
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| Campbell chosen chairman of PSC | |
| 1/26/2012 -- The Advocate Foster Campbell, of Bossier Parish, was chosen Wednesday as chairman for the five elected members of the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| Power to the people | |
| 1/23/2012 -- The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report On June 24, 2009, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission held a conference in Charleston, S.C., in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. Attendees came from different states and different levels of government to discuss one topic: Entergy. |
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| Staff Internet surfing triggers River Bend fine | |
| 1/10/2012 -- The Times-Picayune The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Monday it plans to levy a $140,000 fine against the River Bend nuclear power plant because operators controlling the reactor had been surfing the Web for news, sports, fishing and retirement account sites while on duty. |
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| Court delays long-distance pollution rule | |
| 12/31/2011 -- AP via The Advocate WASHINGTON — A federal court Friday put on hold a controversial Obama administration regulation aimed at reducing power plant pollution in 27 states that contributes to unhealthy air downwind. |
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| Radioactive leak at St. Francisville nuclear plant reported by Entergy | |
| 12/22/2011 -- The Advocate Officials at Entergy Corp.'s nuclear power plant near Baton Rouge say they have notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission about a leak of radioactive hydrogen. The Advocate reports that an elevated level of tritium was found Wednesday in a groundwater monitoring well at the Entergy River Bend Station in St. Francisville. |
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| Entergy chief explains merger plans | |
| 12/20/2011 -- The Courier Entergy is negotiating to turn over its electricity transmission responsibilities to two different groups, which could save customers money, the company’s top chief told a gathering of the South Central Industrial Association on Tuesday. |
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| Sasol studies major La. plant | |
| 12/1/2011 -- The Advocate Sasol Ltd., a South African energy and chemicals company, said Wednesday it will do a feasibility study for possible construction of a $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion ethylene cracker and derivatives complex near Lake Charles. |
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| Entergy CEO steps up demand that the industry deal with global warming | |
| 11/7/2011 -- The Times-Picayune J. Wayne Leonard, the chief executive of New Orleans-based Entergy Corp., has upped the ante on his demand that the federal government and his fellow major industry executives deal with global warming, abandoning support for a national carbon emissions "cap and trade" program in favor of a per-ton fee on carbon emissions. The carbon fee would be levied on all carbon emissions to provide a financial incentive to reduce emissions, with money from the fee used to reduce the national deficit and help low-income families, Leonard said. Some of the money from the fee would be funneled into support for research and development of carbon reduction technology and alternative energy. |
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| Entergy applies to turn over power grid | |
| 10/31/2011 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. officially applied late Monday to turn over basic control of its power grid to an Indiana nonprofit that would link power plants from the Gulf of Mexico into northern Canada. |
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| State asks EPA to reconsider new rule | |
| 10/30/2011 -- The Advocate Left unchanged, a federal air pollution reduction rule announced in July could lead to rolling blackouts in Louisiana next summer, state and energy company officials say. |
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| Entergy to refund ’05 charges | |
| 10/21/2011 -- The Advocate Federal regulators on Thursday ordered Entergy Corp. to refund up to $200 million to many of its Louisiana customers. |
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| EPA rollback of air pollution restrictions proposed | |
| 10/6/2011 -- The Times-Picayune The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed easing new pollution restrictions that angered several states and infuriated GOP presidential contender Texas Gov. Rick Perry. The proposed fix to the cross-state pollution rule would allow 10 states, especially Texas, to emit more smog-causing pollution than had initially been permitted. The rule is designed to decrease smokestack emissions, mostly from coal-fired power plants, in 27 states, that contribute to unhealthy air downwind. |
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| State asks EPA to reconsider rule change | |
| 10/6/2011 -- The Advocate The Public Service Commission and the state Department of Environmental Quality are disputing a federal model that shows Louisiana’s power plants are contributing to Houston’s ozone problems. |
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| Vitter defends measure putting renewable energy under watch | |
| 9/20/2011 -- The Times-Picayune WASHINGTON -- Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said there's nothing inconsistent about seeking loan guarantees for renewable and other energy projects while advocating legislation that would require increased scrutiny of taxpayer-assisted renewable energy products. |
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| Calcasieu to get energy plant | |
| 9/14/2011 -- The Advocate A South African energy giant plans to build an $8 billion to $10 billion natural gas complex in Calcasieu Parish, making it one of the largest industrial developments in the state’s history. |
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| PSC to challenge electricity generation rules | |
| 9/8/2011 -- The Advocate State regulators voted Wednesday to challenge federal anti-pollution rules that they say will raise monthly electricity bills. |
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| New study gauges Entergy's impact on the New Orleans area economy | |
| 8/29/2011 -- The Times-Picayune A recent economic impact study commissioned for Entergy Corp. reports that the utility giant's contributions to New Orleans wholly or in part support nearly 3,800 jobs, creating $278.7 million in income for area residents. |
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| Entergy reconsiders proposal for new transmission lines in Plaquemines Parish | |
| 8/22/2011 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Louisiana is reconsidering a proposal to build a new transmission line along Louisiana 23 in Plaquemines Parish after residents and officials complained the new 60-foot tall poles would be an infringement and potential hazard. Entergy wants to construct a 230-kilovolt transmission line from its Peters Road substation to a substation in Alliance about 25 miles to the south. The 60-foot metal poles would run along Louisiana 23 and provide additional capacity and redundancy for the existing 115-kilovolt line, said Molly Jahncke, a spokeswoman for Entergy. |
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| POWER PLAY | |
| 8/21/2011 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. wants to link its Louisiana generators to a network of plants that stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to northern Canada, a move the company says would lower monthly electric bills for consumers, reduce blackouts and provide better power for industry. |
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| Entergy shareholders will foot bond mistake bill | |
| 8/11/2011 -- The Times-Picayune Louisiana utility regulators have voted unanimously that Entergy Corp. shareholders -- and not its customers -- will foot a $1 million bill for a mistake in publicizing a bond sale. |
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| Entergy, LPA face error | |
| 8/10/2011 -- The Advocate State utility regulators are deciding Wednesday whether Entergy’s customers or its shareholders are on the hook for an estimated million-dollar mistake caused by the Louisiana Press Association. |
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| Southeast states a holdout in mandating renewable energy | |
| 8/6/2011 -- The Times-Picayune States across the country are gradually forcing or cajoling their electric companies into buying renewable energy, but the trend has fallen flat in the Southeast. |
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| New Entergy power contract is on New Orleans Utility Committee's Wednesday agenda | |
| 8/4/2011 -- The Times-Picayune The New Orleans City Council's Utility Committee meets this afternoon to consider a resolution authorizing Entergy New Orleans to enter into a contract to purchase power from a new, 550-megawatt natural gas unit that Entergy Louisiana has proposed building at its Ninemile Point plant in Westwego. |
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| Entergy Corp. profit exceeds analysts' forecasts | |
| 8/2/2011 -- The Times-Picayune New Orleans power provider Entergy Corp.'s second-quarter earnings remained flat from a year ago, while warmer-than-normal weather led to an uptick in its utility profits as customers used more electricity, the company reported Tuesday. |
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| Black cloud, silver lining | |
| 7/23/2011 -- Baton Rouge Business Report As Entergy's River Bend Nuclear Station celebrates 25 years of commercial operations this summer, intense skepticism hangs over the industry. |
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| Massachusetts company studying water power generated by the Mississippi River | |
| 7/14/2011 -- The Times-Picayune Free Flow Power Corp. has operated its first full-scale hydrokinetic turbine generator on the Mississippi River in Plaquemine since June 20, the Massachusetts-based renewable energy company announced Wednesday. |
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| River turbine working | |
| 7/14/2011 -- The Advocate Boston-based Free Flow Power Corp. said Wednesday it is successfully operating its first full-scale hydrokinetic turbine generator in the Mississippi River attached to Dow Chemical Co.’s dock in Plaquemine. |
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| Solar industry, ‘green’ jobs growing in region | |
| 7/13/2011 -- The Advocate Baton Rouge may want to look to its traditional industry sectors like petrochemical and energy production as the place to grow jobs in the clean — or some would say “green” — economy. |
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| Federal energy regulators issue ruling on Entergy grid | |
| 7/7/2011 -- The Times-Picayune Federal energy regulators cleared a key hurdle last week in Entergy Corp.'s proposal to turn over control of its power grid to a regional operator, ruling that its top choice, the Midwest ISO, could use power lines controlled by another nearby operator to integrate the utility giant's systems in Arkansas. |
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| E.P.A. Issues Tougher Rules for Power Plants | |
| 7/7/2011 -- The New York Times WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday issued new standards for power plants in 28 states that would sharply cut emissions of chemicals that have polluted forests, farms, lakes and streams across the Eastern United States for decades. |
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| America's Newfound Energy | |
| 7/6/2011 -- The Wall Street Journal For all the talk of Uncle Sam being past his prime, he's surprisingly sprightly when it comes to one thing: energy production. |
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| It’s not easy going green | |
| 7/3/2011 -- The Advocate NRG Energy Inc. had a bold experiment in mind in 2009 — burning switchgrass and sorghum along with coal at its New Roads power plant in what could lead this year to a full-fledged biomass program. The effort failed when the crops yielded only a fraction of the expected biomass, a company spokesman said. |
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| Entergy Louisiana announces plans to build new natural gas unit at plant in Westwego | |
| 6/23/2011 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Louisiana announced plans Thursday to build a new 550-megawatt natural gas unit at its Ninemile Point plant in Westwego. |
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| Meter of the future | |
| 6/19/2011 -- The Advocate The spinning electric meter seen on the outside of homes could soon go the way of incandescent light bulbs and desktop computers. |
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| Republicans grill administration officials over energy policy | |
| 5/24/2011 -- The Times-Picayune Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee issued a 43-page report Tuesday accusing the Obama administration of what Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., described as "nothing less than a concerted campaign to raise the price of energy as a means to force the issue of green alternatives." |
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| Little Gypsy power plant conversion officially dead | |
| 5/17/2011 -- AP via The Times-Picayune Louisiana utility regulators officially scuttled a once-touted plan for Entergy Louisiana to convert a generating station to petroleum coke and approved the utility collecting about $200 million from its 669,000 customers to pay for the aborted project. |
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| Entergy Corp. offers up details on plan to turn control of its transmission system over to regional grid operator | |
| 5/12/2011 -- The Times-Picayune New Orleans utility giant Entergy Corp. filed paperwork with utility regulators on Thursday providing details on the company's plans to turn over control of its high-power transmission system to an Indiana-based regional grid operator by the end of 2013, saying that the move could save customers more than $1 billion over a decade. |
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| Renewable energy fund will invest in Louisiana | |
| 5/8/2011 -- The Times-Picayune A California investment firm has created a $250 million private equity investment fund that will provide capital to renewable energy and clean technology businesses with operations in Louisiana. |
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| Entergy proposes turning over control of power transmission system to Indiana-based grid operator | |
| 4/25/2011 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. has proposed turning over control of its power transmission system to an Indiana-based regional grid operator by the end of 2013, a move that some in the industry say could improve efficiency and reliability, and result in more than $1 billion in savings for customers over a 10-year period. |
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| Funding, paperwork slow ambitious plans to produce power using underwater turbines in Mississippi River | |
| 4/24/2011 -- The Times-Picayune Three years after federal regulators gave alternative energy firms the go-ahead to start assessing the potential of producing power using underwater turbines in the nation's rivers, lakes and tidal pools, several companies that sought to harness the kinetic energy in the Mississippi River say their efforts have suffered from a lack of funding. |
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| Regional grid operators make presentations to City Council Utility Committee | |
| 4/13/2011 -- The Times-Picayune As Entergy Corp. officials prepare to unveil the utility giant's new proposal for sharing resources across the four states where it operates, local regulators in New Orleans heard presentations on Wednesday from the two regional grid operators being considered to manage the company's more than 15,500 miles of high-voltage transmission lines. |
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| Incentives being offered to help recruit participants for power program | |
| 4/5/2011 -- The Times-Picayune Officials at Entergy New Orleans are optimistic that additional incentives will help draw nearly 1,300 more participants by the end of the month to a new pilot program aimed at monitoring how customers respond to different technologies that provide real-time updates on their power usage. |
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| E.P.A. Proposes New Emission Standards for Power Plants | |
| 3/16/2011 -- The New York Times WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday proposed the first national standard for emissions of mercury and other pollutants from coal-burning power plants, a rule that could lead to the early closing of a number of older plants and one that is certain to be challenged by the some utilities and Republicans in Congress. |
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| Entergy looks at ways of sharing its power costs | |
| 2/27/2011 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. officials appear likely to turn over control of the utility giant's power transmission system to a regional grid operator, a move some in the industry say could dramatically improve efficiency and reliability and result in long-term cost savings for customers. |
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| Entergy readies program to save energy | |
| 2/6/2011 -- The Times-Picayune Now that the New Orleans City Council has approved final details of an Entergy-sponsored citywide energy efficiency program, a big-tent coalition of supporters is optimistic that despite some shortcomings, the long-awaited initiative will help cut down on power consumption and save money for thousands of homeowners and businesses. |
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| Federal Energy Regulatory Commission won't reconsider ruling on Entergy's power-sharing agreement | |
| 2/1/2011 -- The Times-Picayune The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has denied a request to reconsider a ruling that allows a pair of Entergy Corp. utilities to withdraw from the system of sharing resources without compensating the remaining utilities that produce more expensive power. |
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| 'Smart' meters will tell consumers how much power they're using | |
| 1/30/2011 -- The Times-Picayune Next month, Entergy New Orleans is set to begin installing thousands of special meters that will provide customers real-time updates on their power use as well as incentives to save money by adjusting their energy use. |
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| Entergy will unveil plan for sharing resources among the states it operates in | |
| 1/26/2011 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. plans to unveil in the spring its preferred plan for sharing resources among the four states where it operates after a pair of subsidiaries withdraw from the current system agreement in the coming years, company officials told regulators on Wednesday. |
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| Entergy Corp. taking wait-and-see-approach to new climate change regulations that will soon be rolled out | |
| 1/16/2011 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. officials are taking a wait-and-see-approach while the federal government prepares to issue guidelines to control greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and oil refineries. |
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| Causeway wind turbine pilot project officially under way | |
| 1/13/2011 -- The Times-Picayune A lone wind turbine spinning near at the north end of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway was hailed this morning as a first step in bringing widespread renewable energy to Louisiana. |
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| Entergy criticized | |
| 12/30/2010 -- The Advocate A state regulator’s review of how Entergy bought the fuel used to make its electricity found flaws that could translate into refunds for its customers. |
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| Blackouts explained | |
| 12/30/2010 -- The Advertiser Darrell Hicks, like many people in Lafayette, woke up Monday morning without power. |
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| Cold prompts blackouts | |
| 12/28/2010 -- The Advocate Tens of thousands of Acadiana residents faced power outages Monday when utility companies implemented rolling blackouts to deal with heavy loads on the region’s electric transmission grid, officials said. |
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| New Orleans officials ask Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to expedite rehearing request | |
| 12/22/2010 -- The Times-Picayune New Orleans officials have asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to expedite a year-old request for a rehearing of a ruling that allowed two subsidiaries of Entergy Corp. to withdraw from a power system agreement without compensating the remaining utilities that produce more expensive power. |
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| Judge rules that Entergy Corp. may have overcharged customers in four states | |
| 12/13/2010 -- The Times-Picayune Some Entergy utility customers in New Orleans may be due a substantial refund that's "in the millions of dollars," a city official said Monday, days after a federal regulatory judge ruled that the New Orleans-based power provider had overcharged customers in four states where it operates by selling higher priced electricity to its subsidiaries. |
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| Entergy probe about time | |
| 12/13/2010 -- Baton Rouge Business Report The U.S. Department of Justice has “opened a civil investigation of competitive issues concerning certain generation procurement, dispatch and transmission system practices and policies of Entergy’s utility companies.” |
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| City Council Utility Committee wants more details from Entergy about break-up of cost-sharing agreement | |
| 12/7/2010 -- The Times-Picayune Warning of an "impending danger to New Orleans ratepayers," the chairwoman of the City Council's Utility Committee has called on Entergy New Orleans to provide additional details about the potential financial impact that could be passed on to customers after two subsidiaries of the power provider begin withdrawing from a system agreement three years from now. |
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| Council Wants Answers from Entergy on Tuesday | |
| 12/6/2010 -- Gambit Weekly The New Orleans City Council's Utility Committee will hold a potentially contentious hearing on Tuesday, Dec. 7, to ask Entergy New Orleans (ENO) what the company is doing about moves by some of its affiliates in other states to withdraw from an interstate agreement designed to equalize costs and benefits among the various Entergy Corp. subsidiaries. The so-called System Agreement has become a target of Entergy's Mississippi and Arkansas affiliates and regulators, who claim the agreement imposes higher costs on their ratepayers. |
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| Reconfiguration of Entergy's power system agreement could mean higher rates for New Orleans customers | |
| 12/5/2010 -- The Times-Picayune A year after federal energy regulators approved plans for two subsidiaries of Entergy Corp. to withdraw from a power system agreement, a New Orleans City Council committee is set to hold a hearing Tuesday on the departure's potential financial impact on customers of Entergy New Orleans, who could face higher power bills three years from now. |
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| Regulators extend transmission arrangement with Entergy, but incorporate some changes | |
| 11/21/2010 -- The Times-Picayune Federal regulators have extended a unique four-year-old arrangement with Entergy Corp. that lays out how the company will manage its regional power transmission system, with some changes made to the pact aimed at giving officials in Louisiana and three other states where it operates more input on potential new investment to the grid. |
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| PSC backs Entergy probe effort | |
| 11/11/2010 -- The Advocate On a 3-2 vote, the state Public Service Commission backed a regional coalition’s offer to help in a federal investigation of Entergy’s business practices. |
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| U.S. Weighs Funding for Renewable Energy Projects | |
| 11/4/2010 -- The Wall Street Journal WASHINGTON—President Obama's top advisers recommended cutting off funding for a federal loan-guarantee program meant to spur the construction of wind and solar farms and other alternative energy projects, saying taxpayer dollars might be better spent elsewhere. |
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| Entergy's 20-Year Plan | |
| 11/1/2010 -- Gambit Weekly Entergy New Orleans (ENO) unveiled its preliminary blueprint last week for a plan to provide reasonable-cost electricity through the year 2028. The plan is called the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and will create an energy portfolio based on three criteria: reliability, lowest cost to the customer and economic risk. |
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| Entergy will roll out smart meters, giving low-income clients a way to track their power usage | |
| 10/31/2010 -- The Times-Picayune To better understand the energy habits of its low-income customers, Entergy New Orleans plans to begin rolling out a new pilot program in December that will put thousands of so-called "smart" meters at the homes of participants, which, they say, will provide a chance to monitor and control their power usage -- as well as give them an incentive to save money by turning off appliances or turning up the thermostat on their air conditioning. |
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| Entergy New Orleans hosts power planning meeting | |
| 10/27/2010 -- The Times-Picayune With natural gas prices on the decline, Entergy New Orleans officials believe that plans for adding nuclear power in the next decade "at this time, does not appear economically attractive," the utility's top planning official said at a public hearing Tuesday at the University of New Orleans. |
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| Energy list ranks La. low | |
| 10/17/2010 -- The Advocate Louisiana finished near the bottom among the 50 U.S. states surveyed in a new report by an energy-efficiency nonprofit group. |
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| Utility audit may mean refunds | |
| 10/14/2010 -- The Advocate COVINGTON — The state’s five elected utility regulators ordered their staff to publicly release, by December, an audit completed three years ago that could mean refunds for the 379,000 customers buying electricity from the Entergy subsidiary serving the Baton Rouge area. |
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| Public Service Commission approves pilot renewable power program | |
| 10/14/2010 -- The Times-Picayune The Public Service Commission on Wednesday approved a pilot program intended to create up to 350 megawatts of long-term renewable power within the next three years, a move that state officials and environmentalists say could help establish a permanent guideline that utilities would use to generate or purchase electricity from renewable sources. |
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| Justice Department probes Entergy Corp.'s operations in four states | |
| 10/12/2010 -- The Times-Picayune New Orleans-based power provider Entergy Corp. said on Tuesday that the company's operations in four Southern states are drawing renewed scrutiny amid a Justice Department probe involving its power procurement, dispatch and transmission system practices, along with the policies of its subsidiaries. |
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| Entergy leader desires harmony | |
| 10/4/2010 -- The Advocate The new head of Entergy’s Louisiana companies wants less confrontation and more harmony as company executives and regulators work through monumental issues confronting the state’s largest utility during the next couple of years. |
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| Nuclear Regulatory Commission says Entergy Corp. records are not in compliance | |
| 9/29/2010 -- The Times-Picayune The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has notified Entergy Corp., which owns utilities in four southern U.S. states, that it is not in compliance with required filings detailing the status of its savings to decommission its River Bend Station nuclear plant in St. Francisville. |
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| PSC hopefuls split on Entergy hike | |
| 9/28/2010 -- The Advocate Candidates for a seat on a state regulatory board disagree on whether a utility’s customers — rather than the company’s owners — should pay for mistakes. |
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| PSC campaign low profile | |
| 9/27/2010 -- The Advocate Both candidates say the campaign to choose a member of the state board that sets the cost of monthly electric bills has largely been stealthy, particularly when compared with the higher profile races on the Oct. 2 ballot. |
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| LOUISIANA INCLINED TO BURN THROUGH ENERGY | |
| 9/5/2010 -- The Times-Picayune Local utilities have spent years preaching to customers about managing their power use more efficiently. Apparently, people in Louisiana haven't been listening. |
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| Electric bills will rise a little this month due to natural gas prices and a hot summer | |
| 8/24/2010 -- The Times-Picayune Most utility customers in southeastern Louisiana will see a slight increase in their electricity bills this month because of the rising price of natural gas and above-average temperatures for much of the summer, the peak power usage season. |
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| Pilot program to regulate power | |
| 8/22/2010 -- The Advocate (AP) A pilot program endorsed by Louisiana utility regulators could establish guidelines for utilities generating or purchasing electricity from renewable sources. |
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| Details of pilot program for renewable power released by Louisiana Public Service Commission | |
| 8/19/2010 -- NOLA.com The Louisiana Public Service Commission has disclosed details of a pilot program that could help establish a guideline that utilities would use to generate or purchase electricity from renewable sources. |
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| Utility bills squeeze | |
| 8/15/2010 -- The Times-Picayune As the mercury soars to record highs, a group of local politicians and consumer advocates are urging the Obama administration to release $20 million from a federal emergency contingency fund to help cover fuel and air-conditioning costs for thousands of Gulf Coast residents struggling to pay their utility bills. |
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| Judge: State can take PSC funds | |
| 8/12/2010 -- The Advocate A judge refused Wednesday to bar Louisiana officials from taking more money from the state Public Service Commission in an attempt to balance other parts of the state’s ailing budget. |
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| PSC loses request to stop taking of its funds | |
| 8/11/2010 -- New Orleans City Business BATON ROUGE — The Public Service Commission lost its bid today to keep up to $1.9 million in its accounts, rather than shift the money to pay other expenses, as lawmakers plan. |
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| PSC: Judge must block withdrawal | |
| 8/6/2010 -- The Advocate The state Public Service Commission is warning it will be “effectively shut down’’ if a judge doesn’t block Louisiana treasury officials from taking another $1.9 million from the utility regulatory agency’s rollover accounts this summer. |
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| Entergy takes look at signing new pact | |
| 8/3/2010 -- The Arkansas Democrat Entergy Arkansas will continue to study the possibility of joining a new system agreement with its parent company for another 14 months, an executive of the electric utility said Monday. |
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| Entergy wins rate increase | |
| 7/29/2010 -- The Advocate CROWLEY—The monthly bills of Entergy’s typical Baton Rouge-area residential customers will go up nearly another $1 in August – this time to pay for dismantling of the River Bend nuclear facility in St. Francisville, state regulators decided Wednesday. |
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| Holloway enthused about renewable energy potential | |
| 7/11/2010 -- The Town Talk Clyde Holloway doesn't seem the likeliest candidate to be pushing major environmental initiatives, but the conservative former congressman was instrumental in the Louisiana Public Service Commission approving a renewable energy pilot program last month. |
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| Utilities Face the Decision Point of Big Shifts -- to Gas, Renewables and Efficiency | |
| 7/9/2010 -- The New York Times With or without a climate bill, electric utilities are shifting their investments to efficiency measures that cut long-term costs and integrate more natural gas and renewable energy into their power supplies, according to a new report. |
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| PSC sues for funds taken by state | |
| 7/8/2010 -- The Advocate The state Public Service Commission is suing the Legislature for taking $8.5 million of the utility regulatory agency’s funds to balance state spending plans. |
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| PSC sues Legislature over utility fees | |
| 7/8/2010 -- The Times-Picayune BATON ROUGE -- The state's utility regulatory agency has filed suit against the Legislature, arguing that lawmakers violated the state Constitution by taking fees paid by regulated utilities to help balance the state budget. |
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| Bond Commission backs Entergy storm repair plan | |
| 6/18/2010 -- The News-Star BATON ROUGE — More than 1 million Entergy Corp. customers in Louisiana will see their bills rise as early as August, to cover the utility's costs for repairing the damage of hurricanes Gustav and Ike. |
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| Entergy to add bill fee | |
| 6/18/2010 -- The Advocate The 2008 hurricanes are about to cause a hike in Entergy customers’ electric bills. |
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| Entergy shuffles top executives | |
| 6/8/2010 -- The Advocate After the failed spin-off of its Northeast nuclear power business, Entergy Corp. has changed several management members to help it with regulatory issues, the utility announced Monday. |
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| Entergy Corp. reorganizes top leadership | |
| 6/7/2010 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. announced a major reorganization this morning that, among other things, promotes the CEOs of Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Louisiana to new corporate-level positions. |
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| Lawmakers advance renewable energy bills | |
| 6/1/2010 -- The Town Talk BATON ROUGE -- As millions of gallons of leaked oil swirl around the Gulf of Mexico and enter Louisiana's delicate coastal wetlands, several bills that would help Louisiana harness more energy from renewable sources are winding through the state Legislature. |
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| Improvements still on track | |
| 5/24/2010 -- The Advertiser Work is progressing as scheduled on a major transmission expansion project involving three local utility companies. |
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| Shaw wins $197 million Entergy contract | |
| 5/13/2010 -- The Advocate The Shaw Group will upgrade Entergy Corp.’s nuclear power plant in Port Gibson, Miss., in a $197 million contract, Shaw officials said. |
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| Entergy records 1Q profit drop | |
| 4/30/2010 -- The News-Star NEW ORLEANS — Power provider Entergy Corp. recorded a 9.2 percent drop in first-quarter profit, missing analysts' forecasts, the company reported Thursday. |
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| Regulators OK Entergy plan to cover storm costs | |
| 4/22/2010 -- The News-Star BATON ROUGE — Entergy Corp. received permission Wednesday from state regulators to charge Louisiana customers for $408 million in storm damage from hurricanes Gustav and Ike and for replenishment of $290 million in storm reserves. Entergy will sell bonds to get upfront cash, and that debt will be paid off through surcharges on customers' bills. |
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| Entergy cancels plans to spin off nuclear plants | |
| 4/6/2010 -- The Times-Picayune AP) — NEW ORLEANS - Power generator Entergy has canceled its plan to spin off five nuclear plants into a separate company. |
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| Law would allow utilities to sell securitized bonds | |
| 3/24/2010 -- The Advocate Louisiana’s utilities would be able to sell securitized bonds, or those backed by state-ordered rate increases, to finance capital improvement projects under a proposed state law. |
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| River eyed as energy source | |
| 3/20/2010 -- The Advocate Officials in St. Mary Parish want to harness the current of the Atchafalaya River to produce electricity. |
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| Entergy asks OK for nuclear plans | |
| 3/17/2010 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. asked state regulators Tuesday for approval to continue early development of a new nuclear power generator in St. Francisville. |
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| Entergy asks PSC to affirm support for possible new nuclear reactor | |
| 3/16/2010 -- The Times-Picayune In a filing Tuesday, Entergy Louisiana LLC asked the Public Service Commission to affirm that it still supports the utility's possible pursuit of a new nuclear reactor at the River Bend Station near St. Francisville. |
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| Power Struggle | |
| 3/15/2010 -- Gambit Weekly At its March 10 meeting, the Louisiana Public Service Commission didn't discuss an item that has been on the docket for more than a year. After the daylong session, the PSC ended without discussing a proposal for a renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) for Louisiana — a program to get large utilities buying or generating renewable energy by a target date, thereby creating a market for in-state power producers. The vote was scheduled for May 19, but now, without a proper evaluation of the PSC staff's proposal, the future of a Louisiana RPS will have to wait. |
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| Public Service Commission to discuss renewable energy standard | |
| 3/10/2010 -- The Times-Picayune The Public Service Commission is expected Wednesday to consider adopting a renewable energy standard for Louisiana utilities. |
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| New policy would encourage Louisiana utilities to produce more electricity using renewable sources | |
| 3/7/2010 -- The Times-Picayune The Public Service Commission is crafting an alternative energy policy that would encourage Louisiana utilities to produce more electricity using renewable sources like solar and wind power. |
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| Letting in some light | |
| 2/24/2010 -- Baton Rouge Business Report Debates over cap-and-trade and greenhouse-gas regulations might get the headlines. But a much quieter discussion about a 34-year-old law could lead to tremendous changes in how chemical makers do business. |
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| Power utilities improve J.D. Power ratings | |
| 2/4/2010 -- The Advocate Marked improvements in corporate citizenship, power quality and reliability boosted businesses’ satisfaction with their electric utilities going into 2010 over 2009, according to J.D. Power and Associates. |
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| Entergy reports record earnings, but faces new challenges in spinning off nuclear fleet | |
| 2/2/2010 -- The Times-Picayune Although Entergy Corp. reported record operational earnings and earnings per share Tuesday for 2009, the company now faces new challenges on spinning off its wholesale nuclear fleet and extending the license of an aging nuclear plant because of a radioactive leak in Vermont. |
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| January power bills lower for customers of Cleco, Entergy New Orleans | |
| 1/20/2010 -- The Times-Picayune January power bills were lower for customers of Cleco and Entergy New Orleans because of declines in the cost of fuel, leaving Entergy Louisiana customers with the highest electricity bills in the area this month. |
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| Hurricane Katrina damage to power infrastructure should be paid for by federal government, Entergy says in lawsuit | |
| 1/15/2010 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp., Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Louisiana and their insurance company filed suit against the federal government on Tuesday for damages the companies incurred during Hurricane Katrina. |
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| PSC defers decision on rate increase | |
| 1/15/2010 -- The News-Star Louisiana's Public Service Commission deferred a decision on whether to grant Peoples Water Service Co. of Bastrop a rate increase after Commissioner Foster Campbell argued against the move because Morehouse Parish has suffered excessive economic stress. |
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| Entergy rates may increase | |
| 1/14/2010 -- The Advocate Louisiana utility regulators said Wednesday they want New York bankers to explain poor investments they chose, which could cause increases on monthly electricity bills by the end of the year. |
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| PSC to take up nuclear plant costs | |
| 1/13/2010 -- The Advocate A Louisiana utility regulator wants investment advisers for two Entergy power utilities to explain how money to eventually dismantle two nuclear generating plants was lost on Wall Street. |
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| Entergy seeks rate hike to close nuclear plants | |
| 1/6/2010 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. is $236 million behind in its investments to pay for the eventual shutdown of its two nuclear plants in Louisiana, and the company has asked the Louisiana Public Service Commission for permission to increase rates so that customers can make up the shortfall. |
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| Ark., Miss. let out of utility agreement | |
| 11/20/2009 -- The Advocate Federal regulators Thursday allowed Entergy Corp.’s subsidiaries in Mississippi and Arkansas to withdraw from an agreement that includes hundreds of millions of dollars in refunds for the utility’s Louisiana customers. |
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| Cameron Parish and Louisiana Geothermal | |
| 11/16/2009 -- Gambit Weekly About $5 million in federal stimulus money will soon make its way to Louisiana Geothermal, an up-and-coming company that boasts it will be able to produce enough energy within the next two years to power all of Cameron Parish. |
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| Tariffs Aid Alt-Energy Use | |
| 11/16/2009 -- Gambit Weekly Renewable energy expert Craig Morris told the Louisiana Public Service Commission last week that the state should continue to encourage alternative energy sources via feed-in tariffs. |
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| Landfill gas to power 2 industrial plants | |
| 11/13/2009 -- The Advocate An innovative deal between East Baton Rouge Parish government and Baton Rouge Renewable Energy LLC will turn landfill gas into power for two local industrial plants, while generating $33 million in revenue for the city-parish over 20 years. |
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| Entergy: La. bills lowest in 7 years | |
| 11/12/2009 -- The Advocate November electric bills for Entergy Gulf States Louisiana LLC customers are down more than 34 percent from last year and are the lowest they have been in more than seven years, the company said Wednesday. |
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| Utilities to receive grants | |
| 11/6/2009 -- The Advocate LAFAYETTE — Four electric utilities in Louisiana, including Lafayette’s public system, have been tapped for $45 million in federal Recovery Act grants, with most of the money for new “smart” meters that would help utility providers better monitor outages and let customers keep tabs on their usage. |
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| Entergy Spinoff May Buy Plants to Reduce Credit Risk | |
| 11/4/2009 -- Bloomberg.com Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Enexus Energy Corp., the nuclear electricity producer that Entergy Corp. plans to spin off next year, may look to buy more power plants to reduce the financial and credit risk of relying only on its six reactors. |
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| U.S. Department of Energy awards $7 million for projects in Louisiana | |
| 11/4/2009 -- The Times-Picayune The U.S. Department of Energy is awarding more than $7 million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for industrial energy efficiency projects in Louisiana. |
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| State to get $45.5 million for local energy grid improvements | |
| 11/3/2009 -- The Times-Picayune Louisiana will receive over $45.5 million for energy grid updates of the $3.4 billion in the Recovery Act as part of the largest single energy grid modernization investment in U.S. history. The efforts will create a more reliable electric system and strengthen pathways for the state to buy the cleanest and most economical power available. |
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| Entergy asks to cancel Little Gypsy coal-burning project, citing new environmental regulations | |
| 10/29/2009 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Louisiana LLC has asked the Louisiana Public Service Commission for permission to cancel the $1.8 billion Little Gypsy re-powering project in St. Charles Parish, ending a two-year saga. |
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| Entergy looks to increase fees for its local customers | |
| 10/29/2009 -- The Courier THIBODAUX — Lafourche and Terrebonne residents can expect higher electric bills if Entergy’s request is granted. |
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| Entergy wants to scuttle Little Gypsy plan | |
| 10/29/2009 -- The Advocate NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Entergy Louisiana has asked state utility regulators to allow it to cancel the Little Gypsy power plant conversion in southeastern Louisiana — and collect $208.9 million in project costs from its customers. |
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| Entergy tweaks utility rates | |
| 10/23/2009 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. is working with regulators to adjust rates at each of its utilities, the New Orleans-based company told Wall Street analysts Thursday, as its third-quarter operational earnings fell to $470.7 million, or $2.40 per share, from $487.3 million, or $2.50 per share, in the same period of 2008. |
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| La. falls short in energy efficiency | |
| 10/22/2009 -- The Advocate Louisiana is among the states deemed most in need of energy efficiency improvements, according to a national organization. |
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| A river runs through it | |
| 10/19/2009 -- Baton Rouge Business Report When Hurricane Gustav cut power to 850,000 Louisiana customers, Entergy had a big job ahead of it. In Ascension Parish, restoring service played out differently on the two sides of the Mississippi River: Most homes and businesses in Gonzales had service restored in days, while customers in Donaldsonville waited weeks to flick the lights back on. |
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| Congressional energy bills could have impact on Louisiana | |
| 10/18/2009 -- The Courier BATON ROUGE — Two energy bills — one awaiting presidential approval and the other struggling through hearings — could both have long-lasting effects on Louisiana, for very different reasons. |
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| Committee: La. needs to accept new energy | |
| 10/16/2009 -- The Advocate LAFAYETTE — A regional committee formed to explore alternative energy resources and possibilities for production and research in Acadiana is preparing to educate the public more about its efforts. |
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| Group: Clean energy aids La. | |
| 10/16/2009 -- The Advocate Clean energy jobs and their Louisiana oil and gas counterparts aren’t necessarily as difficult to mix as oil and water, advocates from an alternative energy group say. |
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| Some utility users to get refund | |
| 10/15/2009 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Louisiana LLC customers will receive a one-time $12.9 million refund in November and a slight rate increase as a result of an annual adjustment exercise in Entergy's rates at the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| PSC approves Cleco rate hike | |
| 10/15/2009 -- The Advertiser BATON ROUGE— The more than 276,000 Louisiana electricity customers with Cleco Power LLC should see their utility bills drop by the end of the year, if the company's new solid fuel power plant goes online as scheduled |
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| Cleco to open coal, coke unit | |
| 10/15/2009 -- The Times-Picayune Later this year, Cleco Corp.will open a $1 billion coal and petroleum coke unit that the company says will reduce and stabilize customer bills, but which environmentalists say is proof of Louisiana's unhealthy reliance on dirty fuels. |
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| PSC affirms power rate increase | |
| 10/15/2009 -- The Advocate Typical Baton Rouge residential electricity customers will pay $5 to $6 more per month for power as state regulators Thursday agreed to rate increases for both utilities serving this area. |
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| Hearings on turbines in the Mississippi River this week | |
| 10/13/2009 -- The Times-Picayune Free Flow Power Corp., a company that wants to hang turbines in the Mississippi River to generate power at multiple sites south of Baton Rouge, will hold public hearings in New Orleans Tuesday and Wednesday on its proposal for how to study the turbines' impact on the river. |
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| Hydro funds may be hard to find | |
| 10/12/2009 -- The Advocate Plans to place dozens of minipower plants in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers are moving closer to reality as a handful of firms continue to navigate the federal regulatory process. |
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| Utility regulators from four states meet in New Orleans on transmission | |
| 10/12/2009 -- The Times-Picayune A newly formed group of utility regulators from all the states where Entergy Corp. provides electricity met in New Orleans Monday about improving transmission in Entergy territory in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas. |
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| Commissioner opens office | |
| 10/11/2009 -- The Opelousas Daily World In an effort to increase service to the public, District IV Public Service Commissioner Clyde Holloway is opening satellite offices in Opelousas and Ville Platte. |
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| FEMA gives DEMCO funds for storm work | |
| 10/7/2009 -- The Advocate The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded DEMCO $5.1 million for its work in restoring power to Ascension Parish customers after Hurricane Gustav last year, FEMA officials said. |
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| Entergy seeking to impose surcharge | |
| 10/4/2009 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. has asked the Louisiana Public Service Commission for permission to use the same financing mechanism it used after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to pay for $420 million in damage from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike and replenish $290 million in reserve funds so that it has money on hand for future storms. The storms will cost customers a few dollars extra each month. |
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| Entergy outlines storm defense | |
| 10/4/2009 -- The Advocate A state regulator wants to know what Entergy has done in the year after Hurricane Gustav to ensure that a future storm does not again blow down the electrical transmission system and plunge south Louisiana into darkness. |
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| Entergy seeks storm surcharge | |
| 10/2/2009 -- The Advocate Entergy is asking state regulators for permission to charge its 1 million Louisiana customers a monthly surcharge to cover the costs of getting the lights back on after hurricanes Gustav and Ike, according to a filing with the state Public Service Commission released Thursday. |
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| Big Cajun to use switchgrass as fuel | |
| 9/30/2009 -- The Advocate Big Cajun II, the largest of two electricity plants near New Roads, will add switchgrass and sorghum to the coal it burns to supply 1.2 million electrical co-operative customers in Louisiana. |
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| Steelmaker buys Entergy site | |
| 9/29/2009 -- The Advocate State officials said Monday that steelmaker Nucor Corp. now has acquired nearly 3,900 acres in St. James Parish, enough land to build its proposed $2 billion-plus mill. |
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| PSC rep claims fund grab illegal | |
| 9/23/2009 -- The Advocate An official with the Public Service Commission accused the Legislature on Tuesday of unlawfully taking ratepayer money. |
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| Moret: Entergy considered moving HQ | |
| 9/21/2009 -- New Orleans City Business Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret downplays Entergy’s decision to shift some employees to Jackson, Miss., saying his office was concerned recently with “a much bigger prize.” |
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| PSC members select Gonzalez as new secretary | |
| 9/17/2009 -- The Advocate JEFFERSON — After meeting for about 45 minutes behind closed doors, the five elected members of the state Public Service Commission chose Eve Kahao Gonzalez as the regulatory agency’s new secretary. |
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| Lawyer-cost rule passes contentious PSC | |
| 9/17/2009 -- The Advocate JEFFERSON — After being called upon to stop yelling and act civilly to one another, the five elected state utility regulators voted unanimously Wednesday to require that outside lawyers report their costs before addressing the state Public Service Commission at monthly public meetings. |
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| Natural gas pipeline expansion under way | |
| 9/16/2009 -- The Shreveport Times A pipeline is being expanded to carry natural gas from Haynesville Shale fields in the Red River Parish area to market. |
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| Local electricity bill comparison finds that New Orleans customers pay the most | |
| 9/11/2009 -- The Times-Picayune Customers of Entergy Louisiana will have the cheapest electricity bills this month of New Orleans area utility customers, according to data from the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| Clean Energy bill will strengthen economy, group says | |
| 9/10/2009 -- The Times-Picayune If the clean energy bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in June actually becomes law, it would create 2,800 new jobs in Louisiana, save the average Louisiana household $318 a year and reduce annual carbon emissions in the state by 6.5 million metric tons by 2020, according to a report released today by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. |
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| Renewable-energy companies growing in Louisiana | |
| 9/6/2009 -- The Courier LOCKPORT — Housed in a metal building on small-town street, Effective Solar Products looks much like the machine and oilfield shops that surround it. |
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| Entergy on magazine’s economic development list | |
| 9/2/2009 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. has been named one of Site Selection magazine’s “Top Utilities in Economic Development.” |
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| LOSS OF POWER | |
| 8/30/2009 -- The Times-Picayune After Hurricane Katrina mangled the New Orleans electricity grid and levee breach floodwaters rendered Entergy Corp.'s downtown headquarters inaccessible, the city's only Fortune 500 company vowed that it was too much of a risk for a utility to have all of its functions in a coastal area. |
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| Gas price drop helps some, hurts others | |
| 8/28/2009 -- The Advocate Low natural gas prices lower consumers’ electricity bills and help the state’s petrochemical and wood products industries, while hurting energy companies and putting a dent in the state’s revenues, economist Loren Scott said Thursday. |
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| Entergy shifting 200 jobs to Miss. | |
| 8/26/2009 -- The Times- Picayune Entergy Corp. will open a gleaming new transmission headquarters building this fall in Jackson, Miss., to house 200 skilled workers, many of whom are moving from New Orleans and elsewhere in Louisiana. |
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| Letter could start nuclear bid | |
| 8/26/2009 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy Corp. has written a letter to the Louisiana Public Service Commission informing regulators that it plans "to submit a request for certification for nuclear power plant siting and licensing activities" within 90 days. |
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| Panel bashes climate legislation | |
| 8/21/2009 -- Baton Rouge Business Report August 21, 2009 Baton Rouge Business Report Several speakers at an industry-sponsored discussion today at LSU expressed opposition to a proposed federal law that would create a “cap and trade” system to discourage carbon emissions and attempt to head off global warming. Some were more skeptical than others about whether human activities are causing harmful climate change, but no one found much to like in the Waxman-Markey bill. |
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| Entergy letter starts possible nuclear bid | |
| 8/21/2009 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. wrote a letter informing Louisiana regulators of its intention “to submit a request for certification for nuclear power plant siting and licensing activities” within 90 days. |
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| Entergy upgrades after 2008 storms | |
| 8/9/2009 -- The Advocate The winds of Hurricane Gustav knocked down a lot of Entergy Corp.’s equipment and thrust about 829,000 of its 1 million Louisiana customers into darkness for what officials first predicted would be weeks and weeks. |
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| FERC will pay for part of transmission study | |
| 8/6/2009 -- The Times Picayune The chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission affirmed an inquiry into the benefits and costs of having all six Entergy Corp. utilities to join the Southwest Power Pool, a regional transmission organization. |
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| Entergy, Pew Center launch web site | |
| 7/31/2009 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Corp. and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change have launched a Web site to help people assess how much carbon dioxide they produce as part of their daily living. |
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| Power grid being upgraded | |
| 7/29/2009 -- The Advocate LAFAYETTE — A $200 million project is moving forward to improve the electricity transmission grid for Acadiana and prevent the possibility of rolling blackouts. |
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| Louisiana regulator Holloway decries energy bill at North Rapides meeting | |
| 7/28/2009 -- The Town Talk PINEVILLE -- Clyde Holloway has scarcely had time to settle into his new role as a member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission and he already faces an issue that makes some of his constituents very nervous. |
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| Nuclear agency inspects Taft plant | |
| 7/21/2009 -- The Times Picayune The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is conducting a special inspection at Entergy Louisiana Inc.'s Waterford 3 nuclear plant in Taft because of repeated problems with electrical relay switches in the plant's safety system. |
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| Entergy focus of power debate | |
| 7/19/2009 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Corp., which has been in the hot seat in recent months due to accusations that its transmission grid is inadequate, said this week that those concerns are misplaced. |
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| Entergy last in customer service | |
| 7/17/2009 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Louisiana earned the lowest customer-service ratings of any large utility in the South providing residential service, according to a study released Thursday by the consulting firm J.D. Power and Associates. |
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| SWEPCO asks customers to reduce electricity use | |
| 7/15/2009 -- The Alexandria Town Talk SHREVEPORT - AEP Southwestern Electric Power Co. may have to resort to rolling blackouts if an appeal for customers to reduce electricity use does not work today. |
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| Entergy, LED unveil site tools | |
| 7/7/2009 -- The Advocate Utility provider Entergy and Louisiana’s economic development department, LED, unveiled an online site selection database Monday that supersedes anything available in the nation, the parties said. |
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| Federal regulators discuss Entergy's transmission system at South Carolina meeting | |
| 7/1/2009 -- The Times-Picayune As state and federal regulators gathered in Charleston, S.C., last Wednesday for a special meeting to discuss shortcomings in Entergy Corp.'s transmission system, record temperatures and demand for air conditioning threatened to send the Lafayette area into rolling brown-outs because the grid couldn't handle the necessary power load. |
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| Heat weighs on power grid | |
| 6/26/2009 -- The Advocate LAFAYETTE — Lafayette Utilities System and SLEMCO are urging customers to raise their thermostats and take other energy conserving measures to prevent rolling blackouts while the soaring summer heat strains the area’s power grid. |
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| As heat wave persists, utilities say there's sufficient power for air-conditioning | |
| 6/26/2009 -- The Times Picayune As a marathon heat wave persists, local power companies say they are working hard to make sure the lights stay on in homes and businesses. |
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| Entergy's plans to spin off nuclear reactors could proceed now that credit markets have eased | |
| 6/22/2009 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Corp's plans to spin off six nuclear reactors should be able to proceed because credit markets have eased, Chief Executive Officer Wayne Leonard told Bloomberg News. |
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| NUCLEAR REACTIONS | |
| 6/15/2009 -- The Times Picayune Two companies in Louisiana have bet big on nuclear power. The Shaw Group is already gaining traction. Entergy Corp. is still getting going. |
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| Utilities hedging what they can | |
| 6/12/2009 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- Despite bargain natural gas prices, Louisiana utilities told the Public Service Commission on Thursday that it's not economical to hedge much more of their fuel purchases than they already do. |
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| Entergy Corp.'s CEO gets high marks for the candor of his letter to shareholders | |
| 6/11/2009 -- The Times Picayune The CEO of Entergy Corp. got high ranks for the candor and clarity of his letter to shareholders in an analysis conducted by Rittenhouse Rankings, Inc. |
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| La.’s ‘clean energy’ reviewed | |
| 6/11/2009 -- The Advocate As clean energy jobs go, Louisiana is neither better nor worse than the U.S. as a whole, according a study released Wednesday by The Pew Charitable Trusts. |
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| Entergy: Bills lower this year | |
| 6/9/2009 -- The Advocate Entergy Gulf States Louisiana said Monday that its customers will see their June electricity bills significantly lower — an average of 44 percent — than their peak 10 months earlier, something that should continue through the summer. |
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| River turbine plan makes shippers wary | |
| 6/8/2009 -- The Times Picayune Z. David DeLoach, owner of the towboat company DeLoach Marine Services, attended a public meeting in Baton Rouge hosted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission a few weeks ago to learn more about efforts to install thousands of turbines in the Mississippi River to harness the flow of the river to generate clean electricity. |
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| Entergy finishes power projects in SE La. | |
| 6/5/2009 -- The Advocate NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Entergy Louisiana has completed three major power transmission projects in southeastern Louisiana. |
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| Credits to reduce Entergy La.'s bills | |
| 6/2/2009 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Louisiana customers will see credits on their bills for the rest of the year because of an annual exercise to equalize the cost of producing electricity between all the Entergy utilities, but Entergy New Orleans customers will not get money back this year. |
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| Energy costs to cool down | |
| 6/1/2009 -- The News Star Annie Shelton couldn't do much against last summer's high energy rates. |
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| Entergy set to do battle over transmission grid | |
| 5/24/2009 -- The Times Picayune A long-simmering dispute between Entergy Corp. and independent power producers over the adequacy and accessibility of Entergy's transmission grid is about to come to a head. |
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| PSC member blasts climate witness | |
| 5/20/2009 -- The Times Picayune After a presenter at last week's Public Service Commission meeting asserted that global warming is a hoax, Commissioner Foster Campbell said Tuesday he plans to introduce a motion at the June meeting requiring most people testifying before the commission to do so under oath. |
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| Gustav, Ike cost Entergy $664 million | |
| 5/14/2009 -- The Times Picayune Restoring power to Entergy customers in Louisiana after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike cost $664.2 million, the utility said Wednesday in a filing to the Louisiana Public Service Commission, making the 2008 storm season the second most expensive ever for the company. |
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| Entergy: Storms cost companies $412 million | |
| 5/14/2009 -- The Advocate A $412.6 million bill for restoring power service to 1 million customers of Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana following hurricanes Gustav and Ike in September has been presented to state utility regulators. |
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| PSC delays power plant conversion | |
| 5/14/2009 -- The Shreveport Times BATON ROUGE -- Entergy Louisiana's one-time plan to convert a major generator from natural gas to petroleum coke, a plentiful byproduct of refining, was put on a hold of at least three years Wednesday by state utility regulators. |
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| Little Gypsy project shelved | |
| 5/14/2009 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- The Louisiana Public Service Commission unanimously accepted Entergy Louisiana's recommendation Wednesday to put on hold for three years plans to convert part of an aging natural gas plant in St. Charles Parish to burn coal and petroleum coke. |
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| Little Gypsy project shelved | |
| 5/14/2009 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- The Louisiana Public Service Commission unanimously accepted Entergy Louisiana's recommendation Wednesday to put on hold for three years plans to convert part of an aging natural gas plant in St. Charles Parish to burn coal and petroleum coke. |
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| GOING WITH THE FLOW | |
| 5/11/2009 -- The Times Picayune Within the year, Louisiana should start seeing electricity generated from turbines submerged in the Mississippi River and other waterways. |
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| 2 lawmakers worry energy proposal could hurt Louisiana | |
| 5/10/2009 -- The Town Talk WASHINGTON -- Two Democrats from Louisiana, Rep. Charlie Melancon and Sen. Mary Landrieu, could play key roles in negotiating and crafting their party's climate control bill, which would have a major impact on the state's oil and gas industry. |
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| Entergy CEO says coal is the answer to global warming | |
| 5/8/2009 -- The Times Picayune LITTLE ROCK, Ark -- The only viable solution to climate change is retrofitting existing coal plants with technology to capture carbon dioxide emissions, Entergy Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Wayne Leonard told shareholders at the company's annual meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas, this morning. |
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| Dow official: Company eyes alternative energy | |
| 5/6/2009 -- The Advocate Despite a recent reduction of about 10 percent of its Louisiana work force this year, Dow Chemical Co. will remain an economic engine in the state and capitalize on alternative energy when the timing is right, said Sharon Cole, site leader for Dow’s Plaquemine area facilities. |
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| Outages hurt bottom line at Entergy | |
| 5/5/2009 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Corp.'s first quarter earnings fell compared with the previous year because of outages at its nuclear plants and higher taxes and expenses in its utility business. |
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| Entergy pushing emissions cap bill | |
| 5/3/2009 -- The Times Picayune Utilities are sweating about the possibility that Congress may cap carbon-dioxide emissions, and many heavy industries in Louisiana are convinced that a climate-change bill will spell financial ruin. |
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| Plants could be state's go-to fuel | |
| 4/23/2009 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- As Congress contemplates requiring utilities to generate or purchase some of their power from renewable sources, one of the most logical starting points for the state might be using dead plants, speakers at Louisiana State University's annual alternative energy conference said Wednesday. |
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| Entergy, Lake Charles Cogen still talking—or not | |
| 4/23/2009 -- Baton Rouge Business Report (Third article) Lake Charles Cogeneration and Entergy are still talking about synthetic gas. Or not, depending on whom you ask. After Entergy walked away from two years of negotiations to buy LCC's fuel made from pet coke, the firms were expected to return to the table two months ago after the Louisiana Public Service Commission asked them to. |
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| Hearings set on plans for river power plants | |
| 4/23/2009 -- The Advocate Meetings are set in Baton Rouge next week on a proposal to use the Mississippi River for generating power. |
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| Natural gas possible solution for energy needs | |
| 4/19/2009 -- The Shreveport Times OPINION) Gas prices are starting their summer creep upward, proving again the volatility of the oil market. |
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| State panel not sold on climate strategy | |
| 4/19/2009 -- The Times Picayune A majority of the elected officials on the Louisiana Public Service Commission, the body responsible for setting state energy policy and deciding what types of power plants to build, say they believe public concerns about global warming are overblown. |
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| Entergy offers plan to halt plant project | |
| 4/9/2009 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. formally presented its plan Wednesday to suspend construction on a new electricity generating plant at its Little Gypsy facility in LaPlace. |
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| Little Gypsy plant deals are off | |
| 4/9/2009 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- With little fanfare, Entergy Louisiana LLC told the Louisiana Public Service Commission on Wednesday that it is canceling all contracts associated with its controversial Little Gypsy repowering project while it puts the effort on hold for at least three years. |
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| Entergy to formally propose delaying Little Gypsy project today | |
| 4/8/2009 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Louisiana LLC is expected to formally propose today delaying plans to convert an aging natural gas plant in St. Charles Parish into a coal and petroleum coke plant. |
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| La. Supreme Court overturns Entergy ruling | |
| 4/7/2009 -- The News Star JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Louisiana Supreme Court has overturned a lower court ruling that forced a subsidiary of Entergy Corp. to pay back over $34 million to rate payers. |
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| Cap-and-trade opposition | |
| 4/7/2009 -- American Press U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, said in Lake Charles on Monday that a proposal to reduce carbon emissions, called “cap-and-trade,” would be “devastating” to the economies of Southwest Louisiana, Gulf Coast states and coal-producing states. |
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| Entergy Nuclear teams up with Oklahoma firm to offer development services | |
| 4/7/2009 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Nuclear is teaming up with energy firm Enercon to offer a range of nuclear development services. The new venture will tap the combined expertise of both nuclear companies. |
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| Shaw renews nuclear contract with Entergy | |
| 4/6/2009 -- The Advocate The Shaw Group Inc. today announced the maintenance division of its power group has renewed its existing contract to provide nuclear maintenance services to the 11 nuclear units at nine of Entergy Corp.’s power stations. |
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| Power plant refitting plan falls from favor | |
| 4/3/2009 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Louisiana LLC is stepping back from plans to convert an aging natural gas plant in St. Charles Parish into a coal and petroleum coke plant. |
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| Energy bill called bad for state | |
| 4/2/2009 -- The Advocate WASHINGTON — Republican Louisiana congressional delegation members say a new effort by the Obama administration to curtail carbon emissions could have a “devastating” effect on oil and gas states such as Louisiana. |
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| Utility players | |
| 3/23/2009 -- The Baton Rouge Business Report Pointe Coupee is the only parish in the Capital Region that will be voting in the Louisiana Public Service Commission special election on April 4. A runoff, if necessary, is scheduled for May 2. Here’s a brief introduction to the candidates. |
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| Entergy power rates set to drop | |
| 3/18/2009 -- The Advocate Baton Rouge area customers of Entergy Corp. are paying far less for electricity than they were last year at this time and should see another significant cut in their monthly electric bills starting in June. |
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| La. gearing up for green boom | |
| 3/17/2009 -- The Times Picayune Louisiana is expected to get $122.3 million in federal economic recovery money to improve the energy efficiency of homes, government buildings and public transportation over the next three years and to jump-start renewable energy projects for electricity generation. |
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| Entergy asked to defer coke plant | |
| 3/12/2009 -- The Times-Picayune The Public Service Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to ask Entergy Louisiana LLC to suspend work on its controversial coal and petroleum coke plant project in St. Charles Parish, and ordered the company to determine by the group's April 8 meeting whether the project is still viable. |
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| PSC won’t help project | |
| 3/12/2009 -- The Advocate The state’s utility regulators on Wednesday turned aside a request to become involved in a $2 billion project to build a plant that would make synthetic natural gas. |
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| Credit crunch is influencing Entergy's plans to build new reactors | |
| 3/11/2009 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Corp. CEO Wayne Leonard said this morning that his company won't build new reactors by 2020, party because of the credit crunch. |
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| Utilities give proposed synthetic natural gas plant the cold shoulder | |
| 3/11/2009 -- The Times Picayune The project sounds like a dream: a national company poised to invest $2 billion in Louisiana to covert a nasty refinery byproduct into an affordable, clean fuel that will deliver stable electricity prices and produce commodities that will help the state's oil companies get the most out of their wells. |
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| Fuel plant project hitting snags | |
| 3/11/2009 -- The Times Picayune The project sounds like a dream: a national company poised to invest $2 billion in Louisiana to covert a nasty refinery byproduct into an affordable, clean fuel that will deliver stable electricity prices and produce commodities that will help the state's oil companies get the most out of their wells. |
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| PSC questions Entergy project | |
| 3/10/2009 -- The Times Picayune Public Service Commission Chairman Lambert Boissiere III has called upon Entergy Corp. to suspend work on plans to convert part of aging natural gas plant in St. Charles Parish into one that burns coal and petroleum coke, a refinery byproduct. He wants the utility company to review the feasibility of the project. |
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| Could trash and bagasse power electric plant? | |
| 3/3/2009 -- The Courier HOUMA — After a year that saw wildly fluctuating natural-gas prices, Terrebonne has commissioned a study to test whether sugar-refining by-products and trash could be used to fuel the city’s power plant. |
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| THE LITTLE LUMP THAT COULD | |
| 3/1/2009 -- The Times Picayune If Entergy is successful at rebuilding a unit of its Little Gypsy natural gas plant to burn coal and a refinery byproduct known as petroleum coke, it will be the rare coal project to succeed. |
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| Big Cajun owner rejects bid, open to merger | |
| 2/27/2009 -- The Advocate New Jersey-based NRG Energy Inc., which owns four Louisiana power plants producing about 2,500 megawatts of electricity, said it’s open to a potential merger with Exelon Corp. but Exelon’s original bid of $6.2 billion is unacceptable. |
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| Energy groups keep eye on Big Cajun suit | |
| 2/26/2009 -- The Advocate Officials with Louisiana energy interests do not know what impact a federal lawsuit against the coal-fired Big Cajun II power plant could have for customers in the short term, but say there could be long-term effects related to environmental issues and plant improvements. |
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| Tower of power | |
| 2/23/2009 -- Baton Rouge Business Report Entergy Nuclear’s original application to build a new reactor at its River Bend Station in West Feliciana Parish, which it filed last year, was 13,000 pages long, a powerful indicator that nothing happens fast when it involves building a nuclear reactor. |
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| Burning questions surround Entergy plant | |
| 2/19/2009 -- The Times Picayune The financial benefits promised to customers from Entergy Louisiana's rebuilding of part of a St. Charles Parish natural gas plant to burn coal and petroleum coke are becoming more elusive. |
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| Foes of plan to revamp La. plant hail EPA shift | |
| 2/18/2009 -- The Times Picayune The Sierra Club said that a letter issued Tuesday by the new director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could make it more difficult for Entergy Louisiana to secure the environmental permits necessary to turn an aging St. Charles Parish natural gas plant into one that burns coal and a refining byproduct known as petroleum coke. |
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| Study pinpoints the cost of upgrading the electrical transmission grid | |
| 2/14/2009 -- The Times Picayune Upgrading the electrical transmission grid east of the Rocky Mountains to accommodate expansions in wind power could cost $50 billion to $80 billion, according to a study released last week by regional transmission organizations. |
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| Industries question Entergy plan | |
| 2/14/2009 -- The Times Picayune It's not just environmentalists who are concerned about the prospect of Entergy Louisiana LLC turning a unit of its Little Gypsy natural gas plant into one that burns coal and a refinery byproduct called petroleum coke. |
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| PSC meets in private on Entergy | |
| 2/12/2009 -- The Times Picayune The most important item on the Louisiana Public Service Commission's agenda Wednesday was the one that was not discussed in public. |
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| Sparks fly over Entergy | |
| 2/12/2009 -- The Advocate The state Public Service Commission on Wednesday met in closed session for about 90 minutes to discuss the economics of Entergy’s $1.7 billion Little Gypsy project. |
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| PSC discussing new electricity plant plan | |
| 2/11/2009 -- The Advocate The state’s utility regulators will be discussing today — behind closed doors — whether a much-publicized Entergy project to build a new electricity generating plant near LaPlace remains economically viable. |
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| La. regulators battle pullout by Miss., Arkansas | |
| 2/10/2009 -- The Times Picayune The battle between Entergy Corp. and local regulators over plans by Entergy utilities in Arkansas and Mississippi to withdraw from a federally imposed system of power production cost-sharing is about to come to a head. |
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| Burying La. power lines to prevent hurricane outages would cost up to $70 billion | |
| 2/8/2009 -- The Courier BATON ROUGE — A Louisiana Public Service Commission report says burying the state's utility lines to protect them from hurricane-force winds would drastically increase monthly bills for customers and cost up to $70 billion. |
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| Entergy poised to convert natural gas power plant to coal-burning facility | |
| 2/3/2009 -- The Times Picayune Barring a last-minute objection by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality is expected to issue a construction permit for Entergy's controversial plan to turn an aging natural gas power plant in St. Charles Parish into one that burns petroleum coke and coal. |
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| Regional power issues tackled in Dallas | |
| 1/30/2009 -- The Times Picayune Utilities, municipalities and industrial plants from around the South gathered in Dallas this week to learn about proposed upgrades to the regional electric transmission system. |
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| Power plant fuels port deal plan | |
| 1/28/2009 -- The Times Picayune A New Orleans company that wants to build a power plant to turn trash into electricity is negotiating to buy property along the Industrial Canal from the Port of New Orleans. |
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| Entergy boosts size of its planned debt sale to $500 Million | |
| 1/27/2009 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Corp., the second-largest U.S. operator of nuclear power plants, increased the size of its planned debt sale to $500 million, according to a person familiar with the offering. |
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| Entergy expects lower quarterly earnings | |
| 1/23/2009 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. today said it expects fourth-quarter earnings of 88 cents per share, more than 8 percent below the same period in 2007, and well below Wall Street analysts’ expectations for net income of $1.03 per share. |
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| La. readies for era of biofuels | |
| 1/23/2009 -- The Times Picayune With President Barack Obama promising to make renewable energy a pillar of his domestic agenda and biofuel plants taking hold across the state, Louisiana seems poised to expand its alternative energy production in the next five years, industry leaders and government representatives said Thursday. |
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| Alliance touts energy plan | |
| 1/21/2009 -- The Advocate NEW ORLEANS — A pro-business alliance in New Orleans on Tuesday unveiled a 30-year energy development plan for Louisiana that it promises would create billions of dollars in new revenue, thousands of jobs, and a “green future.” |
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| Entergy revises findings of Miss. Power transfer | |
| 1/20/2009 -- The Times Picayune JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Entergy Corp. says it may have sold power to Mississippi earlier than it originally thought under a fuel contract that once led to a refund of $72 million to Louisiana customers. |
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| PSC decides to refuse free meals | |
| 1/15/2009 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- The Louisiana Public Service Commission voted 3-2 Wednesday to prohibit the agency's elected members and staff from receiving free meals and drinks from the companies they regulate. |
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| PSC adopts meals, drinks ban | |
| 1/15/2009 -- The Advocate State utilities regulators voted Wednesday to quit accepting free meals and drinks from the companies they oversee. |
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| La. Public Service Commission will consider requiring utilities to purchase renewable energy | |
| 1/14/2009 -- The Times Picayune The state's power regulation agency launched an initiative Wednesday to consider a requirement for Louisiana utilities to purchase a portion of their energy from renewable sources, such as fuel from biomass or solar, wind and hydroelectric power. |
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| Barron’s: Nuclear spending would benefit Entergy | |
| 1/12/2009 -- The Advocate Barron’s says President-elect Barack Obama’s desire to reduce carbon emissions by spending $150 billion over 10 years on nuclear plants equals a big opportunity for investors in Entergy Corp. and Exelon Corp., No. 2 and No. 1, respectively, in terms of nukes. |
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| Entergy reactors on hold | |
| 1/11/2009 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. has postponed plans for new nuclear reactors at River Bend in St. Francisville and Grand Gulf in Mississippi because the utility could not work out a deal for the reactors with manufacturer GE Hitachi. |
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| Shaw braces for nuclear era | |
| 1/9/2009 -- The Advocate Against a backdrop of $13 billion in looming nuclear power contracts, The Shaw Group Inc. recorded one of its most profitable recent quarters, earning $63 million, or 75 cents per share, at the start of its fiscal 2009 year, the company reported Thursday. |
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| Critics, fans sound off on power plant | |
| 1/7/2009 -- The Advocate NEW ROADS — The proposed $300 million expansion of the Big Cajun 1 power plant near New Roads is either a move toward high-tech energy production or a move back to the 18th century. |
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| Entergy coal-retrofitting plans opposed. Tennessee spill of sludge is cited | |
| 1/3/2009 -- The Times Picayune The massive power plant spill that inundated a town in eastern Tennessee with coal ash has local environmental groups redoubling their cries that Entergy Louisiana should seek alternatives to retrofitting a unit at its Little Gypsy plant in Montz to burn coal rather than natural gas. |
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| Power Adjustment | |
| 12/28/2008 -- The Times Picayune Here's some good economic news: After enduring some of their highest power bills in memory this year, Louisiana residents are finally seeing their electricity bills go down, and the trend is likely to continue for at least the first half of 2009. |
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| Residents seeing lower electric bills | |
| 12/12/2008 -- The Courier THIBODAUX — If you think your electric bill has begun to appear a little lower, it has. |
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| Snow causes power outages around the state | |
| 12/12/2008 -- The Times Picayune At least 83,000 homes and businesses around the state are without power because of this morning's snow. |
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| Application to expand nuclear site accepted | |
| 12/11/2008 -- The Times Picayune The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted Entergy Corp.'s application to build a second nuclear reactor at its River Bend power plant near St. Francisville, the regulatory agency said Wednesday, kicking off the 30-month review of the proposal. |
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| La. PSC rejects meal ban | |
| 12/11/2008 -- The Advocate NATCHITOCHES — The state Public Service Commission on Wednesday again flirted with, then rejected, a ban on accepting meals and entertainment paid for by lobbyists. |
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| Free-meal ban not on regulators' agenda | |
| 12/11/2008 -- The Times Picayune NATCHITOCHES -- An effort to prohibit the elected members and staff of the Public Service Commission from accepting free meals from regulated utilities failed to get enough votes for a hearing at the panel's monthly meeting Wednesday. But a majority of commissioners said a ban should pass at the next meeting in January. |
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| Shaw Group Chairman J.M. Bernhard Jr. calls for national commitment to building nuclear plants | |
| 12/10/2008 -- The Times Picayune Shaw Group Chairman J.M. Bernhard Jr. called for a national commitment to build up to 50 nuclear power plants by 2030, telling a gathering of power industry leaders that the jobs, clean electricity and energy independence created by a "nuclear renaissance" offer a unique platform to achieve the "hope and change" pledged by President-elect Barack Obama. |
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| Shaw chief calls for more nuclear energy plants | |
| 12/9/2008 -- The Daily Advertiser BATON ROUGE -- The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE:SGR) Chairman J.M. Bernhard Jr. called for a national commitment to build up to 50 nuclear power plants by 2030, telling a gathering of power industry leaders that the jobs, clean electricity and energy independence created by a “nuclear renaissance” offer a unique platform to achieve the “hope and change” pledged by President-elect Barack Obama. |
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| Entergy to share price cut benefit | |
| 12/9/2008 -- The Advocate A drop in the price of natural gas led to a significant decrease — nearly $30 for many Baton Rouge-area residential customers — in December electric bills that Entergy is in the process of sending today. |
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| PSC's free meals may be history | |
| 12/8/2008 -- The News Star BATON ROUGE — Members of Louisiana's Public Service Commission have taken a beating lately, in a state audit and in the press, for their habit of accepting free meals from the utility companies they regulate. |
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| Free meals for PSC down, but not out | |
| 11/30/2008 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- Don't tell the folks at the Louisiana Public Service Commission that there is no such thing as a free lunch. |
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| Entergy customers to pay less | |
| 11/26/2008 -- The News Star Entergy Louisiana customers may have some extra money in their pockets when their December bill arrives. |
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| Officials: Nuclear review extensive | |
| 11/19/2008 -- The Advocate ST. FRANCISVILLE — The public will have the opportunity to participate at several stages in the lengthy licensing process for a proposed reactor at Entergy Corp.’s River Bend nuclear power plant, officials of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday. |
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| Cold winter may spoil low utility bill | |
| 11/17/2008 -- The News Star This summer, Jeremy Brown would sit in the dark for fear of his utility bills. |
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| Vote clears Entergy of overcharging customers | |
| 11/14/2008 -- The Daily Advertiser BATON ROUGE (AP) — The board that regulates utilities in Louisiana has rejected its staff’s recommendation to find that Entergy Corp. acted improperly in making business decisions in the 1990s that resulted in higher monthly bills for customers. |
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| Utility regulators reject meal ban | |
| 11/13/2008 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- Despite renewed criticism of its practice of accepting meals and drinks from regulated companies, the Public Service Commission bypassed a proposal Wednesday by one of its members that would have prohibited wining and dining of the five elected commissioners. |
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| Vote clears Entergy of costly inaction | |
| 11/13/2008 -- The Advocate On a 3-2 vote, the five state utilities’ regulators Wednesday refused to go along with their staff’s recommendation to find that Entergy Corp. had acted improperly in making business decisions in the 1990s that resulted in higher monthly bills for Louisiana customers. |
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| PSC keeps rules on lobbyists’ entertaining | |
| 11/13/2008 -- The Advocate The state Public Service Commission narrowly turned aside an attempt Wednesday to ban utilities’ lobbyists from entertaining regulators, their families and their staffs. |
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| Skrmetta defeats Schwegmann in district race for PSC seat | |
| 11/5/2008 -- The Times Picayune Republican lawyer Eric Skrmetta of Metairie defeated former grocery store chain owner John Schwegmann in Tuesday's runoff for the 1st District seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| Attack ads heat up campaign for PSC | |
| 10/29/2008 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- The political race for the Public Service Commission 1st District seat has heated up in the past week as the Republican candidate and the state party have launched television ads critical of non-party candidate John Schwegmann. |
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| Audit blasts rate setting, free meals at PSC | |
| 10/28/2008 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- The agency that regulates power and water bills in Louisiana is not doing enough to ensure that customers are getting fair rates and fuel-adjustment charges while allowing its commissioners and staff members to take free meals from regulated companies, the legislative auditor said in a highly critical report released Monday. |
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| Auditor: PSC electricity rate process faulty | |
| 10/28/2008 -- The Advocate The state regulators who set the cost of electric bills use a faulty system, the Louisiana legislative auditor said in a report released Monday. |
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| Expert: Natural gas is future of U.S. energy | |
| 10/23/2008 -- The Advocate The United States has enough natural gas resources now to supply the country’s needs for 118 years at the current demand and technology, an energy industry expert said Wednesday. |
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| PSC enacts new 72-hour fundraising rule | |
| 10/16/2008 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- The Public Service Commission agreed to tighten political fundraising rules Wednesday after Commission Chairman Jay Blossman hosted a campaign fundraiser last month for a commission candidate the night before a PSC panel meeting. |
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| Entergy sparks shouting | |
| 10/16/2008 -- The Advocate A plea for support by the New Orleans City Council evolved Wednesday into a shouting match between state regulators over whether they are controlled by Entergy Corp., the state’s largest utility company. |
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| Cleco's Rodemacher III moves toward completion | |
| 10/15/2008 -- The Town Talk BOYCE -- Cleco's Rodemacher III solid-fuel power plant, a $1 billion project, continues to inch closer to completion -- slated for June/July 2009. |
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| Bond sale OK’d for Entergy plant conversion | |
| 10/10/2008 -- The Advocate The Louisiana Public Facilities Authority approved a $100 million bond sale on Monday to help Entergy Corp. pay for converting a 530-megawatt generator at its Little Gypsy site in St. Charles Parish. |
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| Schwegmann, Skrmetta face off | |
| 10/6/2008 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- Saturday's primary narrowed the field to two candidates in the Public Service Commission 1st District race, which will be decided in a Nov. 4 runoff expected to turn out a larger and potentially different set of voters. |
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| Campbell re-elected to PSC | |
| 10/5/2008 -- The Advocate Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell of Bossier Parish won easy re-election Saturday while the election for the regulator representing much of suburban New Orleans will require a runoff next month. |
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| Grid, not Gustav, blamed for outages | |
| 10/5/2008 -- The Times Picayune After spending days in the dark, public officials, their advisers and utility operators across the state are questioning whether the biggest power failure in the state's history was caused not so much by Hurricane Gustav's wind but by the condition of Entergy Corp.'s grid. |
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| Plentiful natural gas supply good news for La. users | |
| 10/3/2008 -- The Advocate News that this winter won’t bring a natural gas shortage and price spike is music to the ears of Public Service Commission Secretary Lawrence St. Blanc. |
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| Donations are not flying in 1st District PSC race | |
| 10/1/2008 -- The Advocate BATON ROUGE -- The four candidates running for the 1st District Public Service Commission seat in the Saturday primary have raised few contributions to fuel their campaigns, leaving the monetary edge to those who can spend their own cash or obtain loans in the low-profile race. |
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| Entergy: Two storms cost at least $1 billion | |
| 9/30/2008 -- The Courier NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Entergy Corporation estimates that damage from hurricanes Ike and Gustav cost the power provider $1 billion to $1.2 billion. |
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| Sparks fly over Entergy utilities plans | |
| 9/26/2008 -- The Times Picayune Rhetorical bombshells exploded one after another Thursday as a New Orleans City Council committee took on the city's chief utility company over the issues of who is violating its obligations to the public and who is telling the truth. |
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| New nuclear plant in La.? | |
| 9/26/2008 -- The Advocate A subsidiary of Entergy Corp. filed an application with federal authorities Thursday to build a new nuclear power plant in St. Francisville. The River Bend plant joins Entergy’s Grand Gulf nuclear plant in Port Gibson, Miss., as possible sites for a new reactor. |
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| Entergy seeks OK to expand La. plant | |
| 9/26/2008 -- The Times Picayune In a 13,000-page application, Entergy Corp. asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Thursday for permission to build and operate a second nuclear reactor in St. Francisville. |
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| Work on power plant expansion visible | |
| 9/23/2008 -- The Shreveport Times People driving on North Common Street can see work under way on the AEP-SWEPCO J. Lamar Stall Unit at Arsenal Hill, just south of the Shreveport Fire Department's headquarters and Station 1. |
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| Four vie for seat in PSC election | |
| 9/23/2008 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- A surprise open seat on the Oct. 4 primary ballot for Public Service Commission has put four candidates in a heated battle to represent a New Orleans area district on some of the major energy regulation issues facing Louisiana. |
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| The perfect storm | |
| 9/22/2008 -- Baton Rouge Business Report At least 30 people hunkered down in DEMCO’s command center on Wax Road as Hurricane Gustav bore down on south Louisiana. Some watched the storm approach on one of three projection screens in what might be called a war room. |
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| Out of sight, out of mind | |
| 9/22/2008 -- Baton Rouge Business Report ‘We got our electricity up just in time to lose it again” was a frequent refrain last week. |
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| Gustav costs utilities $600 M | |
| 9/20/2008 -- The Advocate The Entergy companies that serve Louisiana and three other states paid up to $600 million to get the lights back on after Hurricane Gustav, Entergy Corp. said in a press release Friday. |
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| Entergy sees $500M-$600M in damage from Gustav | |
| 9/19/2008 -- The Town Talk NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Utility company Entergy Corporation said it expects to spend $500 million and $600 million to repair damage from Hurricane Gustav, while the cost of damage from Hurricane Ike is not yet known. |
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| Outgoing PSC Chairman Blossman holds fundraiser for candidate | |
| 9/18/2008 -- The Advocate Outgoing state Public Service Commission Chairman Jay Blossman is hosting fundraisers for a candidate seeking to replace him on the panel that oversees the utilities in this state. |
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| Outgoing PSC member's bash draws complaint | |
| 9/17/2008 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- As four candidates vie for the 1st District Public Service Commission seat in the Oct. 4 primary, a Metairie lawyer in the race has secured strong backing from departing commissioner Jay Blossman. |
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| PSC eyes Entergy lines | |
| 9/17/2008 -- The Advocate Some of Entergy’s Baton Rouge customers are telling regulators that electricity crews from other states complained about the lack of maintenance of the poles and lines that fell during Hurricane Gustav. |
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| Jindal appoints Manuel to take Sittig’s PSC post | |
| 9/17/2008 -- The Advocate Gov. Bobby Jindal on Tuesday appointed Pat Manuel, of Eunice, to the Louisiana Public Service Commission until an election is held to replace former Commissioner Dale Sittig. |
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| About 4,000 without power | |
| 9/16/2008 -- The Daily Advertiser About 4,000 coastal residents remained without power Monday as floodwaters from Hurricane Ike continued to recede. |
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| Gustav, Ike set record for power outages in La.Gustav, Ike set record for power outages in La. | |
| 9/16/2008 -- The Times Picayune Hurricanes Gustav and Ike provoked the largest power outage ever in Louisiana, depriving a peak of 1.5 million households and businesses of electricity, often for extended periods. |
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| Gustav’s winds wreaked havoc | |
| 9/14/2008 -- The Advocate It’s difficult to compare tragedies because the events were so different, said Randy Helmick, Entergy’s “storm boss.” |
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| Power restoration going faster than expected | |
| 9/12/2008 -- The Advocate Entergy accelerated its projection — to Wednesday — when all of Baton Rouge’s power is restored. |
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| Power plan ready: Utility companies ready themselves for Hurricane Ike | |
| 9/12/2008 -- The Daily Advertiser Just as utility companies wrapped up their responses to Hurricane Gustav, they were bracing for the impact of Hurricane Ike. |
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| Utilities offer to help with bill payments | |
| 9/11/2008 -- The Times Picayune With customers already reeling from high electricity bills when Hurricane Gustav's evacuation put an additional dent in their budgets, local utility companies say they're ready to work with people on making payment arrangements. |
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| Probe of utility systems delayed; PSC needs more time | |
| 9/11/2008 -- The Advocate The Louisiana Public Service Commission postponed Wednesday calling for an investigation into the performances of the state’s electricity providers before, during and after Hurricane Gustav. |
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| Entergy says system did ‘extremely well’ | |
| 9/11/2008 -- The Advocate Entergy officials told state regulators Wednesday that despite Hurricane Gustav knocking out power for nearly the entire state, the electrical system performed as designed. |
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| State’s petrochemical industry struggling | |
| 9/10/2008 -- The Advocate Just as south Louisiana petrochemical plants begin restarting operations after Hurricane Gustav, Ike could pack an equally powerful economic punch, even though the storm appears headed for the Texas Gulf Coast. |
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| Buried wires stand up to storm | |
| 9/10/2008 -- The Times Picayune Hurricane Gustav's winds had barely started blowing when the power went out at Kathleen Young's River Ridge home. The lights were out by 7 a.m. on the Monday morning the storm hit, and they didn't flicker back on until Saturday at 7 p.m. |
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| Utility companies to undergo review | |
| 9/10/2008 -- The Advocate Electric companies repowered more of Baton Rouge and the state Tuesday as government officials began demanding an accounting of the utilities’ performance before, during and after Hurricane Gustav. |
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| Powerless | |
| 9/10/2008 -- The Advocate Life without electricity for Meta Pike and her fiancé, Tim Hunter, means a front lawn that includes a tent, two chairs, a barbecue pit, empty water bottles and an open jar of peanuts. |
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| Entergy: Hardest repairs remain | |
| 9/9/2008 -- The Advocate About four in 10 Entergy customers in the Baton Rouge area remained in the dark Monday, and the company pleaded for patience as it begins long-term repairs. |
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| Storm Long Past, Darkness and Heat Still Cling to Baton Rouge | |
| 9/9/2008 -- Baton Rouge Business Report / New York Times BATON ROUGE, La. — The fearsome heat of a South Louisiana summer, unmediated by air-conditioning, reduces the strong to a primal struggle and sends the weak to the hospital. |
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| Many hopeful, news isn’t at Entergy centers | |
| 9/9/2008 -- The Advocate After a week of caring for her elderly mother in a house without electricity, Mickie Lilly visited the Entergy Customer Information Center on Government Street looking for some good news. |
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| Power is back for most in area | |
| 9/9/2008 -- The Times Picayune In the week since Hurricane Gustav struck, local utilities have restored power to all but about 5 percent of the 495,103 electricity customers in the New Orleans metropolitan area. |
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| U.S. helps La. power up | |
| 9/8/2008 -- The Advocate While many Louisiana residents evacuated out of areas left in the dark by Hurricane Gustav, utility workers from all over the state and the nation have been filing in. |
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| Jindal upset with utility companies | |
| 9/4/2008 -- The News Star BATON ROUGE — Gov. Bobby Jindal again expressed dismay Wednesday with what he terms the "unacceptable" effort by state utility companies to bring power back to areas where Gustav knocked down electrical lines. |
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| Entergy: N.O. power back in days | |
| 9/4/2008 -- The Times Picayune Electrical power should be fully restored to the New Orleans area within days, but relief could take weeks for areas of the state hardest hit by Hurricane Gustav, according to Entergy Corp., the state's largest utility company. |
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| No floor in sight for natural gas as prices plunge | |
| 9/4/2008 -- The Times Picayune NEW YORK — Natural gas prices tumbled again Thursday, hitting new seven-year lows as the United States pares down on energy usage and more unused supply is put into storage. |
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| BR pounded | |
| 9/2/2008 -- The Advocate State Public Service Commission Secretary Lawrence St. Blanc said this morning that power should return to about half of Baton Rouge within the next one to eight days. |
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| Jindal seeks funds to pay energy bills | |
| 8/26/2008 -- The Advocate Gov. Bobby Jindal on Monday announced plans to divert $10 million to help pay monthly electric bills for some low-income customers, according to a news release by the governor’s office. |
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| Council accuses Entergy of shell game | |
| 8/22/2008 -- The Times Picayune City Councilwoman Shelley Midura charged that Entergy New Orleans Inc. is idly sitting by while two of its sister companies with better access to low-cost power pull out of the Entergy Corp. system, sticking New Orleans ratepayers with tens of millions of dollars in higher power production costs. |
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| No money available to help poor with rising energy bills | |
| 8/20/2008 -- The Times Picayune Faced with a $355.89 electric bill she can't afford, 73-year-old Antoinette Wenzel of Kenner called Entergy Louisiana LLC last week to register for help in the state's newly declared energy emergency. |
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| The state has increased the maximum size of alternative energy systems hooked up to power grids in a move that could boost solar-panel installations | |
| 8/17/2008 -- The Times Picayune When the lights go out in Central City, they stay on in parts of the Dryades YMCA where people can gather safely in an emergency. |
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| Customers seek utility bill deferrals | |
| 8/14/2008 -- The Shreveport Times BATON ROUGE -- A day after the Public Service Commission declared an "energy emergency," customers are steadily calling the three utility companies ordered to offer the program. |
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| Utility panel declares first energy emergency | |
| 8/13/2008 -- The Times Picayune The Louisiana Public Service Commission on Tuesday unanimously declared the state's first "energy emergency," a move that allows elderly, low-income and disabled customers to defer paying portions of their electricity bills for as long as a year. The commission also called on the state to appropriate $20 million for energy assistance and efficiency programs. |
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| PSC declares emergency for utilities | |
| 8/13/2008 -- The Advocate The state Public Service Commission declared an “energy emergency” Tuesday to allow some low-income senior citizens and others to postpone paying the sharp increases in their monthly electric bills. |
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| Landrieu touts energy plan | |
| 8/12/2008 -- The Daily World U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu will stop in Opelousas today to garner public support for a bipartisan energy plan that proposes opening 200 million acres of the outer coast of the United States for oil drilling and gas leasing. |
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| Utility bill emergency sought | |
| 8/12/2008 -- The Town Talk BATON ROUGE -- People need help paying their utility bills that are inflated by the high price of natural gas, says Gov. Bobby Jindal, so he supports Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell's push to declare an "energy emergency." |
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| Energy relief pushed | |
| 8/12/2008 -- The Advocate Hoping to provide relief from soaring electric bills, state utility regulators are expected today to approve an unprecedented order while the governor searches for state money to help out consumers. |
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| Campbell, Jindal want utility bill emergency declared | |
| 8/12/2008 -- The News Star BATON ROUGE People need help paying their utility bills that are inflated by the high price of natural gas, says Gov. Bobby Jindal, so he supports Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell's push to declare an "energy emergency." |
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| Fuel adjustment charges drive up electricity bills | |
| 8/9/2008 -- The Times Picayune Last month, Metairie resident Sherry Lloyd's electricity bill from Entergy Louisiana LLC was $408.27 despite her efforts to conserve power at her 1,100-square-foot home. |
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| PSC eyes energy relief | |
| 7/30/2008 -- The Advocate Louisiana’s utility regulators said Tuesday they are looking to dust off a program that would allow senior citizens and people in poverty to postpone paying their monthly electric bills. |
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| PSC urged to let poor defer utility payments | |
| 7/30/2008 -- The Times Picayune Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell is calling upon the state body that regulates utilities to declare an "energy emergency" that would allow elderly and low-income people to defer payment of their power bills because of the rising cost of energy. |
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| Entergy nuclear spinoff clears regulatory hurdle | |
| 7/29/2008 -- The Times Picayune The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved Entergy Corp.'s plan to spin off its northeastern and Michigan nuclear plants into an independent company, the Enexus Energy Corp. |
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| Going nuclear | |
| 7/20/2008 -- The Advocate There are few places on Earth where men outnumber women 2-to-1. And few parishes in Louisiana that generate 23 times more electricity than the local population consumes. |
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| Utility regulators' pay raises vetoed | |
| 7/4/2008 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- Gov. Bobby Jindal has vetoed a $30,000 pay raise for the five members of the Public Service Commission, aides said Thursday. |
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| Jindal vetoes raise for PSC, calls $30,000 ‘excessive’ | |
| 7/4/2008 -- The Advocate Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoed a $30,000 annual pay raise for members of the Public Service Commission on Thursday. |
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| Ruling calls for credits on Entergy Louisiana bills | |
| 7/3/2008 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Louisiana LLC may have to credit customers' bills after a decision by the Louisiana Supreme Court Tuesday resolving a dispute about how certain power costs should factor into rates. |
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| Customers prefer to keep green than geaux green | |
| 6/30/2008 -- The Times Picayune A pilot program that allowed Entergy customers in the western part of Louisiana to pay extra on their electricity bills to buy power from renewable energy sources has not exactly been a rousing success. |
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| PSC seeks to help poor, elderly with electricity | |
| 6/17/2008 -- The Advocate State utilities regulators are asking the state’s U.S. congressmen for federal help on a program to provide elderly and low-income customers with lower, set electricity prices. |
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| Entergy warns summer utility bills to rise | |
| 6/13/2008 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. is on the offensive, warning its 1 million Louisiana customers of higher energy bills this summer. |
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| Blossman letter may be illegal, report says | |
| 6/7/2008 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- Public Service Commissioner Jay Blossman may have violated Louisiana ethics law when he wrote a letter on commission stationery to companies he regulates to recommend a product sold by his friend, the state inspector general said in a report released Friday and approved by Gov. Bobby Jindal. |
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| GREEN BUILDING INERTIA | |
| 5/18/2008 -- The Times Picayune When the state of Louisiana made tax credits available for the installation of wind and solar technology earlier this year, the hope was that the new incentives would ignite a booming industry in the use of renewable energy sources to power both residential and commercial developments. |
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| House OKs bill to give PSC raise | |
| 5/8/2008 -- The Advocate The House endorsed a $30,000 a year pay increase for members of the Public Service Commission. |
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| State to borrow $1 billion | |
| 5/7/2008 -- The Advocate The state Bond Commission on Tuesday approved a $1 billion loan — along with a new funding approach — to repay Entergy Corp. for restoring power after the 2005 hurricanes. |
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| Panel OKs sale of bonds for Entergy's storm costs | |
| 5/7/2008 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- The State Bond Commission voted 9-3 Tuesday to authorize two Entergy companies to issue more than $1 billion in bonds to pay for damages caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as well as stashing away about $200 million in reserves for the upcoming hurricane season. |
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| Entergy bonds on the agenda | |
| 4/30/2008 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- The State Bond Commission will take up a $1 billion bond issue for two Entergy companies at a special meeting Tuesday, a meeting that utility officials hope will see a final up-or-down vote on the issue. |
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| Panel OKs $30,000 pay raise | |
| 4/30/2008 -- The Advocate A $30,000 annual pay increase for elected members of the state Public Service Commission breezed through the House Committee on Commerce on Tuesday. |
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| Resident advocate urged for PSC | |
| 4/29/2008 -- The Advocate A national senior citizens group announced Monday it wants to consider creating a consumer advocate to represent residents before the Louisiana Public Service Commission. |
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| River power plants touted | |
| 4/24/2008 -- The Advocate Imagine nine new electric power plants built from Donaldsonville to the Mississippi line in the next decade. |
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| Decision on Entergy bonds delayed | |
| 4/18/2008 -- The Advocate The State Bond Commission delayed a vote Thursday on a $1 billion bond issue for two Entergy companies hit hard by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, complaining it still does not have all the information it needs to vote it up or down. |
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| Ruling might cut cost of power to La. users | |
| 4/17/2008 -- The Advocate A federal appeals court ruling could reduce typical monthly electric bills about $20 or so, the state’s utility regulators learned Wednesday. |
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| PSC OKs plan to pay Entergy recovery costs | |
| 4/17/2008 -- The Advocate The Public Service Commission approved an order Wednesday that the regulators hope will answer the concerns about a $1 billion plan to pay for the recovery costs from the 2005 hurricanes. |
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| Entergy expecting 50 percent increase in earnings | |
| 4/16/2008 -- The Shreveport Times NEW ORLEANS -- Power provider Entergy Corp. said today that it expects to post a 50 percent increase in first-quarter profit, primarily because of increased earnings at its unit that owns and manages nuclear power plants. |
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| Court upholds Entergy cost equalization structure | |
| 4/16/2008 -- The News Star LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- A federal appeals court has upheld the structure of how extra payments by Entergy Arkansas customers are figured under a plan to allocate a roughly equal share of costs among the four states that get electricity from Entergy Corp. |
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| U.S. Supreme Court to hear utilities dispute | |
| 4/14/2008 -- The Advocate WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a dispute in which utility companies — including New Orleans-based Entergy Corp. — seek to reinstate an industry-supported environmental requirement for power plants. |
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| Cleco planning rate increase request | |
| 4/10/2008 -- The Advocate NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Cleco Corp. plans to file for a retail power rate increase with Louisiana utility regulators in June or July to cover costs of its $1 billion solid-fuel unit at its Rodemacher power plant, the company’s head said Tuesday. |
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| Entergy storm repair plan OK'd | |
| 4/4/2008 -- The Daily Advertiser A request by two units of Entergy Corp. to finance their hurricane-damage repair costs through a quasi-government agency was approved Thursday by the State Bond Commission. |
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| State panel OKs bond sale | |
| 4/4/2008 -- The Times Picayune Despite opposition from its chairman and administration officials, the State Bond Commission approved the sale of more than $1 billion in bonds Thursday to help Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States recoup costs from the 2005 hurricanes and build reserves for future storms. |
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| Bonds sold for La. energy plant | |
| 4/3/2008 -- The Advocate Consistently high natural gas prices have spawned what some Lake Charles officials are describing as the largest capital development in Calcasieu Parish’s history at $1.6 billion, several times greater than Pinnacle Entertainment’s investment to date in southwest Louisiana gambling facilities. |
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| Entergy’s plan attacked | |
| 3/30/2008 -- The Advocate A spokesman for a statewide green energy group said on Saturday that Entergy Louisiana’s proposed $1.55 billion conversion of a natural gas-burning power plant in Montz to a petroleum coke-fired plant would maximize company profits at the expense of public health and the environment. |
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| Blossman letter scrutinized | |
| 3/24/2008 -- New Orleans City Business The Metropolitan Crime Commission is looking into whether Public Service Commissioner Jay Blossman acted appropriately in asking PSC-regulated transportation operators to meet with a friend of his for a sales meeting. |
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| Entergy plan for bonds hits panel snag | |
| 3/21/2008 -- The Advocate The State Bond Commission on Thursday again postponed a decision on a unique way for structuring a $1 billion loan that would repay the Entergy Corp. for the cost of getting the lights back on after the 2005 hurricanes. |
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| ‘Green’ plan draws few participants | |
| 3/20/2008 -- The Advocate State regulators Wednesday criticized Louisiana environmentalists for failing to participate in a program studying the feasibility of utility companies making and selling electricity using renewable fuels that do not pollute the air as much as traditional sources. |
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| State Utility officials like pay method | |
| 3/20/2008 -- The Advocate State utility regulators Wednesday praised a new way to pay off the cost of restoring the lights after the two 2005 hurricanes. |
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| Wind may be answer to rising energy costs | |
| 3/12/2008 -- The Natchez Democrat Vidalia — A few windmills might be just what Louisiana needs to lower utility rates, Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell said Tuesday. |
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| Lower your bills, get a tax break | |
| 2/24/2008 -- The Times Picayune Controlling utility bills seems like a nearly impossible task. The summer's heat is unbearable and winter chill is unsafe as well, so survival outweighs frugality and you'll have to use the air-conditioning and heating system. |
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| Few power customers go ‘green’ in pilot program | |
| 2/1/2008 -- The Advocate A pilot program promoting clean, renewable energy — begun with much optimism in April — is heading into its final months with few supporters and many problems. |
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| Plant replaces generator parts | |
| 1/28/2008 -- The Advocate ST. FRANCISVILLE — After cranking out zillions of megawatts of electric power for more than 21 years, the River Bend nuclear power plant is reworking the business end of its operation. |
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| Entergy picks Shaw to build $1.5B facility | |
| 1/28/2008 -- New Orleans City Business Entergy Louisiana has signed a definitive agreement with Baton Rouge-based Shaw Group to upgrade Entergy Louisiana’s Little Gypsy station in St. Charles Parish. The value of the contract was not disclosed. |
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| Bond panel puts off Entergy | |
| 1/23/2008 -- The Advocate Members of the state Bond Commission balked Tuesday at making a decision on whether to approve a tax break for Entergy on hurricane repair costs. |
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| Entergy lowers 4th-quarter earnings forecast | |
| 1/23/2008 -- The Advocate NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Entergy Corp. said today it expects 2007 fourth-quarter per-share profit to fall 25 percent on higher costs in its nuclear power business. |
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| Blossman re-elected PSC chairman | |
| 1/17/2008 -- The Advocate Louisiana Public Service Commission Chairman Jay Blossman, of Mandeville, was narrowly elected to a rare second consecutive term heading the state’s utility regulatory commission. |
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| Jindal targets tax that firms pay on utilities | |
| 1/9/2008 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal said Tuesday he will ask lawmakers in a special session this year to eliminate the 1-cent state sales tax businesses pay on utility bills, but only after his proposals to change ethics laws pass in an earlier special session. |
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| Entergy Gulf States bills set to jump 10% | |
| 1/2/2008 -- The Advocate Monthly electric bills for the majority of Baton Rouge-area residents have been steadily increasing over the past year and that cost will jump another 10 percent this month. |
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| Entergy weighs limited hardening of power grid | |
| 12/14/2007 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Corp. is evaluating improvements to its lines, power plants and substations to make them less vulnerable to storms. But most options appear too costly for the small benefit to customers, an Entergy executive said Thursday at the Power-Gen International conference being held in New Orleans this week. |
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| Landrieu helps stall energy bill | |
| 12/8/2007 -- The Advocate WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu was one of only three Democrats in the Senate who voted Friday against ending a Republican filibuster to a comprehensive yet controversial federal energy bill. |
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| House approves big energy bill | |
| 12/7/2007 -- The Times Picayune WASHINGTON -- Ignoring a White House veto threat and predictions that the legislation won't survive a Senate vote, the House on Thursday approved a massive energy bill that would increase fuel-efficiency requirements for the first time in three decades, repeal billions of dollars of oil company tax breaks and provide incentives for renewable fuels. |
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| PSC orders steps to cut power costs | |
| 12/5/2007 -- The Advocate State utility regulators Tuesday allowed Entergy Corp. to purchase low cost electricity made in Arkansas. The five elected members of the Public Service Commission then ordered Entergy to find a supplier that would sell large amounts of electricity to the utility company. |
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| The Coal Hard Truth | |
| 12/4/2007 -- Gambit Weekly Despite calls for more environmentally sound practices across Louisiana, the state Public Service Commission (PSC) last month unanimously approved Entergy Louisiana's plan to convert a natural gas-burning plant in the St. Charles Parish community of Montz to one that environmentalists say will increase local contributions to global warming. |
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| LNG helps fill energy gap | |
| 11/26/2007 -- American Press In 1970, U.S. oil production peaked, and three years later came the shock of the first oil embargo. There were long lines to get into gas stations and there were odd and even days on which consumers could buy gasoline. Service stations often limited the amount of gas a customer could purchase. |
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| LNG helps fill energy gap | |
| 11/25/2007 -- American Press In 1970, U.S. oil production peaked, and three years later came the shock of the first oil embargo. There were long lines to get into gas stations and there were odd and even days on which consumers could buy gasoline. Service stations often limited the amount of gas a customer could purchase. |
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| BR seminar ‘converses’ about new energy policy | |
| 11/14/2007 -- The Advocate Energy security, climate change, alternative fuels and public transportation were among the topics at a Conversation on Energy seminar Tuesday evening at the Baton Rouge River Center. |
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| Entergy Miss. wants to break agreement | |
| 11/14/2007 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Mississippi has announced its intention to withdraw from a cost-sharing agreement with four other Entergy companies by 2015, a move that could raise the price of electricity for customers in the metro area. |
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| Entergy gets OK to rebuild plant | |
| 11/9/2007 -- The Times Picayune The Louisiana Public Service Commission approved a request from Entergy Louisiana to spend $1.55 billion rebuilding a power plant in Montz to burn a refining byproduct, but postponed a decision on whether to allow Entergy to charge its customers for the plant before it is operational. |
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| PSC approves Entergy power plant | |
| 11/9/2007 -- The Advocate Over loud opposition Thursday, state regulators approved building a $1.55 billion electricity-making plant that would increase air pollution but could mean cheaper power bills decades from now. |
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| Entergy profit rises 19% | |
| 11/6/2007 -- The Advocate NEW ORLEANS — Power provider Entergy Corp. announced plans Monday to spin off its non-regulated nuclear business in a bid to boost that business’ profitability and reported a 19 percent increase in third-quarter earnings. |
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| Spinoff includes 5 nuclear plants | |
| 11/6/2007 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Corp. will spin off its northeastern nuclear division into a stand-alone publicly traded company, the corporation said Monday as it also announced that its earnings had risen 19 percent in the third quarter of this year. |
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| Entergy 3Q profit improves 19 percent, company to spin off non-utility nuclear business | |
| 11/5/2007 -- The News Star NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Power provider Entergy Corp. reported a 19 percent increase in third-quarter profit Monday and announced plans to spin off its non-regulated nuclear business in a bid to boost that business' profitability. |
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| Officials say Sabine Pass facility to have world's largest capacity | |
| 11/4/2007 -- American Press CAMERON — With the completion of Cheniere Energy's Sabine Pass liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, Southwest Louisiana will be the point of import and production of 25 percent of the nation's natural gas supply, state officials said at Friday's Community Commitment Ceremony. |
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| WINDING RIVER New technology could harness the power of Mississippi, turning it into a power plant | |
| 11/4/2007 -- The Times Picayune The Mississippi River has been responsible for a lot of things in Louisiana. Generating electricity hasn't been one of them. |
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| Energy bill finally on the move in Congress | |
| 11/1/2007 -- The Courier After months of haggling over the finer points, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has finally told lawmakers it’s time to move forward on a compromise with the Senate on this year’s energy bill. The negotiations, however, will not proceed as originally thought. |
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| A New Day for Ethanol in Louisiana: Ethanol grows up | |
| 11/1/2007 -- The Daily Advertiser It was 1986, and Louisiana's ethanol future looked bright. We made ethanol with sugarcane molasses — 32 million gallons worth — and mixed it to make 319 million gallons of "gasohol," more than any year before. The state was expected to lead the nation's budding ethanol industry. |
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| Local sugar crop could supply an energy alternative | |
| 10/31/2007 -- The Courier The towering brown mounds of bagasse that lay dormant across the street from Raceland Raw Sugars’ mill are best known to locals for the pungent smell they produce. |
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| Democrats hope to end work on energy bill | |
| 10/23/2007 -- The News Star WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders hope to move forward on a final energy bill this week, ending weeks of delays caused by lawmakers who worry fuel efficiency standards could be toughened in the bill or oppose other provisions. |
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| Garbage is key to energy project | |
| 10/15/2007 -- The Times Picayune Turning household garbage into electricity and bricks may sound like an idea out of the Jetsons, but it could become a reality in eastern New Orleans, where one company plans to build a $500 million plasma gasification plant. |
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| Alliance opposes Entergy proposal | |
| 10/12/2007 -- The Times Picayune Wal-Mart and the Sierra Club, among others, have formed an unlikely alliance against Entergy Louisiana's bid to rebuild a unit at its Little Gypsy power plant in Montz to burn a cheap refining byproduct. |
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| Entergy ordered to give refunds | |
| 9/21/2007 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Corp. will have to issue refunds to customers in Louisiana following an order Thursday from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. |
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| Regulators order Entergy to issue another refund in La. | |
| 9/21/2007 -- The Advocate Federal regulators on Thursday found that Entergy Corp. customers have been paying too much for their electricity and once again ordered the utility that services 1 million customers in this state to issue refunds. |
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| High energy bills bring customer's anger to a boil | |
| 9/18/2007 -- The Daily World Paul Gennuso's electric bill is astronomical and he's filing a complaint with the federal Energy Regulation Commission, the Louisiana Public Service Commission and anyone else who will listen. |
|
| Calpine interest in company sold | |
| 9/14/2007 -- The Advocate Cleco Midstream Resources, a subsidiary of Cleco Corp. in Pineville, has completed the sale of Calpine’s interest in Acadia Power Partners to Cajun Gas Energy LLC. |
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| PSC members to study industrial price breaks | |
| 9/13/2007 -- The Advocate The five commissioners who regulate electricity prices in Louisiana said Wednesday they want to study the program for giving industrial customers price breaks that usually result in price increases for residential customers. |
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| N.O. Entergy chief: Infrastructure, fuel top concerns | |
| 9/6/2007 -- The Advocate An Entergy Corp. executive said Wednesday the company faces key decisions in the coming years as the industry decides how to maintain its infrastructure. |
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| Cleco says $1 billion power plant on schedule | |
| 8/5/2007 -- The Town Talk Rodemacher III, Cleco Corp.'s, $1 billion, 600-megawatt power plant being built near Boyce is on budget and schedule, company officials say. |
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| PSC OKs Entergy rate hike | |
| 8/2/2007 -- The News Star BATON ROUGE — More than a million customers of Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States-Louisiana will pay $732 million to cover costs of repairing damage from hurricanes Katrina and Rita under a plan approved Wednesday by the state Public Service Commission. |
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| Entergy to charge storm fee | |
| 8/2/2007 -- The Times Picayune Residential customers of Entergy Louisiana will pay $2 to $3 a month for the next 10 years to pay the utility for expenses it incurred while restoring electricity after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. |
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| Entergy inks nuke parts deal | |
| 8/1/2007 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Corp. announced Tuesday that it has signed an agreement with GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energyfor major components of a new nuclear reactor that Entergy hasn't yet decided to build. |
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| EDITORIAL: Sticking it to ratepayers | |
| 7/23/2007 -- The Times Picayune Consumers are at risk of paying something for nothing thanks to a recent decision by state regulators allowing Entergy Louisiana to charge ratepayers in advance if the company builds a new nuclear plant. |
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| Feds let utility split into 2 firms | |
| 7/20/2007 -- The Advocate Nearly 15 years after Entergy Corp. bought Gulf States Utilities, the resulting subsidiary, Entergy Gulf States, will officially be split into two companies divided by the Louisiana-Texas border. |
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| Feds let utility split into 2 firms | |
| 7/20/2007 -- The Times Picayune Nearly 15 years after Entergy Corp. bought Gulf States Utilities, the resulting subsidiary, Entergy Gulf States, will officially be split into two companies divided by the Louisiana-Texas border. |
|
| Entergy files for Little Gypsy repowering approval | |
| 7/12/2007 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Louisiana petitioned the Louisiana Public Service Commission today for approval to repower an existing natural gas generating unit at its Little Gypsy site in Montz. The repowered unit will provide 538 megawatts of base load generation that can burn a variety of petroleum coke and coals. |
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| Entergy loses battle with U.S. regulators | |
| 7/12/2007 -- The Times Picayune The price tag to refit an Entergy Louisiana power plant to burn a plentiful and cheap refining byproduct has increased more than 50 percent to $1.55 billion since it was announced three months ago, yet the utility says that the project will still save customers money. |
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| Entergy loses battle with U.S. regulators | |
| 7/10/2007 -- The Times Picayune A move by Entergy Corp. to give itself a larger say in dividing up the costs of new power plants was rebuffed last week by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. |
|
| Entergy Arkansas says customers' bills could rise despite order | |
| 6/27/2007 -- The News Star LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- Entergy Arkansas says sharing costs of electricity production by other companies in the Entergy system will raise the average bills of residential customers in Arkansas by about 8.1 percent, even after rejection of a base-rate increase the company had proposed. |
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| Firms urged to prepare for busy storm season | |
| 6/26/2007 -- The Times Picayune A cliché? Not after the 2005 hurricane season, said the director of the National Hurricane Center Monday as he addressed first responders, area public officials and Entergy New Orleans executives in Gretna during an update on Entergy's response plan for this year's hurricane season. |
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| Energy bill facing opposition | |
| 6/21/2007 -- The Times Picayune A proposed federal law that would require a percentage of electricity to be produced from renewable sources is facing opposition from Louisiana regulators, electric companies and legislators who say the bill would cost customers billions of dollars. |
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| Entergy secures cheaper power | |
| 6/17/2007 -- The Times Picayune With inevitable summer heat typically comes inevitable higher power bills. However, the New Orleans City Council and Entergy New Orleans are trying to reduce the often-dramatic jump in power bills by finding cheaper sources of power and encouraging efficiency and conservation. |
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| Entergy storm bill sails through | |
| 6/14/2007 -- The Times Picayune A bill that could save Entergy customers millions of dollars flew through final passage in the Legislature in a matter of seconds Wednesday afternoon. |
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| Cleco fined for double duties | |
| 6/13/2007 -- The Times Picayune Cleco Corp. will pay a $2 million fine to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to settle an investigation into the company's practice of sharing employees between companies. |
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| Entergy issuing credits | |
| 6/12/2007 -- The Advocate Even though they are new to the system, about 8,755 Entergy Corp. customers in the Baton Rouge area — about 5 percent of the total — are collecting refunds that began appearing on this month’s electric bills. |
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| READY TO BLOW | |
| 6/10/2007 -- The Times Picayune While offshore wind-energy projects have been slow to get off the ground elsewhere in the United States, two Louisiana businessmen quietly have been making history off the Texas coast. |
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| Sales tax reduction, elimination may bring business | |
| 6/3/2007 -- The News Star Northeastern Louisiana's largest manufacturers say the most important issue for them during the ongoing session of the Louisiana Legislature is whether lawmakers will decrease or eliminate the sales tax on utilities for industry. |
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| Entergy details bill cuts for Louisiana, two other states | |
| 5/30/2007 -- The News Star NEW ORLEANS -- Residential power customers of Entergy Corp. units in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas will see drops in their bills over the next seven months of up to 6.6 percent, while ratepayers in Arkansas face an increase of over 12 percent, the company said Tuesday. |
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| Regulators back La. Entergy customers | |
| 5/30/2007 -- The Advocate Federal regulators favored Louisiana’s 1 million Entergy customers in a series of decisions released Tuesday, according to a Public Service Commission lawyer. |
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| Ark. regulators say they will fight system agreement payments | |
| 5/30/2007 -- The News Star LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- Arkansas regulators said Wednesday they'll continue to fight the system agreement payments that will increase Entergy Arkansas' residential customers' bills by more than 12 percent. |
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| Customers to see Entergy refunds | |
| 5/25/2007 -- The Advocate The state Public Service Commission overcame a battle about technical accounting procedures Thursday and unanimously approved refunds for Entergy’s 1 million customers starting next week. |
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| Companies ordered to itemize utility fees | |
| 5/25/2007 -- The Advocate State utility regulators Thursday ordered Louisiana’s electric companies to itemize on customer bills fees levied by local municipal governments rather than hiding them in the base rates charged for electricity. |
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| Monthly break on bills set for Entergy La. customers | |
| 5/25/2007 -- The Times Picayune Credits of about $10.60 a month will show up on Entergy Louisiana customer's bills in just a few weeks after the Louisiana Public Service Commission gave its final approval of the refund on Thursday. |
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| Entergy customers get a break | |
| 5/25/2007 -- The Daily Comet HOUMA - Entergy customers in Louisiana can expect a discount on their monthly bill through the end of the year, but it may be a few days before customers know how big their savings will be. |
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| Refunds to trim light bills | |
| 5/23/2007 -- The Advocate Baton Rouge homeowners can expect their monthly electric bills to drop 10 to 12 percent from June through the end of the year, the chairman of the state Public Service Commission said Tuesday. |
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| Entergy customers get relief | |
| 5/22/2007 -- The News Star Entergy Louisiana customers will finally begin seeing lower bills in June from a 2005 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission decision requiring Entergy Corp. to equalize its rates between Arkansas and Louisiana. |
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| Entergy Louisiana plans refunds | |
| 5/22/2007 -- The Times Picayune In a nice change of pace, Entergy Louisiana customers might actually get a break on their bills next month. |
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| Utilities to get storm relief | |
| 5/18/2007 -- The Times Picayune Still waiting to be repaid for the work you did on your house after Hurricane Katrina? You're not the only one. Entergy Louisiana is looking to recoup the $545 million it spent after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to restore power around the state. And Cleco also is hoping to recover $158 million it spent after the hurricanes. |
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| Panel approves bonds for utility recovery | |
| 5/8/2007 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- A House committee gave 16-1 approval Monday to a bill that would create a quasi-public agency to sell bonds and assess fees on customers as a way to help utility companies recover the cost of repairs from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. |
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| Bill would spread Entergy surcharge over decade | |
| 5/8/2007 -- The Advocate The House Commerce Committee voted 16-1 Monday for legislation that gives a $10 million income tax break to the state’s largest utility but would lower rates for Entergy Corp.’s customers. |
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| Entergy takes on risks to bottom line | |
| 5/6/2007 -- The Times Picayune THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS -- When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, Entergy Corp.'s utilities were essentially operating without a storm reserve fund, having already overspent those funds by $124 million on previous storms. Before the end of this hurricane season, the company's subsidiaries will have in place mechanisms to collect more than $384 million in the event of another catastrophe. |
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| PSC OKs funding change for utilities’ construction | |
| 5/2/2007 -- The Advocate The Public Service Commission voted 3-2 Tuesday to change the traditional way the public pays for building generators that make electricity, such as a new nuclear plant, for privately owned utility companies. |
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| Consumers, builders win | |
| 5/2/2007 -- The Advocate Federally ordered refunds to Entergy Corp.’s Louisiana customers are going to be much larger than expected when they begin appearing on monthly bills in June, a lawyer told the five-member Public Service Commission on Tuesday. |
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| PSC lets utilities bill for plants not yet built | |
| 5/2/2007 -- The Times Picayune In a victory for utilities in Louisiana, the Louisiana Public Service Commission voted 3-2 Tuesday to adopt a measure that will make it financially easier for companies to build new nuclear plants in the state. |
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| PSC to vote on rules for new plants | |
| 5/1/2007 -- The Advocate State regulators today will vote on a whether to encourage the building of a new nuclear power plant in St. Francisville by allowing Entergy Corp. to recover costs during construction rather than after the facility is complete. |
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| POWERED UP | |
| 4/27/2007 -- The Times Picayune It might be a bit of an understatement to say that Entergy Corp. is having a good year. |
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| Entergy 1Q profit rises on stronger pricing in nuclear unit | |
| 4/26/2007 -- The Shreveport Times NEW ORLEANS — Entergy Corp. today posted a 10-percent rise in first-quarter earnings as higher pricing in its nuclear energy business helped offset cost inflation at its utility operations. |
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| Entergy eyes purchase of Houma electric system | |
| 4/25/2007 -- The Courier HOUMA -- Entergy Louisiana is interested in buying Terrebonne Parish’s electric-utility system and, now that it has an 84-page report describing the system, the energy company will begin putting together a proposal, a company official said Monday. |
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| Entergy to build La. plant | |
| 4/5/2007 -- The Advocate MONTZ — Entergy Corp. plans to build a $1 billion plant to make electricity using a byproduct of oil refining, the head of the utility’s two companies in Louisiana said Wednesday. |
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| Entergy wants to refit gas plant | |
| 4/5/2007 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Louisiana said it hopes to bring its customer costs down by $4 billion over the next 30 years by rebuilding a natural-gas-fired power plant in St. Charles Parish to burn a byproduct of oil refining. |
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| Critics chafe at cost to regulate utility | |
| 4/1/2007 -- The Times Picayune Even before Hurricane Katrina sent electric bills sky high, one cost of providing electricity was already astronomical: the cost of regulating Entergy New Orleans. |
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| Entergy to offer green power | |
| 3/25/2007 -- The Times Picayune Beginning next month, some Louisiana residents will be able to pay more for electricity. |
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| Entergy offers cheaper rate for steelmaker | |
| 3/24/2007 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- Entergy Corp. would offer German steel manufacturer ThyssenKrupp AG a reduced rate on electricity if the company decides to build a $2.9 billion plant in St. James Parish instead of in Alabama, a regulatory official said this week. |
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| Decision delayed on rule for plant | |
| 3/22/2007 -- The Advocate State utility regulators Wednesday questioned whether a proposed rule promoting construction of a new nuclear power plant would give away too much to private utility companies. |
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| Rate-setters look at rules for possible nuclear plant | |
| 3/22/2007 -- The Times Picayune Measures designed to encourage the development of new nuclear plants in the state -- created with "significant deference" to Entergy -- were postponed by a month on Wednesday so the Louisiana Public Service Commission can consider additional protections for the state's electric customers. |
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| Entergy chief urges U.S. to address global warming | |
| 3/21/2007 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- The Bush administration and Congress have failed to act on the threat of global warming, Entergy Corp. Chairman Wayne Leonard said Tuesday in a speech that also criticized the administration for putting a gag on government scientists. |
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| 'Smart' electric meters proposed | |
| 3/18/2007 -- The Advocate A state regulator wants a plan by summer to introduce Louisiana to “smart meters” as one way to lower monthly electricity bills. |
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| Nuclear plant incentive rule before the PSC | |
| 3/15/2007 -- The Advocate State regulators have issued a proposed rule to encourage a utility company to build a new nuclear plant in Louisiana, but their staff on Wednesday recommended against adopting one of the incentives. |
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| Entergy introduces renewable energy initiative | |
| 3/14/2007 -- The Advocate Starting with their next electric bills, Baton Rouge-area consumers can volunteer to pay about 30 percent more for electricity made with renewable fuels such as wind, solar and other so-called “green” energy. |
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| Business Briefs for March 13, 2007 | |
| 3/13/2007 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer J. Wayne Leonard has switched up some of the New Orleans utility’s top management. |
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| N.O. joins state legal effort to rein in Entergy fuel cost | |
| 3/13/2007 -- The Times Picayune The state and the city have begun to fight a move by Entergy Arkansas that could result in higher power bills seven years from now. |
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| EDITORIAL: Entergy's dubious proposal | |
| 3/11/2007 -- The Times Picayune No driver with good sense would start making payments on a car that is still in the early design stages and might never even roll off an assembly line. |
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| Business Briefs for March 6, 2007 | |
| 3/6/2007 -- The Advocate Electricity bills arriving in March for Entergy Gulf States-Louisiana customers will be lower than a year ago, the firm said, contributing to a 21 percent drop in power bills for the five-month period starting in November. |
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| Entergy seeking leeway on new reactor | |
| 3/4/2007 -- The Times Picayune At the urging of two Entergy subsidiaries, Louisiana's Public Service Commission may flip the regulatory process upside down to attract a $4 billion-plus nuclear reactor to the state. |
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| NUCLEAR RACE | |
| 3/4/2007 -- The Times Picayune At River Bend nuclear power plant in St. Francisville, a crater about the size of two football fields was originally supposed to house the site's second nuclear reactor |
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| New PSC rules limit utility cutoffs | |
| 3/1/2007 -- The Daily Advertiser BATON ROUGE - Two new Public Service Commission rules designed to help battered women who are seeking to establish new lives and to protect people in times of extreme temperature are now in effect. |
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| Entergy to scrap N.O. generator | |
| 2/22/2007 -- The Times Picayune Hurricane Katrina downed power lines, flooded substations and even killed Entergy's backup generator at the Patterson Plant in eastern New Orleans. |
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| Entergy closer to grant | |
| 2/17/2007 -- The Times Picayune The federal government has authorized a $200 million grant for Entergy New Orleans, the last major approval necessary for the utility to receive federal bailout money. |
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| Domestic abuse victims exempt from utility deposits | |
| 2/15/2007 -- The Shreveport Times MANY — Louisiana followed Texas on Wednesday in giving domestic abuse victims a break when it comes to the initial payment of utility deposits. |
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| Public service panel to meet Wednesday | |
| 2/11/2007 -- The Shreveport Times MANY -- The Louisiana Public Service Commission will hold its monthly meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday at Cypress Bend Conference Center. |
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| Energy program for poor in a jam | |
| 2/8/2007 -- The Times Picayune Hurricane Katrina left Mid-City resident Sandra Kenard jobless. She was still making ends meet -- that is, until she got her last power bill of $514 |
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| PSC officials exchange accusations | |
| 2/8/2007 -- The Advocate A utility regulator’s campaign for governor has angered a colleague to the point of that the two exchanged barbed public accusations Wednesday. |
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| Entergy: stronger 4Q profit: commercial, industrial areas rebound | |
| 1/30/2007 -- The Shreveport Times NEW ORLEANS — Electricity provider Entergy Corp. today said fourth-quarter profit nearly tripled due to growth at its utility business, helped by a rebound in the commercial and industrial sectors. |
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| Campbell: Commission needs to be 'shaken up' | |
| 1/21/2007 -- The News Star Foster Campbell was rebuffed by his fellow Louisiana Public Service commissioners last week when he was bypassed as chairman, which has traditionally rotated among the five commissioners. |
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| Entergy expects 4Q profit boost | |
| 1/18/2007 -- The News Star NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Utility holding company Entergy Corp. said Thursday that it expects a substantial boost in fourth-quarter profit as it continues to overcome hurricanes Katrina and Rita. |
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| Blossman to serve as PSC chairman | |
| 1/18/2007 -- The Advocate The Public Service Commission on Wednesday chose Jay Blossman of Covington as its chairman this year, even though it was Foster Campbell’s turn under a traditional rotation. |
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| PSC vote divides firm into 2 entities | |
| 1/18/2007 -- The Advocate The Public Service Commission voted Wednesday to split into two companies the utility that provides electricity for most of the Baton Rouge area. |
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| Judge says AARP can enter Entergy case | |
| 1/9/2007 -- The Advocate The AARP should be allowed to enter a case that could cost Entergy customers $667 million, a judge stated in a ruling released Monday. |
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| Auditor: Entergy owes La. big time | |
| 1/6/2007 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- Entergy owes Louisiana more than $5 million in overcharges and interest that state officials are refusing to collect, according to an independent auditor hired to review some government power bills. |
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| Entergy, creditor group at odds | |
| 1/4/2007 -- The Times Picayune For more than a year, Entergy New Orleans enjoyed the exclusive right to develop its own reorganization plan in an effort to bring itself out of bankruptcy. |
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| AG Foti wants AARP to enter case | |
| 12/22/2006 -- The Advocate Attorney General Charles Foti said Thursday he wants utility regulators to bend their rules and allow AARP to enter a case that could cost Entergy customers $667 million. |
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| Judge: Creditors can file Entergy plans | |
| 12/9/2006 -- The Times Picayune In hopes of expediting the legal process and saving a little money along the way, a federal bankruptcy judge on Friday ended Entergy New Orleans' exclusive right to submit reorganization plans. |
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| Judge again postpones hearing for Entergy plan | |
| 12/8/2006 -- The Times Picayune A federal bankruptcy judge again continued a hearing regarding Entergy New Orleans' exclusive right to submit a reorganization plan Thursday after lawyers for the energy corporation and its bondholders assured him they were very close to reaching a compromise plan. |
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| Entergy aid approved by legislators in mail ballot | |
| 12/5/2006 -- The Advocate BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- By mail ballot, state lawmakers have approved using $200 million in federal block grant money to help Entergy New Orleans rebuild its hurricane-damaged infrastructure and hold down proposed rate increases for its customers. |
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| Federal money for Entergy approved | |
| 12/5/2006 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- With just 10 opposing votes, lawmakers Monday approved using $200 million in federal block grant money to help Entergy New Orleans rebuild its hurricane-damaged infrastructure and hold down proposed rate increases for its customers. |
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| AARP wants to query Entergy | |
| 12/5/2006 -- The Advocate An advocacy group representing a half-million Louisiana residents over 50 years old wants permission to question Entergy’s proposed rate increase to pay the costs of restoring power after last year’s two hurricanes. |
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| Electricity bills to fall to their lowest levels | |
| 12/2/2006 -- The Advocate December electricity rates for most residents in Baton Rouge will drop to their lowest levels in 22 months. |
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| You may soon see savings on natural-gas bills | |
| 12/1/2006 -- The Courier HOUMA -- If you get your natural gas from South Coast Gas Co. or Atmos Energy, you will be saving money this winter, officials with those companies said. |
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| La. PSC studying ways to waive fees | |
| 12/1/2006 -- The Advocate Louisiana Public Service Commission staff Thursday began studying ways to require utility companies to waive fees to help battered women flee their violent partners. |
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| PSC OKs 'green' energy test | |
| 11/30/2006 -- The Advocate Louisiana’s utility regulators Wednesday approved a pilot program to promote making electricity with renewable fuels such as wind, solar and other so-called “green” energies. |
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| Entergy may split Texas operations | |
| 11/28/2006 -- The Advocate The company that provides electricity for most of Baton Rouge likely will be split up soon. In a move that could eventually lower bills in Louisiana, the state panel that regulates utilities is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a proposal to split Entergy Gulf States Inc. into two operations — one for Louisiana and the other for Texas. |
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| Entergy makes payment | |
| 11/21/2006 -- The News Star The city of Monroe on Monday received $2.3 million as an initial payment in this year’s settlement with Entergy Corp. over an operating agreement. |
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| Ruling will cut electric bills | |
| 11/18/2006 -- The Advocate About 1 million electric bills in Louisiana should drop significantly in June because of an order released by federal regulators Friday. |
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| Time extended to work out Entergy N.O. proposal | |
| 11/16/2006 -- The Times Picayune Efforts to end Entergy New Orleans' exclusive hold over bankruptcy reorganization plans will have to wait another month while parties involved in the litigation work together to create a plan agreeable to all. |
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| Entergy plan 'not feasible,' insurer says | |
| 11/15/2006 -- The Times Picayune A company that's insuring $70 million of Entergy New Orleans bonds contends that the utility company's reorganization plan is "not feasible" and will ask a federal bankruptcy court judge for permission today to submit its own reorganization plan to help the company get back on its feet. |
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| Southwest La. objects to aiding Entergy N.O. | |
| 11/14/2006 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- A proposal to direct $200 million in federal hurricane recovery aid to Entergy New Orleans' storm-ravaged gas and electricity systems will prevent New Orleans residents from being socked with the brunt of a $45-a-month utility rate increase, state and utility experts told lawmakers Monday. |
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| Analysts mixed on Entergy N.O. recovery plan | |
| 11/6/2006 -- New Orleans City Business Earlier this year Entergy New Orleans CEO Dan Packer made a bankruptcy emergence to-do list: |
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| Editorial: We're not insurers of billion-dollar businesses | |
| 10/31/2006 -- The Daily World Let's see if we've got this right: Entergy Corp., the parent company of Entergy of New Orleans, recently forecast a strong third quarter, and its stock hit a 52-week high. |
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| Entergy third quarter profit up 11 percent on higher nuclear energy prices | |
| 10/31/2006 -- The Shreveport Times October 31, 2006 The Shreveport Times NEW ORLEANS — Entergy Corp., an electricity distributor and nuclear generator, said today its third-quarter earnings rose 11 percent, boosted by higher prices for nuclear energy. |
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| Entergy N.O. deal would soften increases | |
| 10/27/2006 -- The Times Picayune New Orleans electric and gas rates will rise minimally in the next year under an agreement the New Orleans City Council will consider today. |
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| N.O. utility making bid to leave bankruptcy | |
| 10/25/2006 -- The Times Picayune Bolstered by expected infusions of cash from its customers and the federal government, Entergy New Orleans on Tuesday filed a plan to come out of bankruptcy by the end of next year. |
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| Abuse victims won't have to pay utility deposits, connection fees | |
| 10/21/2006 -- The Shreveport Times Roxanne Johnson says abused women who have separated from their abusers now have one more thing to shout about: they won't have to pay utility connection fees or deposits when trying to restart their lives. |
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| Are you ready for a $2,600 electric bill? | |
| 10/20/2006 -- The Times Picayune Think your electric bills were high this summer? How about paying $2,600 each month for the next 10 years? That's what owners of three fishing camps from Venice to West Bay near Buras have been asked to pay to have electric service restored after Hurricane Katrina. |
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| EDITORIAL: Put Entergy ratepayers first | |
| 10/15/2006 -- The Times Picayune The Louisiana Recovery Authority took the right step this week by recommending that Entergy New Orleans get all $200 million in federal grants that the state initially set aside to help utilities hit by last year's hurricanes. |
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| Pay attention to Entergy talks | |
| 10/15/2006 -- The News Star Several actions are being considered in the effort to rebuild the energy infrastructure around New Orleans that could affect northeastern Louisiana. We must pay attention. |
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| Entergy to receive $200 million from LRA | |
| 10/13/2006 -- The Times Picayune In a move that a state consultant said will eliminate all but a 9 percent increase in electric and gas rates for Entergy New Orleans customers, the Louisiana Recovery Authority's board of directors overwhelmingly approved giving the utility $200 million in Community Development Block Grant money on Thursday. |
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| Entergy La. Left out of relief funds | |
| 10/13/2006 -- The News Star GRAY — Hoping to avoid a recovery-stifling increase in electricity and natural gas bills for New Orleans residents and businesses, a state board Thursday recommended that $200 million in federal aid be given to bankrupt utility Entergy New Orleans Inc. |
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| Entergy hoping for LRA money today | |
| 10/12/2006 -- The Times Picayune The Louisiana Recovery Authority is poised to give Entergy New Orleans $200 million of grant money today: less than half of what the utility requested, but enough to meet the company's short-term needs, according to the LRA's top executive. |
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| Entergy N.O. electric bills hit summer hot spot | |
| 10/5/2006 -- The Times Picayune Natural gas prices have dropped to pre-Katrina levels. So why have electric bills jumped to the highest levels of the year? |
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| An $8 bill from Entergy? Solar power does the trick | |
| 10/4/2006 -- The Times Picayune Denice Petit is upset with the size of a recent bill from Entergy -- a whopping $8. No zeros, no mistake. "We used 77 cents worth of power, but the minimum charge is $8," she said. |
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| Entergy merger idea fuels hopes | |
| 10/2/2006 -- The Times Picayune Earlier this year, an electric and gas company operating in a coastal Southern city known for its historic homes, oak trees and vulnerability to hurricanes merged with its big sister to avoid huge rate increases for the residents of the city. |
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| Entergy takeover may or may not help city | |
| 10/1/2006 -- The Times Picayune Millions of gallons of water are leaking through busted New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board pipes. The city's transit system has just narrowly avoided bankruptcy. |
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| Report disputes utility increase request | |
| 9/23/2006 -- The Times Picayune Entergy New Orleans incorrectly charged customers for items including income taxes it didn't pay and expenses tied to stock options in seeking an increase in electric rates, according to City Council advisers. As a result, advisers recommend allowing the utility a smaller increase than it has requested, an increase that should be paid for in part by parent company Entergy Corp., according to the advisers. |
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| PSC backs pollution proposal | |
| 9/14/2006 -- The Advocate Public Service Commissioners Wednesday recommended a plan to clean polluted air in Louisiana that would be expensive for utility companies but, they predict, not as costly for customers. |
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| PSC directs lawyer away from lead role in review | |
| 9/14/2006 -- The Advocate Comments to his hometown media kept one of the nation’s leading regulatory lawyers from representing the state in the review of how much Entergy Corp. should be reimbursed for getting the lights back on after last year’s hurricanes. |
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| PSC hire rules out Entergy critic | |
| 9/14/2006 -- The Times Picayune The Louisiana Public Service Commission punished outspoken Entergy critic and veteran utilities attorney Mike Fontham on Wednesday for his recent comments against the utility giant by voting to hire the firm at which Fontham works for an upcoming case with the caveat that another attorney be lead attorney. |
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| PSC TO CONSIDER LIMITS ON DISCONNECTING UTILITIES DURING EXTREME TEMPERATURES | |
| 9/12/2006 -- The News Star They already do it in Texas and Oklahoma, and now Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell of Bossier Parish is trying to make sure residents don't get their utilities cut off when it's too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter. |
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| Nagin wants Entergy price freeze | |
| 9/10/2006 -- The Times Picayune New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said Saturday that he'll push to keep the rates paid by Entergy New Orleans' customers at or below pre-Katrina levels for "at least three years" if the bankrupt utility receives even part of the hundreds of millions of dollars in public aid it is seeking. |
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| Power firms make plea for grants | |
| 9/7/2006 -- The Times Picayune BATON ROUGE -- The state's major power companies made their pitch Wednesday to a Louisiana Recovery Authority task force for a share of federal grants to cover the cost of restoring operations after Hurricane Katrina, an issue with direct impact on utility bills for nearly all customers in the New Orleans region |
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| Are higher electric bills inevitable? | |
| 8/28/2006 -- Louisiana Weekly Sticker shock will soon greet most New Orleanians as the open their Entergy bills in the next couple of months. Electric assessments could increase by almost 50% for the average person to pay for system repairs. |
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| Entergy bills to rise even if it gets grants | |
| 8/24/2006 -- The Times Picayune While the Bush administration says it will not stand in the way of Entergy Corp. receiving millions in federal aid for storm damage, it's unlikely there will be enough money to entirely offset monthly utility bill increases of as much as 127 percent without the money. |
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| EBR needs money for utility costs | |
| 8/23/2006 -- The Advocate East Baton Rouge Parish wants to use $1.5 million from a business tax already in place to pay for rising utility bills, according to the city's Finance Department. |
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| Entergy customers won't be getting relief | |
| 8/23/2006 -- The Times Picayune Entergy New Orleans customers are paying nearly a third more for their power bills than they were last year, and a further proposed rate increase could mean bills will be 50 percent higher than before Hurricane Katrina. |
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| Groups urge probe into Entergy practices, costs | |
| 8/15/2006 -- The Advocate More than 50 large corporations, trade associations, consumer groups, local government agencies and utility regulators have joined Arkansas’ request for a federal probe into the business practices of Entergy Corp. They’re asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to determine if the reason this area’s monthly utility bills are so high is because Entergy purposely chose to make electricity more expensive than necessary. “Is Entergy the victim of circumstances, or is Entergy manipulating circumstances to create victims?” asked Joe Marone of Houston’s Occidental Energy Ventures Corp., whose two plants on the Mississippi River are among Entergy’s largest customers in Louisiana. Edison Electric Institute, a utility company trade association, ranked Entergy Gulf States Inc. and Entergy Louisiana, two subsidiaries operating in Louisiana, as selling the nation’s first and third most expensive electricity for industrial users. Entergy Louisiana has the third highest bills for commercial users and Entergy Gulf States ranks fourth, according to EEI. Entergy’s subsidiaries rank slightly lower for residential bills, but still in the top 10 nationally. Because a public utility provides a necessary service as a monopoly, regulators allow the company to charge enough to recoup its costs for making electricity, plus a profit. Marone said he suspects that Entergy made decisions that would make it impractical to buy electricity from “merchant plants” at far cheaper prices than the company pays to make its own. Under the rules, Entergy can tack a profit onto the power it makes, Marone noted. No mark-up is allowed on electricity bought from merchants and sold to customers. The Arkansas Public Service Commission on June 7 asked FERC to investigate Entergy’s practices. The request came shortly after FERC ordered Entergy to equalize its costs between the four states it serves next year. Many expect that order will lead to a dramatic decrease in electric bills paid by Entergy’s 1 million customers in Louisiana while causing increases for Entergy’s 675,000 in Arkansas. In addition to nearly two dozen large corporations that amount to Entergy’s largest customers, the Arkansas General Assembly, 26 municipal governments in Louisiana and a dozen more in Arkansas and Texas also asked FERC to hold a hearing. Entergy spokesmen said the company will rely on the Aug. 8 comments president T. Wayne Leonard made to investors on the issue. Leonard said, “We believe this complaint is merely recycling allegations that other parties have previously raised in proceedings before the FERC or various retail regulators. “Clearly no new evidence was presented in the complaint and no evidence has been presented in any proceeding that would indicate that our actions were imprudent.” Entergy, in its 128-page response, argued that Arkansas regulators failed to submit evidence that Entergy’s decisions were imprudent. Entergy also argued that FERC has no reason to hold a hearing. The five-member federal commission that regulates electricity sold over state lines is under no deadline to make a decision, said Barbara Connors, a FERC spokeswoman in Washington, D.C. FERC can either do nothing, decide the question based on written filings or order a hearing. The hearing would be a trial-like proceeding in which the parties would submit evidence, call witnesses and make oral arguments, she said. Entergy’s customers are paying a half-billion dollars more than necessary because some of the company’s plants are old and inefficient, said Michael Sparks of Suez Energy North America Inc. in Houston. Suez is a merchant plant that makes electricity using a newer technology called “combined cycle.” Brian Adams of Louisiana Generating, the NRG Energy Inc. subsidiary that owns the Big Cajun plants near New Roads, also intervened, asking FERC to look at Entergy’s investments in the transmission lines that move electricity from the plants to the users. Adams likened the transmission system to a highway that moves electricity from the plants to the users. Entergy failed to invest enough to improve the transmission system, Adams said. “The system is so congested right now that you can’t get that cheaper power to the customer," Adams said. His company must use Entergy’s transmission lines to provide electricity for many of the Louisiana customers who don’t buy their power directly from Entergy. Entergy countered that it has paid for transmission upgrades when studies showed they would help. Entergy also stated in its response that their executives would be irresponsible for spending millions of dollars to run the wires and build the necessary relay stations before determining if a source of power is reliable. |
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| PSC says Arkansas will be penalized for low production costs | |
| 8/12/2006 -- Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - A Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruling sets a "pervasive economic incentive" that penalizes Arkansas for lower energy production costs, a state Public Service Commission official told legislators Friday. |
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| Entergy owes billions, IRS says | |
| 8/12/2006 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Corp.'s New Orleans utility, in bankruptcy because of Hurricane Katrina, owes more than $2.5 billion in taxes, the U.S. government says, a claim the company disputes. |
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| Entergy Corp. is raking in millions supplying power to New Orleans' suburbs and three other states, so why can't it use that money to help out its customers in Katrina-devastated N.O.? | |
| 8/9/2006 -- The Times Picayune Despite asking for millions of dollars from New Orleans customers and the federal government to rebuild its shattered electric and gas system, Entergy Corp. on Tuesday reported millions in profits for the third quarter in a row since Hurricane Katrina struck. |
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| Entergy's 2Q earnings drop slightly | |
| 8/8/2006 -- The News Star NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Utility holding company Entergy Corp. saw its second-quarter earnings drop slightly, partially because of higher interest expenses associated with its recovery costs from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the company reported Tuesday. |
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| Utility rate increases under review | |
| 8/4/2006 -- The Times Picayune The New Orleans City Council has begun the formal process of reviewing Entergy New Orleans' requests for electricity and gas rate increases to cover its ongoing costs, recoup losses from Hurricane Katrina and prepare for future storms. |
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| Natural gas prices hike utility costs | |
| 8/4/2006 -- The Advocate As the country continues to suffer from a heat wave and higher natural gas prices, utility companies are working overtime to keep up with demand. Experts are warning that if utility companies continue to feel the pinch, their customers can expect higher energy bills. |
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| Entergy Corp. asks federal panel to dismiss Ark. complaint | |
| 8/2/2006 -- The News Star LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- The parent company of Arkansas' largest electric provider told a federal panel this week that state regulators are pushing for an investigation of the utility's costs based on an analysis that's "simplistic at best." |
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| Utility seeks another bankruptcy extension | |
| 8/1/2006 -- The Times Picayune Saying it can't emerge from bankruptcy without knowing whether it will receive federal aid, Entergy New Orleans has requested a third extension of time to file its reorganization plan. |
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| PSC official says Entergy hides info on flights | |
| 7/29/2006 -- The Advocate Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell said Friday that Entergy Corp. is hiding information about the use of its planes to protect the politicians it ferries about – a claim company officials reject. |
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| Power companies unlikely to ease up on Toledo Bend | |
| 7/27/2006 -- The Shreveport Times TOLEDO BEND RESERVOIR -- The two utility companies that depend upon hydroelectric power from Toledo Bend Reservoir are unlikely to deviate from the generating schedule even though Toledo Bend Reservoir is headed for a second consecutive record low year |
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| Entergy arguments likened to '1984' | |
| 7/26/2006 -- The Advocate The state agency that sets utility rates is quoting British novelist George Orwell to denounce what it calls a bid by Entergy Corp. to keep Louisiana consumers paying much higher electric bills than necessary. |
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| PSC hopes to sidestep high bills | |
| 7/23/2006 -- The Advocate Fearing the cost of getting the power on after the two hurricanes last year will translate into a dramatic increase in monthly electric bills, the Public Service Commission is looking for outside help. |
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| Entergy shows restraint requested by Campbell in delaying disconnections | |
| 7/20/2006 -- The News Star Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell said he has asked utility companies to avoid cutting off service to residential customers when the temperature hits 98 degrees. |
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| Natural gas prices to keep electricity bills high | |
| 7/18/2006 -- The Shreveport Times Your SWEPCO bill won't have last summer's nasty surcharges on it this season. But high natural gas prices will keep your fuel charges at 2005 levels. |
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| Utility says chance slim for dropping pact with Miss., La., Texas | |
| 7/14/2006 -- The News Star LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- The president of Entergy Arkansas told regulators that there is little chance that the company could abandon a cost-sharing pact that state officials believe will put an undue financial burden on 667,000 Arkansas ratepayers. |
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| State seeks to cut electric bills | |
| 7/13/2006 -- The Times Picayune The Louisiana Public Service Commission voted Wednesday to work toward lowering electric bills from Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States as soon as January. In a unanimous move, the commission voted to gather information about rate discrepancies and put what's called rate equalization in place in January. Entergy says it needs until the middle of next year to put the adjustments in place. "All we are concerned about is getting the money that we won in 2005. We are going to ask for all of our money in 2007," said Commissioner Jay Blossman of Mandeville. |
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| Utility says chance slim for dropping pact with Miss., La., Texas | |
| 7/7/2006 -- The News Star LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- The president of Entergy Arkansas told regulators that there is little chance that the company could abandon a cost-sharing pact that state officials believe will put an undue financial burden on 667,000 Arkansas ratepayers. Hugh McDonald said Thursday that Entergy Arkansas' contract with utilities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas cannot be broken until 2013 - unless there is mutual agreement among all parties. Because the other companies benefit financially, severing the pact early is unlikely, McDonald said. "Absent an agreement from the regulators or the other operating companies, I don't see that happening in the near future," McDonald said during an informational meeting of the Arkansas Public Service Commission. In written testimony filed with the PSC last week, McDonald said he didn't see any way in which Entergy Arkansas could leave its agreement with Entergy subsidiaries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. |
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| Entergy New Orleans seeks 25% rate boost | |
| 7/6/2006 -- The Times Picayune New Orleans residents could see their electric and gas bills rise about $45 a month under a plan Entergy New Orleans has filed with the New Orleans City Council. |
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| Entergy’s base rates won’t rise in 2007 | |
| 7/1/2006 -- The Advocate The base rates in electric bills for Entergy Corp.’s Baton Rouge area consumers will not go up or down next year, according to filings with the state Public Service Commission. |
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| Parish energy system deemed sound | |
| 6/30/2006 -- The Times Picayune St. Tammany Parish's electricity providers say their repaired and rebuilt systems are back to their pre-Katrina reliability, which means residents likely won't face the kind of prolonged outage that hit parts of New Orleans on Tuesday. |
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| U.S. aid urged for N.O. utility | |
| 6/30/2006 -- The Times Picayune Entergy New Orleans must receive money from the federal government to help pay for the devastation brought on its power system by Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans Councilman Oliver Thomas said in a press conference Thursday afternoon held to address the recent power outages throughout the city. |
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| Power outage an omen, official says - Entergy's system in disarray and struggling, post-Katrina | |
| 6/29/2006 -- The Times Picayune Late Tuesday afternoon, as temperatures climbed to 95 degrees, power surged and then ebbed at homes in Gentilly and around Esplanade Avenue. And then finally, about 4 p.m., it went out. |
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| La., Miss. officials seek Entergy probe | |
| 6/28/2006 -- The Advocate Louisiana’s and Mississippi’s utility regulators, as well as this state’s largest petro-chemical industrial plants, have joined Arkansas’ request for a federal investigation into Entergy Corp.’s business practices. |
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| Lawyers for PSC upset by Twomey’s remarks | |
| 6/26/2006 -- The Advocate Entergy’s chief regulation official, T. Michael Twomey of Jefferson, and the company’s chief antagonist, Foster Campbell of Bossier City, squaring off is not news. |
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| Official blaming 'slip of tongue' | |
| 6/24/2006 -- The Advocate A Synfuel Inc. executive Friday said he misspoke when he said the proposed $5 billion synthetic fuel plant in Ascension Parish plans to sell electricity directly to industrial companies, which is illegal in Louisiana. |
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| PSC cites Synfuel flaw | |
| 6/22/2006 -- The Advocate Part of a much-ballyhooed $5 billion synthetic fuel plant’s plan to make money is illegal and would dramatically raise electric bills for residential customers, according to regulators and Entergy Corp. |
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| AEP-SWEPCO proposes new plant here by 2010 | |
| 6/1/2006 -- The Shreveport Times A new natural gas-fueled power plant is being proposed by Southwestern Electric Power Co. at its Arsenal Hill site north of downtown Shreveport, the company announced Wednesday. |
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| Cleco to build upgraded power plant | |
| 5/18/2006 -- The Town Talk BOYCE -- In early June, Cleco Corp. will start excavation work on the Rodemacher Power Station Unit 3 project, the beginning of a 42-month construction phase to build the $1 billion solid-fuel power plant. |
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| Regulators vent their frustration at Entergy | |
| 5/6/2006 -- The Advocate One state regulator is so infuriated at Entergy Corp. that he wants to turn down the next rate increase the company wants even though the utility has not requested one yet. |
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| Campbell pushes for rate freeze | |
| 5/3/2006 -- The News Star Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell said he will try to freeze Entergy Louisiana’s rates until the company agrees to equalize rates with Entergy Arkansas at the beginning of 2007. |
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| Local industries doubt return of cheap natural gas | |
| 4/30/2006 -- The Advocate Local energy and chemical industry officials say while a number of policy measures and new technologies can help the state with high energy prices, there is no hope of returning to the halcyon days of $2 natural gas anytime soon. |
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| PSC wants Entergy travel bills | |
| 4/27/2006 -- The Advocate The Public Service Commission Wednesday demanded Entergy Corp. turn over details about travel that company executives took that is charged to consumers. |
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| Entergy charges N.O.-BR flights | |
| 4/22/2006 -- The Advocate Louisiana consumers are paying to fly Entergy Corp. officials back and forth between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell said Friday. |
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| Entergy headquarters returning | |
| 4/21/2006 -- The Times Picayune Entergy Corp. announced Thursday that it will return a somewhat slimmed down headquarters to New Orleans beginning next week. |
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| Entergy expects first quarter to exceed forecasts | |
| 4/19/2006 -- The News Star NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Utility holding company Entergy Corp. said Wednesday that it expects higher first-quarter earnings than a year ago that would exceed analysts' forecasts. |
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| Panel OKs borrowing plan for utilities | |
| 4/13/2006 -- The News Star The state's two largest utilities could borrow money to pay for getting the lights back on after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, under a bill awaiting debate on the House floor. |
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| Entergy, Cleco win House panel’s support | |
| 4/12/2006 -- The Advocate The state’s two largest utilities got an endorsement from a House committee Tuesday to borrow money to pay for getting the lights back on after the two hurricanes. |
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| Entergy's earnings pondered | |
| 4/12/2006 -- The Times Picayune It seems like a straightforward, unambiguous provision buried in an ordinance passed by the New Orleans Commission Council, predecessor of the present City Council, 84 years ago this month. |
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| PSC pushes Entergy to explore buying electricity | |
| 3/30/2006 -- The Advocate HOUMA — A unanimous Public Service Commission on Wednesday ordered Entergy Corp. to step up its efforts to price shop for electricity. |
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| PSC lets stand rate to allay storm cost | |
| 3/30/2006 -- The Advocate HOUMA — After some testy exchanges, the five-member Public Service Commission on Wednesday refused to second-guess a rate increase the panel narrowly approved just last month. |
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| Cleco officials received millions in bonuses, other compensation | |
| 3/29/2006 -- The Town Talk Cleco Corp. has awarded its top five executives and former CEO David Eppler more than $5 million in bonuses and other compensation for the company's 2005 performance. |
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| Blanco could use block grants to bail out La. utilities | |
| 3/29/2006 -- The Shreveport Times WASHINGTON -- Louisiana's largest electric utilities have asked Gov. Kathleen Blanco for more than $1.5 billion in federal hurricane relief money |
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| Some corporations square off against Entergy | |
| 3/29/2006 -- The Advocate Some of the nation’s largest corporations have squared off against Entergy Corp. over an issue that will determine the size of electric bills consumers pay each month for the next two decades. |
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| Cleco board approves building generating unit | |
| 3/23/2006 -- The Town Talk Construction on a 600-megawatt, solid-fuel unit generator near Boyce starts in April and will lead to a construction work force of 1,200, lower energy bills and greatly increased traffic on the Red River. |
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| Entergy adds millions to aid request | |
| 3/21/2006 -- The Times Picayune Entergy New Orleans announced Monday that it will nearly double its request for federal hurricane recovery aid to $718 million, after a recent review of the city's underground natural gas pipeline system suggested that most lines are in danger of accelerated corrosion due to saltwater intrusion from flooding. |
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| Entergy seeks $1B+ to recoup expenses | |
| 3/21/2006 -- The News Star Entergy Corp. officials will ask the state to allocate more than $1 billion in federal hurricane relief funds to reimburse its three Louisiana power companies for expenses incurred in rebuilding infrastructure after the storms. |
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| Entergy will downsize it's New Orleans operations | |
| 3/20/2006 -- Louisiana Weekly CLINTON, Miss.-Some of the pre-Hurricane Katrina corporate operations of Entergy Corp. will not return to New Orleans because of the proven threat to crucial functions that cannot be lost during a major storm, Entergy's head says. |
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| Cleco contribution helps seal deal with UTLX | |
| 3/19/2006 -- The Town Talk PINEVILLE -- Cleco provided the money, $1 million, to buy the 233 acres of land just west of Alexandria as the site to build the new Union Tank Car Co. plant. |
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| 4-state Entergy pact faces challenge | |
| 3/10/2006 -- The Times Picayune The City Council's utility committee vowed Thursday to fight an effort by Arkansas utility regulators to dismantle a decades-old pact that spreads the cost of generating electricity among Entergy Corp. power utilities in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas. |
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| New fixes by Entergy to reduce blackouts | |
| 3/10/2006 -- The Times Picayune In a sign that it is progressing toward restoring the city's hurricane-ravaged electricity grid, Entergy New Orleans managers Thursday said they have begun repairing a power generator, several substations and transmission lines mostly in eastern New Orleans that should reduce persistent blackouts that continue to torment some parts of the city. |
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| Entergy to take bids on power | |
| 3/9/2006 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. has agreed to seek bids to determine if the utility that serves 1 million customers in Louisiana could buy the electricity more cheaply than making its own. |
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| PSC tells Entergy to try again on lowering costs | |
| 3/7/2006 -- The Advocate Entergy Corp. should try again to study how best to lower consumer electric bills, the head of the Louisiana Public Service Commission said Monday. |
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| Entergy: Expect lower bills in March | |
| 3/2/2006 -- The News Star NEW ORLEANS — The falling price of natural gas means that — after rising steadily for six months — Entergy Louisiana's monthly electric bills should drop about one-fifth in March, a company official said. |
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| Entergy: March bills to drop 20% | |
| 3/1/2006 -- The Advocate Entergy’s monthly electric bills, which have been increasing for each of the past six months, are expected to drop by about 20 percent for the month of March, according to an Entergy official. |
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| Petro-chemical firms complain Entergy plan puts burden on them | |
| 2/28/2006 -- The Advocate The Public Service Commission should take a second look at a plan it narrowly approved just last week to boost 1 million electric bills in Louisiana, the chairman of the regulatory board says. |
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| Only one-third of N.O. customers receiving electricity says Entergy | |
| 2/27/2006 -- The Louisiana Weekly (AP) -- About 95 percent of Entergy New Orleans' pre-Hurricane Katrina customers are able to receive electricity, but just over a third of that number is now hooked up, the company said Friday. |
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| Power suppliers seek to cover storm losses | |
| 2/27/2006 -- The Shreveport Times BATON ROUGE -- Utility companies across much of the state saw their distribution lines and equipment on the ground or underwater when hurricanes Katrina and Rita ripped through the state, so they're looking at ways to cover the costs of restoring power. |
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| Utility revenue relief criticized | |
| 2/26/2006 -- The Alexandria Town Talk BATON ROUGE -- Utility companies across much of the state saw their distribution lines and equipment on the ground or under water when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ripped through the state, so they're looking at ways to cover the costs of restoring power. |
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| Cleco, Entergy customers to help cover storm damage | |
| 2/23/2006 -- The Shreveport Times BATON ROUGE -- Cleco Power and Entergy business and residential customers will soon pitch in to help the companies offset the cost of massive repair jobs required to restore power after hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Louisiana coastline in August and September. |
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| Surcharge to offset utilities’ storm costs | |
| 2/23/2006 -- The Advocate About 1.3 million Louisiana electric bills will go up in March and April to help pay for getting the lights back on after the two hurricanes, the state’s utility regulators decided Wednesday. |
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| Cleco bills will go up a little | |
| 2/23/2006 -- The Times-Picayune BATON ROUGE -- More than 80,000 St. Tammany Parish residents who get their electricity from Cleco will face an average $4.91 increase in their monthly bills, possibly as early as April, to help the utility company pay off $161 million in damages from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. |
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| Electric bills to go up for many | |
| 2/23/2006 -- The Times-Picayune BATON ROUGE -- More than 1.25 million electricity customers of Entergy and Cleco, except those in Orleans Parish, will pay more for power in the next six months to help repair damage to power lines, utility poles, and generating stations from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, the state Public Service Commission decided Wednesday. |
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| Utility firms seek rate increase | |
| 2/22/2006 -- The Times-Picayune At a time when high winter heating bills already are draining wallets, consumers may be faced with even steeper utility costs if state regulators approve rate increases today as requested by Entergy Louisiana and Cleco Corp., which supply power to most of metropolitan New Orleans. |
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| PSC staff: Entergy’s request falls short | |
| 2/22/2006 -- The Advocate Public Service Commission staffers say Entergy Corp. hasn’t proven it needs immediate repayment for the cost of getting the lights back on after the two hurricanes, but the staffers apparently favor another utility’s application. |
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| CDBG is Entergy’s last hope to avoid powering down N.O. | |
| 2/20/2006 -- New Orleans City Business The $4.2-billion increase in community development block grant funding announced by the feds Wednesday was cause for rejoicing among top state and city officials and hurricane-racked homeowners. |
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| Devastated areas to get energy bills | |
| 2/15/2006 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy customers in St. Bernard Parish and the harder hit areas of southern Plaquemines Parish can expect to receive their first post-Katrina bills sometime during the next few weeks, Entergy spokesman Chanel Lagarde said Tuesday. |
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| Industrial concerns protesting proposed Entergy surcharge | |
| 1/25/2006 -- AP via The Monroe News-Star BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Industrial plants that line the Mississippi River contend that proposed power surcharges to pay for hurricane damage to Entergy Corp.'s system would enrich its shareholders at the expense of its customers. |
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| Industry balks at Entergy surcharge | |
| 1/25/2006 -- The Advocate Industrial facilities lining the Mississippi River contend that Entergy Corp. would profit off proposed surcharges to recover losses caused by the hurricanes. |
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| Entergy back to pre-storm billing | |
| 1/20/2006 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy New Orleans customers who have gotten a break from electricity and natural gas charges since Hurricane Katrina will soon start receiving bills again, even if they aren't using the services. |
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| PSC pushing appeal to aid Entergy customers | |
| 1/17/2006 -- The Advocate Utility regulators can do little to keep Baton Rouge from paying some of the most expensive power bills in the country for much of the coming year. |
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| Campbell has dual motives to delay rate vote | |
| 1/15/2006 -- The Monroe News-Star Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell said he can't conceive of voting to approve a rate increase for Entergy Louisiana that would allow the company to recover up to $415 million in hurricane losses. |
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| Entergy chief apologizes to PSC | |
| 1/14/2006 -- The Advocate Entergy's boss spent last week visiting Louisiana's five utility regulators and apologizing for telling investors that he controls a majority of their votes. |
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| Entergy to resume billing where utilities work in N.O. | |
| 1/6/2006 -- The Times-Picayune Entergy next week will resume billing its customers in many flood-devastated New Orleans neighborhoods whose capabilities to receive utilities have been restored, a company spokeswoman said Thursday. |
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