Over time, utility poles can become weathered by the forces of mother nature or even damaged by members of the public. Inspections help identify poles that need to be reinforced or replaced and helps prevents outages before they occur. Osmose Utilities Services, Inc., a specialist in its field, is performing the routine inspections and preventative maintenance work for Entergy Texas.

��“Inspections are critical to maintaining and improving reliability across our system,” said Allen East, Entergy Texas vice president of distribution operations. “This is just one of the many reliability projects Entergy Texas is conducting this year to ensure we’re delivering safe, reliable and affordable electricity to communities across Southeast Texas.”

During pole inspections, crews will rigorously inspect poles for defects. Following a visual inspection, the poles are “sounded” with a hammer to find any internal voids or hollow cavities. Poles that show signs of internal or external decay are fully excavated to determine the extent of decay at the groundline. Osmose may reinforce some poles during the inspection, but poles identified as needing further maintenance will be reported to Entergy Texas for replacement at a later date.

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No one gets through the tough times alone, particularly when faced with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It takes communities coming together for the betterment of all. At Entergy Texas, we are working to do our part.

That’s why Entergy Texas is donating $10,000 to the����to support the Southeast Texas Food Bank. The donation will provide 30,000 meals to families in need across the eight counties that the food bank serves.

“Supporting our communities has always been a priority for Entergy Texas,” Stuart Barrett, vice president of customer service for Entergy Texas. “We’re thankful for organizations like the Southeast Texas Food Bank and are proud to do our part to help feed southeast Texas.”

In addition to the food bank donation, Entergy Texas donated $300,000 from Entergy’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund��to the Southeast Texas Relief Fund to support nine nonprofit groups across 22 counties. Grants from Entergy’s relief fund support nonprofits that provide services to people who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and do not have financial resources for basic needs such as food, rent and utilities. Since establishing the��COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund��in March, Entergy shareholders have committed more than $1.3 million to help community nonprofits and qualifying customers who are struggling with the financial impact of the global pandemic. ��

“We know that customers are facing new challenges during these extraordinary times, and some may not be aware of available resources and assistance options,” said Stuart Barrett, vice president for customer service for Entergy Texas. “We hope this information will help our customers and communities through these challenging and uncertain times.”

Residential Customers��

Entergy Texas launched a hub for residential customers across Southeast Texas. This online portal provides information with helpful resources from federal, state and nonprofit organizations. Customers in Southeast Texas are urged to visit��entergy.com/covid-19/txresources.��

The Public Utility Commission of Texas recently extended the moratorium on service disconnections for residential customers through June 13, 2020. As temperatures in Texas rise, customers are encouraged to make payments on their account if possible, to prevent large balances from accumulating. Entergy has several different payment options available and will work directly with customers who are unable to pay in full. Customers can enroll in these programs by calling 1-800-ENTERGY (800-368-3749) or by visiting .

Small Businesses

Entergy Texas also launched a similar site designed to assist small businesses during this time. The small business site provides information on the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act along with contacts for state and regional partners, some of whom have grant and loan programs available for businesses. These resources can be accessed at��entergy.com/covid-19/txsmbiz.����

Businesses applying for financial aid available through the CARES Act must provide a copy of their most recent utility bill. Entergy Texas customers can obtain a copy by registering and logging into��. ��

For further assistance registering or accessing account information, call 1-800-368-3749.

“Small businesses are the backbone of the communities we serve,” said Steve Pilgrim, director of business and economic development for Entergy Texas. “During these challenging times, we hope these resources are helpful for small businesses impacted by the pandemic. Southeast Texas has weathered many storms, and together, we’ll weather this one too.”

The hub provides information on the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. It also includes COVID-19 resources from state and regional partners. These resources are at entergy.com/covid-19/txsmbiz/.

Businesses applying for financial help available through the CARES Act must provide a copy of their most recent utility bill. A copy can be found by logging into online. If you don’t have an account, register at and click on myAccount.

If you have trouble registering, need your account number or need more help, call 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749).

Now more than ever, bad actors are leveraging the COVID-19 pandemic to create even more chaos. Small businesses and residential customers alike should remain vigilant for phishing campaigns or callers that may be trying to trick them. If they have questions about their account, they call 1-800-ENTERGY or visit online.

Entergy Texas, Inc. provides electricity to approximately 461,000 customers in 27 counties. ���ϳԹ��� is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 9,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of approximately $11 billion and more than 13,000 employees.

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The fund will target grants to organizations that provide services to families and individuals that have been��impacted��by the COVID-19 pandemic and do not have��financial��resources for basic needs, such as food, rent and utilities.����

��“In the face of adversity, Texans have always rallied together to support our neighbors and communities,” said Sallie Rainer, president and CEO of Entergy Texas. “It’s inspiring to see��our communities and��local��organizations working together to provide critical��services to those in need. We’re proud to contribute to $300,000 to support these efforts.��We’ve weathered many storms��and together, we’ll weather this one too.”������

The selected organizations have experience helping those in need, including the recently unemployed, seniors and low-income families. The nonprofit groups provide either direct support to recipients or��in conjunction with��organizations that do.����

The recipients��include:��

• United Way��chapters across Entergy Texas’ service area��which��support��a combined��nine��counties��
• The Power to Care,��which provides payment assistance to��Entergy Texas customers who��are��low-income seniors and��people with disabilities��
• The Mission Northeast, which provides disaster relief, program and services, and adult education��
• Community Assistance Center,��which provides disaster relief, program and services, and adult education��
• GETCAP,��which offers��a variety of programs and services to assist low-income individuals and families��to 14 counties Entergy serves��
• Liberty County Long–Term Recovery,��which provides relief assistance to qualifying individuals throughout Liberty County��

To date, Entergy’s shareholders have committed more than $1 million to COVID-19 response, including giving $700,000 to the corporation’s COVID-19��Emergency��Relief Fund to assist local United Way partners and other nonprofit agencies to provide aid to working families experiencing financial hardships as a result of the pandemic. More information on the relief fund and Entergy’s response to COVID-19 can be found at��entergy.com/covid-19.��

Entergy Texas, Inc. provides electricity to approximately 461,000 customers in 27 counties. ���ϳԹ��� is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 9,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility customers in��Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of approximately $11 billion and more than 13,000 employees.��

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“We are deeply honored that Entergy chooses to support the mission of the Southeast Texas Food Bank through a combination of volunteer service and financial investment,” said Dan Maher, executive director of the Southeast Texas Food Bank. “This shows that the corporate spirit of giving that Entergy promotes is embodied in its local employees.

“Their volunteer work will have the concrete effect of nourishing economically challenged seniors throughout Southeast Texas during the holiday season, which is very much in keeping with Entergy’s Power to Care Program and other community philanthropy directed to the most vulnerable among us,” said Maher. “On their behalf, I want to express thanks for Entergy’s consistent commitment to service.”
��For Entergy Texas employees, it was an opportunity to give back to their community.

“The neat part about an event like this, because of the Food Bank’s wide reach, is��that Entergy employees from offices all over Southeast Texas can help spread holiday joy to customers where we live and work,” said Jim Malain, Entergy Texas customer service representative. “We’re glad that we could help brighten the holidays for seniors across Southeast Texas.”

��“I couldn’t believe when Missy came in with flowers and balloons, and I definitely didn’t think she was walking towards me,” said Paula Odom, senior customer service specialist. “Then I suddenly realized she was walking straight towards me.”

Missy and the rest of the Interfaith team were there to surprise Odom with news that she had been named a Five Who Share Award recipient. This honor is bestowed upon individuals who embody a spirit of volunteerism and show a consistent dedication and commitment to worthy causes.

“I was overwhelmed and shocked,” said Odom. “It was the best moment of my life.”��

When Sallie Rainer, president and CEO of Entergy Texas, saw that the nominations were open for the Five Who Share Award, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind who should be nominated. ��

“There’s no one more deserving of this recognition,” said Rainer. “Paula truly embodies what it means to have a servant’s heart and I’m thrilled that Interfaith recognized her dedication to serving our communities.”

Simply put, if Entergy Texas employees are giving back somewhere in our communities, Odom has had a hand in making it happen. Not only does she oversee our employee volunteer council, but she’s also the driving force behind the success of Entergy’s Power to Care program, which provides utility bill assistance to seniors and disabled individuals in crisis.

Her regular ‘Coffee Break’ meetings are attended by a range of non-profit and governmental organizations. These events encourage collaboration and partnership between organizations across our region to ensure that the community works together to support those in need.��

Additionally, Paula works closely with the United Way to organize Super Tax Day, a program to offer free tax preparation services to help individuals claim their Earned Income Tax Credit. These events also include financial coaching and budget workshops.

“She is able to accomplish so much due to her belief that we all can make a difference,” said Stuart Barret, vice president of customer service. “Paula’s dedication and positive commitment to serving our community is why she is able to achieve so much in her role at Entergy Texas and for our local communities. She is the perfect example of how ‘We Power Life.”

This award is the cap on a 36-year career with Entergy. In January, Odom will join her husband, another 36-year Entergy employee, in retirement.

“It is bittersweet to retire, but for 36 years I’ve had a marvelous career here at Entergy and to get such a wonderful honor at the end of my career it’s almost breathtaking, and I can hardly believe it,” said Odom.

“It’s just the icing on the cake.”��