Meeting the demands of historic electricity usage during arctic blast

Entergy customers used more electricity during the January winter storm than ever before in cold-weather months, surpassing the peak winter usage recorded in the storms of January 2024. Entergy Arkansas, Louisiana, New Orleans and Texas service areas all recorded new high peak usage records, while Entergy Mississippi neared its record of peak usage.

As cold weather drove increased energy usage, Entergy closely monitored our equipment and weather conditions, taking appropriate steps to ensure reliable delivery of power to our customers. This included working closely with MISO, the electric grid operator for the central United States, to monitor grid conditions and prepare generators accordingly. Despite the record-breaking power usage,��Entergy’s fleet maintained production margins and provided enough generation to meet the energy load throughout the storm.

Storm ready: responding to winter weather events

While the January weather event did cause localized outages, crews quickly and safely restored power to just over 13,000 customers who lost service across Entergy’s service territory throughout the three day-event while navigating freezing temperatures, icy roads and hazardous working conditions.

The winter storm most heavily impacted Louisiana, bringing unique challenges like downed tree limbs and the strain of cold-load pickup, an increase in energy demand as power is restored to areas impacted by extreme cold. Despite these challenges, the company’s systems and teams proved resilient, minimizing the impact on customers across the state. Just two weeks prior, Entergy Arkansas swiftly restored power to its customers during a����with snow accumulations of nearly 15 inches in some areas and more than a quarter-inch of ice in others according to the National Weather Service.

Entergy stays storm ready with extensive��winter weather readiness measures��and remains prepared to respond to the next weather event.

Resources for customers

Customers can learn more about��bill management and assistance options following winter weather.

Whether customers have questions about their bill, need more time to pay or are looking for assistance, our one-stop shop connects them to available programs and services at��

Justin manages the damage prediction program, which plays a crucial role in Entergy’s response to storms. As the liaison to StormGeo, Entergy’s contracted weather service provider, he ensures the company is equipped with forecasts and historical weather data to help leadership make operational decisions for storm response.

Justin has a pivotal role in helping customers and the company plan for and respond to storms. Through his damage predictions and forecasting data, leadership can make informed decisions to place crews safely out of harm’s way ahead of the storm, but close enough to be able to move into the affected areas immediately after the storm to start restoring power.��

“When we get the damage prediction right, we know how many resources we need to request to be able to restore power quickly and efficiently,” said Justin. “If we don’t order enough resources or don’t have them in the right areas, it takes longer to restore power for customers.”

As the incident response lessons learned program manager, he champions a culture of continuous improvement alongside Entergy’s corrective action program team, leveraging lessons learned from past events and exercises to respond to future challenges efficiently. He ensures gaps or areas for improvement are acknowledged, recorded and closed or improved with appropriate actions.��

Justin began working with Entergy in 2017 as an incident response specialist after serving for 10 years as a detective at the Madison Police Department.��

��Justin says he enjoys working for Entergy because of its diversity and its commitment to create an inclusive and engaging work environment for all employees.��

“When I was growing up, my father who worked for Entergy spoke highly about the company because of the opportunities and the people he worked with,” Justin said. “He always said that leadership cared for their employees. Every time I spoke with someone about Entergy, they said the same things as my father.��

“When I first came onboard, I was shocked in a good way about how everyone works so well together and helps each other to achieve our goals. Incident response management cares about individual success. They give room to make important decisions and solve problems, which allows me to learn and engage with important business functions.”

Justin also enjoys his role because his work directly impacts our customers by restoring power as quickly and safely as possible after storms.��

“Weather is such an interesting subject that is very important to Entergy,” he said. “It’s very easy to love this job because I believe in the work we are doing to help our customers keep their lights on by preparing for and responding to incidents.”

Justin explained what accountability and ownership of responsibility mean to him, two important aspects of the work culture at Entergy.��

“Accountability is showing up and doing what you said you would do,” he said. “It means trusting colleagues by counting on each other and standing behind the results of our hard work. We are held to a certain standard of excellence here and I am thrilled to be able to deliver excellence with my team.”

Outside of work, Justin enjoys spending time with his wife and dog, building computers, flying drones, getting tattoos, gaming with his friends and riding motorcycles with his family.��

“I enjoy working at Waterford 3 because of the people and the camaraderie that we show for each other,” said Rome.

Rome��graduated from Destrehan High School in Louisiana, making him one of the many St. Charles Parish Satellite Center engineering students who now work at the station.

Recently,��he volunteered in the engineering classroom at St. Charles Parish Satellite Center to talk to students about the opportunities in the nuclear industry. While there, he discussed his role at the station and taught the students how nuclear power plants use a nuclear reactor to produce safe and clean electricity.

Prior to working at Entergy, Rome worked on the Artemis Space Launch System project at NASA. He earned his engineering degree from the University of New Orleans.

#MeetThePros

“I support the nuclear fleet in analyzing and reporting every cost related to a plant outage, planned or otherwise,” said Greer. “I work with financial analysts at the sites to compile reports, forecast, monitor and analyze financial results as they relate to these outages.”

Greer, originally from Hattiesburg, earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting at the University of Southern Mississippi.

“I truly love to dive into data,” Greer said. “I was not originally interested in accounting when I began college, but I was doing cost benefit analysis before I even knew what they were. I realized how fascinated I was by learning how companies earn money. That’s when I knew I wanted to go into finance and accounting.”

During college, Greer interned at Cooperative ���ϳԹ���, which originally sparked her interest in the power industry along with her husband’s career as an electrical engineer with Entergy.

“My college internship gave me a great baseline knowledge of the power industry,” Greer said. “I was lucky enough to start my position with an understanding of the intricacies of the power industry, such as the regulatory organizations and how a power company earns money. Working in finance is like trying to solve a giant puzzle, and to be able to solve the puzzle we must understand how the company works together as a whole. We are always improving and striving for excellence.”

Greer explained how she feels lucky to be working for Entergy not only because it is in the utility industry, but also because of its mission and values.

“I really appreciate that safety is the number one priority at Entergy,” she said. “I would never want to work for a company that compromises safety. I am grateful to be working for a company that values safety and their employees while producing clean, carbon free energy.”

Greer recognizes the importance of teamwork and continuous learning for success.

“To me, teamwork and continuous learning are connected and an essential part of achieving excellence at Entergy and in my career,” she said. “Without cross-functional communication, there is no way to do the best job possible. When there’s open communication and the company and its departments work as a team, everyone benefits.”

For more information about Entergy Nuclear, visit or follow on X/Twitter.

#MeetThePros

Henderson oversees the nuclear fleet’s drafting support with the focal area of configuration management—ensuring the drawings and plans match with the current physical plant configurations.

His leadership style includes an open-door policy with an emphasis on communication.

“I love interacting with the people I work with,” said Henderson. “Of course, getting our work done is important but sharing things about our life and getting to know each other makes work more meaningful. At the end of the day, we’re all humans and we all have lives outside of work. It allows for a better work mentality just by being an open communicator.”

Henderson, a native of Jackson, Miss., earned his mechanical engineering degree while playing college baseball at Prairie View A&M University. He began working with Entergy Nuclear in 2011 at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, located in Port Gibson, Miss. Prior to working for Entergy, he worked in the oil and gas industry, which allowed him to live in multiple states and even internationally.

In 2017, he transitioned from GGNS to nuclear headquarters in the central design and programs group—earning a supervisor role in 2020 and moving to his current role last December.

Henderson’s favorite part of his role is conducting outreach at Jackson State University for incoming STEM freshman and Tougaloo College for their college-affiliated high school ninth- and tenth 10^th-graders.

“On our visits to Jackson State and Tougaloo, we educate them about the benefits of nuclear power, bring awareness to the nuclear site that we have in our own state and let them know about the multiple career opportunities at Grand Gulf,” Henderson said. “I’m a bit ashamed to admit this, but I didn’t know anything about Grand Gulf growing up. It’s important to expose young people to the benefits of one of the most reliable and clean energy forms, as well as letting them know the options for a great career that are here.”

Henderson recognizes the importance of and champions Entergy’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging program.

“The dynamics changed with our new chief nuclear officer, Kimberly Cook-Nelson, and her emphasis on DIB,” he said. “Her support and inclusion of DIB in our day-to-day activities has helped build respect for minorities and diverse candidates who are working here.”

“By doing that, it has helped the company grow, and we now have diverse perspectives from individuals who are being hired,” Henderson continued. “Outside perspectives are so important to change the normal ways of processes for ones that are better and more effective. If we make people feel belonged and included, they will want to work harder and enjoy coming to work more.”

Learn more about Entergy Nuclear by visiting����and follow on X/Twitter.

Wonders, who is originally from Pittsburgh, Pa., researches the changing landscape of nuclear energy and advises Entergy and industry leaders based on her knowledge.

“The opportunities for new nuclear are changing rapidly,” said Wonders.��“I love my position since learning about advanced nuclear technology and being a part of the change is so exciting. I am evaluating new small modular reactor designs and the actions we need to take to get into the new nuclear space. Growth and innovation will be key in an ever-changing market.”

Wonders was originally hired as a program engineering supervisor at nuclear headquarters. In 2020, she transitioned to Waterford 3 Steam Electric Station in Killona, La., where she earned her Senior Reactor Operator license and worked for three years.

In July of 2023, she was hired as a leadership coordinator back at headquarters. Then, an opportunity emerged to be a part of the new nuclear projects team, a position she began in December.

Prior to working for Entergy Nuclear, she worked for seven years for Westinghouse Electric Corporation on the design, construction and licensing of their AP1000 plants. Her broad experience in new nuclear development with Westinghouse and her current fleet experience in operations and engineering at Entergy made her a top candidate for her current role.

Wonders emphasizes the importance of continuing education personally as well as in her career.

“I’ll be at home on my computer and go down a rabbit hole of research with all of the new nuclear advancements and innovations that are happening,” Wonders said. “If we cease to learn, we stop growing. Finding new ways and opportunities to do things and thinking outside of the box are important in the process of becoming the premier utility.”

Wonders explained how her current position relates to Entergy’s goal of producing electricity at an affordable rate for our customers.

“Part of my role is to find out what is the most affordable option for our customers,” she said. “A lot of the new or advanced nuclear designs and technology are linked to building small modular reactors, but we are also researching other nuclear opportunities beyond electricity such as reprocessing spent nuclear fuel or plants that are used to produce both heat and electricity. There’s plenty of options that will benefit our stakeholders. I need to ensure every decision we make will enable Entergy to produce affordable power for everyone.”

Learn more about Entergy Nuclear by visiting����and follow on X/Twitter.

Barnes’s team works on design projects for the four nuclear sites in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi, specifically planning designs to move large equipment in and out of buildings. His team reviews the loading and unloading by using calculations to ensure it is safe for the workers and the building. They make sure that everything can��fit in and out of the space, which may entail taking down walls and piping temporarily and then reconstructing them.

“It’s similar to threading a needle to get a 60,000-pound piece of equipment in or out of a building, but with the utmost importance that it is done safely,” said Barnes.

Barnes grew up in the Jackson area and earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Mississippi State University and Texas A&M, respectively. While earning his graduate degree, he became certified in historic preservation, which helps him understand how to modify existing buildings with limitations.

Barnes’s favorite part of his position is the advice and mentorship he gives and receives through Entergy Nuclear’s emphasis on teamwork.

“I’m in such a great group of people with varying levels of experience,” Barnes said. “It allows me to share what I understand with others and to be able to ask for feedback when I need it. I’m never on my own, which produces better results for the company. If the team is investing in each other, then everyone is improving, and we learn to rely on each other more. It’s a great environment for collaboration, which is one of the best things Entergy does.”

Barnes explained how he appreciates the nuclear industries’ focus on��safety.

“Safety is at the forefront of my mind when I’m designing,” he said. “Nuclear does a great job of distinguishing between designing the easiest way and designing the safest way. Designing the safest way is always most important.”

Learn more about Entergy Nuclear by visiting����and follow on X/Twitter.

Lyons and her team monitor fleet spending and analyze financial forecasts to ensure they are correctly projected, saving our customers’ dollars.

Lyons began working at nuclear headquarters in January 2023. In��2018, she started a position at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station. She began her career in nuclear in 2014 working with Duke ���ϳԹ��� and earned her bio-textile engineering degree at North Carolina State University.

Lyons was born in Melbourne, Florida, where her father was based in the U.S. Air Force. When he retired from the military, she moved to the coast of North Carolina at age four. Lyons has always had strong ties to the military due to her close connections with family and friends who are members or Veterans. She says being the chair for the Echelon VERG comes naturally to her.

“My work ethic is from my father and my grandfather’s military backgrounds,” said Lyons. “My first job was selling tickets for people to tour a battleship. I learned to earn my worth, be honest and work hard through my military connections.”

Recently, Lyons attended and helped plan a flag ceremony in New Orleans before a Saints game for Entergy Veterans.

“I want Veterans to know they’re recognized and appreciated, whether it’s through a lapel pin at Echelon or a flag ceremony at the Superdome,” she said. “When we walked from the tunnel onto the field for the flag ceremony, the looks on their faces were priceless. It’s so important to support and appreciate our military members not only overseas, but also when they come back home.”

For Lyons, the appreciation and gratefulness of active members and Veterans of the military makes her volunteerism worth the hard work.

“We take what we have for granted so easily,” she said. “I received a handwritten thank you letter from one of the soldiers we sent care packages to with board games. She said she could play the games with her family on FaceTime. It meant so much to me.”

Lyons attended the National American Young Generation in Nuclear conference this year, where she represented the fleet for the Best Chapter in Professional Development Award and was also awarded one of the yearly excellence awards. Shortly after the conference, Lyons was elected as the professional development chair of the Echelon chapter and is being nominated again for awards for work done in 2023.

“It was such an eye-opening experience to be recognized for volunteering that I would do whether I was recognized or not,” she said. “Giving back to my community is so important to me, whether it is for children or Veterans or the whole community. At the end of the day, it’s about who you impact that matters the most.”

Outside of work, she enjoys fishing. Saltwater fishing in south Louisiana is her favorite, and she has made some very impressive catches, such as a redfish that was 44 inches long and a snook that was 43 inches long and an impressive 45 pounds that was caught in Stuart, Florida.

Learn more about Entergy Nuclear by visiting����and follow on X/Twitter.

Entergy Nuclear headquarters gifted North Jackson Elementary School, its local adopted school, a $10,000 grant as well as $3,921 raised by employees.

Chief Operating Officer��John Dinelli along with employees Scharla Bivings,��Rashina Lewis��and��Julie Moore��presented the two checks to North Jackson Elementary School Principal��Jocelyn Smith, teacher��Melissa Jones��and four high-achieving students.

The $3,921 was raised for a special school project through a dunk tank featuring company leaders and a silent auction presented at nuclear headquarters’ family day in September.

The school recently received an “A” rating—two grades up from their previous rating. Leaders at the school credit a portion of their success to Entergy Nuclear’s support.

“Contributions from Entergy Nuclear in any way—people power or financial—have a huge impact on our day-to-day,” said Smith. “It gives us less to worry about, so that we’re always concentrating on academics and our students due to the extra support. Entergy is a part of us achieving this “A” rating, just as much as our students, community, teachers and staff. We appreciate all of it so much.”

Entergy Nuclear headquarters is planning a holiday food drive for the school later this month.

For more information about Entergy Nuclear, visit our website entergynuclear.com or follow us on X/Twitter @EntergyNuclear.

“It is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit two national labs with my cohorts from around the world,” said Johnson.

She will be visiting Idaho National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory for a week each through the fully funded program.

“Shana is an outgoing and hardworking engineer who is passionate about nuclear advocacy and outreach,” said Kerry Gaston, one of Johnson’s managers in risk engineering at Entergy Nuclear. “With her personality, she will take this opportunity to learn about leadership and bring her findings back to Entergy to jumpstart her career.”

The program, named for a scientist and established on International Women’s Day this year, is for women who are early to mid-career in the nuclear engineering profession seeking to advance their technical and soft skills. The group, consisting of 10 to 15 women in nuclear, will be focusing on leadership and networking skills through seminars with global experts in the field as well as conducting tests and modelling using software simulators at the labs.

She was chosen for the program through an extensive application, recommendation and interview process.

Johnson graduated from North Carolina University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering and a minor in creative writing, which she chose to utilize her technical and creative skills. While earning her degree, she worked an engineering co-op with Dominion ���ϳԹ���. Since graduating, she has worked with Entergy Nuclear in her current position.

“I was really hoping to get into the program because I have been growing a lot in my position even though I am so early in my career,” Johnson said. “Since I work in a small group at Entergy, I’m so excited to be around women who are going through a similar part of life as I am with the same interests.”

Johnson grew up close to Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois where she attended STEM programs about clean energy, inspiring her to become a nuclear engineer and making her acceptance into this program even more special to her.

“I have experienced the importance of programs such as this one before, and I feel very appreciative to be a part of one,” Johnson said.

During college, she volunteered in two STEM camps, one being nuclear specific, and continues outreach at Waterford 3. Johnson hopes to continue her outreach in the future, specifically with high school students who are interested in the nuclear profession. She hopes the program will not only grow her communication skills for work, but also for advocating for nuclear energy to the public.

“A lot of people outside of the industry believe nuclear energy is too hard to understand, so they never try,” she said. “I want to communicate the basic science and educate people about why we need nuclear power. Once they understand the basics and how it is so important to our sustainable fuel mix, I believe more people will advocate for it.”

Johnson anticipates learning more about other departments throughout nuclear science during the program, leading to more cross-functional team opportunities at Entergy with her new understandings and vocabulary.

“I’m hoping I’ll learn skills and ideas to take back to Entergy with me,” she said. “There are so many opportunities for innovation through cross-functional teamwork we are possibly missing out on that I hope I can help foster.”

The International Atomic ���ϳԹ��� Agency, founded in 1957 and headquartered in Vienna, Austria, is self-described as, “the world’s central intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation in the nuclear field.” The agency works with world-wide partners, including the United Nations, to “promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies.”��