Our customers depend on our reliable service. They want to know that every time that light switch is flipped, a room will be lit. We’re proving our commitment to reliability by modernizing our grid.

Over the past 5 years, we’ve invested around $162 million annually into strengthening and expanding our distribution system across our service area. Our reliability programs help us make the greatest performance improvements across the grid, while keeping customer cost a priority.

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One of our common reliability programs is the FOCUS program – which stands for find, observe, collect, understand, and succeed. We find around 400 feeders and devices each quarter and observe their outage patterns over a period of time. We collect that data and consider the number of customers impacted. To understand the effectiveness of this program, we compare the number of device outages and customer interruptions before and after the project work has been completed. This process is how we succeed.

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By the end of 2023, we’re projected to spend more than $9.5 million on nearly 70 FOCUS program projects across our service area – significantly increasing reliability for around 12,000 urban, rural, residential, and commercial customers.

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While these upgrades target specific line sections, we are continually modernizing our distribution grid by redesigning infrastructure, adding new technologies, managing vegetation, and increasing operational efficiency for customers all over our 45-county service area.

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Our focus on reliability is how we power life.

Entergy Texas marked a significant milestone Nov. 12, 2022. For the first time in company history, an all-women team was at the controls of the Texas distribution operations center.

The DOC is the control center for our operations and plays a major role in ensuring critical infrastructure is functioning properly to supply energy to customers. It’s operated 24/7, with rotating shifts of 12 hours.��

Roles at the DOC have traditionally been held by individuals with a distribution or substation field background – historically all men. Over the years, we’ve continued to recruit individuals with a variety of professional backgrounds to work at the DOC, resulting in a diverse candidate pool to fill essential control center positions.

Although this was a historical moment for the company, Andrea Jackson, Chelsea Parsons and Kathryn Ramirez went to work like any other day.��

“It made me feel good to be part of the first all-women shift,” said Chelsea Parsons, operator at the DOC. “Although it was exciting, we knew that we had to handle the day with confidence and courage.”

Tasks at the DOC consist of, but are not limited to, monitoring the status of Entergy Texas’ distribution system, checking outages in real-time, dispatching crews, troubleshooting and providing important information to line crew members who make repairs in the field.��

“Staying focused, making sure everyone makes it home safe to their families, and keeping our customers satisfied are the priorities,” said Andrea Jackson, operator at the DOC.��

Over the last two years, operations employees at the DOC have evolved from only men in the operator ranks to both men and women from various backgrounds.��

Parsons has a background in nursing, and Jackson has a background in manufacturing as a quality lead coordinator. Both decided to switch careers and explore their opportunities.����

On the other hand, Ramirez has years of experience in operations, previously working in the process operating field before her role at Entergy Texas.��

“My family’s been in operations, making me a fourth-generation operator,” said Ramirez. “One of my favorite things about working a shift is that you spend more time with your coworkers, have a sense of teamwork, and see the results. There’s always a different challenge every day.”

Each of these women represent that a career in operations is possible for anyone.

“Hiring women at the operator ranks is the first step to normalizing women in operations,” said Megan Norris, manager of the DOC. “We’re committed to being a company where our workforce reflects the communities we serve across the board.”

JACKSON, Miss. – Entergy Mississippi has opened a $16.6-million facility to serve as its hub for customer service, distribution operations and storm response in DeSoto County.

The DeSoto Service Center, located on Highway 51 North, is strategically positioned to serve Entergy Mississippi customers in DeSoto County, including the cities of Hernando, Horn Lake, Nesbit, Southaven, Walls and parts of Olive Branch.    

About 45 full-time employees will work from the newly constructed 38,457-square-foot building, which will include local engineering, customer service and operations departments. A materials warehouse and service yard are also onsite.

“This investment places us at the center of our DeSoto County service territory, which will help us operate with greater resiliency and improve reliability in the area,” said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. “As the community continues to grow, this site will provide the space we need to work with large equipment and a geographical advantage to quickly respond to customers.”

In addition to the DeSoto Service Center, Entergy is currently constructing a new distribution substation in the area. The company will also continue to maintain its service yard in Southaven.

About Entergy Mississippi

Entergy Mississippi, LLC provides electricity to approximately 461,000 customers in 45 counties. Entergy Mississippi is a subsidiary of ���ϳԹ���, an integrated energy company engaged in electric power production, transmission and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with approximately 24,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 5,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,000 employees.

“We’re delighted to be building out our network of operations in Little Rock, Arkansas,” said Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment. “We greatly appreciate the strong support from local and state leaders as we look to open our first fulfillment center and second delivery station in the state of Arkansas. We look forward to creating over a thousand jobs for the Little Rock community, with industry-leading pay and comprehensive benefits starting on day one.”

“It’s not surprising that Amazon has selected the Port of Little Rock as the newest location for its next project,” Governor Hutchinson said. “Arkansas has a trained workforce and is centrally located with easy access to miles of interstate, rail, and navigable waterways. I am delighted by Amazon’s decision and confident that the Port of Little Rock will be a great fit for the company.”

“This is great timing for Arkansas,” said Danny Games, director of business and economic development for Entergy Arkansas. “From the AEDC to the Little Rock Chamber and port leadership to the city of Little Rock and Pulaski County, there was a coordinated effort to convince Amazon this is where they want to invest in a state-of-the-art distribution center. We’re gratified and excited that they agreed.”������

The facility is under construction on an 80-acre site on Zeuber Road. Entergy Arkansas certified the site as a Select Site in October 2019 and developed as a tool for recruitment.

In the new 825,000 square-foot fulfillment center, Amazon employees will work alongside Amazon robotics to pick, pack and ship small items to customers such as books, electronics and toys.

Amazon is currently retrofitting an existing 85,000 square-foot facility on I-30 to serve as a delivery station, which is anticipated to launch in late 2020. Delivery stations power the last mile of Amazon’s order fulfillment process.

“Little Rock welcomes Amazon in Arkansas’ first major investment from the company and is excited to provide new economic opportunities to our residents,” said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. “The COVID-19 public health crisis has caused deep concern among many Little Rock families as they struggle to stay afloat due to current economic uncertainty. Today’s announcement provides reassurance that Little Rock will rebound and that jobs are on the way. Additionally, Little Rock’s geographical location with river, rail, road, and air access make it ideal to expand Amazon’s distribution throughout the South.”

“Central Arkansas is quickly becoming a magnet for new economic development, this is due to continued investment in our infrastructure. I’m proud to lead a group of committed partners whose hard work has led to one of the largest companies in the world opening a new center in Pulaski County,” said Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde. “Since we began planning industrial quality road and traffic infrastructure two years ago, we’ve attracted two international companies that are bringing new jobs to central Arkansas in large numbers.”

On top of Amazon’s industry-leading minimum starting wage from $15, the company offers full-time employees comprehensive benefits including full medical, vision, and dental insurance as well as a 401(k) with 50 percent match starting on day one. The company also offers up to 20 weeks of maternal and parental paid leave and innovative benefits such as Leave Share and Ramp Back, which give new parents flexibility with their growing families.