When we say, ‘meet customers’ needs,’ we’re not only talking about having generation to meet the load that will come with the growth. We’re also talking about building clean energy, efficiently.

I recently had the pleasure of sitting on a panel at the Amazon Web Services Summit in Washington, D.C., and it was clear that having AWS as a customer will allow us to both explore new grid strengthening technologies and continue leading our industry peers in sustainability goals as this new energy era emerges.����

As the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy, Amazon places high emphasis on sustainability. Amazon recently met its goal to match all of the electricity consumed across its operations with 100% renewable energy in 2023, and the company remains committed to its Climate Pledge to become net-zero carbon by 2040.Comparatively, Entergy was the first U.S. utility to set a voluntary greenhouse gas emission goal in 2001. We’re also striving to achieve 50% carbon-free energy capacity by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. With these aligned goals, we’re quickly working on clean energy projects to support AWS and prepare for more growth from companies alike.

Why is this important? As I told the room in D.C., new clean energy technologies that have been sitting on the shelf are expected to be practical at the utility scale in the near future. Bringing on a customer like AWS is allowing us to move closer toward improving the energy grid with those innovative technologies for the benefit of all our customers, current and future. Yes, solar energy is clean, carbon-free generation and we’re adding 650 megawatts of it to our portfolio to support AWS.

But combined cycle generation is a clean technology we’re also focused on to support the grid and our customers; it’s efficient and has the capability to convert to hydrogen and enable carbon capture and storage technology. Along with the clean energy provided by Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, we’re looking at a more diverse energy generation portfolio – which will help us reduce future environmental and market risks. Together, our investments in clean energy don’t just help the environment, they help our communities prosper. And, they help keep customers’ bills lower than they otherwise would be in the future.��

Intelligent infrastructure

While we work to unlock those new generation options, we’re tapping into grid enhancing technologies that allow us to deliver power you can count on and be more resilient during increasingly extreme weather events. Artificial intelligence and predictive modeling is helping us identify and make equipment repairs before they’re needed. ��

We’re also using temperature-adjusted ratings in real-time, and collecting data through sensors and devices, to anticipate when ambient temperatures may impact the flow of power. Operators are using that data to reroute power to other existing circuits to minimize impact to our customers.

As we collect more data, AI is going to accelerate our understanding of how we can more efficiently deploy energy and unlock more renewables and opportunities. I boldly believe there will be a day when electric utilities are able to tell customers they will never lose power.

Changing the landscape

As I sat on that panel in D.C. beside AWS’ Vice President of Public Policy for the Americas, Shannon Kellogg, and ACORE’s Senior Vice President of Policy and Engagement, Lesley Hunter, we agreed that data centers are changing the energy landscape.

Is there enough land and electricity? That’s the question driving decisions today about where data center companies will locate facilities or expand operations. With the help of supportive communities and regulators, we’re optimally situated to provide that speed.��Entergy Mississippi is a key economic development partner in recruiting new business to the state. That translates to jobs and investments right here in Mississippi communities.

We were at the table with AWS five years before the announcement of the company’s historic planned $10 billion investment, and our confidence in the strength and durability of our pipeline is high. This will be a record year for the number of requests we’ve received for interconnection studies. That’s important because it’s our first indication that a customer is serious about locating to our service area.

One of the biggest and most stable markets for data center investment is the Gulf Region. We caught a big fish, but it’s only the beginning. The transition to electrification and cleaner energy will not only reduce carbon emissions, but will also lead to onshoring of jobs, increased tax revenue, investment in educational programs, and a better quality of life in the communities we serve.����

However, as the need for renewable power sources grew in the early aughts, Entergy Mississippi began to look more closely at solar technology. The company’s Bright Future initiative, which kicked off in 2015, created a blueprint for the state’s electricity needs through 2025 and gave Entergy engineers an opportunity to learn more about the feasibility of solar technology in Mississippi.

Entergy Mississippi piloted its solar program at three locations within its 45-county certificated region: one each in Lincoln, Hinds and DeSoto counties. All three sites were similar in size and configured for 500 kW of power output. In Lincoln and DeSoto counties, the panels were fixed on a South-facing axis while the panels at the Hinds solar station rotated on a single axis to align with the sun’s movements.

“We learned a lot about the solar technology, but we also learned a lot about everything else that goes with solar generation,” said Aaron Hill, director of resource planning and market operations for Entergy Mississippi. “We learned how the timing of solar output correlates with our customer’s electricity usage, the overall vegetation maintenance requirements and even how to handle solar glass safely.”

Maximizing the power of the sun

Building on the knowledge gained through the first utility-owned utility-scale solar projects in the state, Entergy Mississippi found that solar works best on the days we all love: full sunny skies with moderate temperature of about 80 degrees. The company naturally chose the Delta, which averages 214 sunny days per year (4% higher than the national average), to partner and build its biggest solar project yet.

Sunflower Solar Station is the culmination of those research efforts and learnings—a large solar power station covering 1,000 acres near Ruleville in Sunflower County. Some 3,000 trackers control the movements of a staggering 272,000 solar panels, mimicking the sun’s natural East-to-West arc including adjustments for the position of the sun in all four seasons.

“We’ve taken our solar knowledge and experience and partnered to build the Sunflower Solar Project,” Hill said, “which will provide about 100MW of carbon-free energy for our Mississippi customers.”��

Entergy Mississippi turned on the site—the largest renewable energy-generating site in the state—in late 2022 and it now produces enough power for 16,000 homes. The solar station maximizes its energy potential throughout the day, and in the afternoon, the panels pivot to catch the westward sun as it sets.

“That afternoon period is important because that’s when our loads are usually at their highest, being a primarily residential state,” said Hill. “A lot of people start heading home from work in the late afternoon, and it’s also the warmest part of the day. ��So, we understand the benefits of capturing that last bit of daytime sunshine.�� However, solar doesn’t operate well at nighttime, so the transmission grid serves to help deliver power from other generators.” ��

Increasing reliability while decreasing costs

Industrial customers typically want to know about Entergy Mississippi’s resource mix and whether they can get solar or other renewable energy as part of that mix. The reason is twofold: many companies have their own energy sustainability goals, but also, if they’re going to make a multi-million-dollar investment somewhere, they want to feel confident about the diversity and reliability of their power source.

Entergy also introduced a net-metering program for residents who install solar panels on their homes. A two-way meter installed at the home can receive electricity and return excess electricity generated by the panels. The customer is then credited for solar power generated at the home on their power bills.

“Thanks to the vision and foresight shared by our company leadership, the Bright Future projects are now leading us down a path toward a more sustainable energy mix,” Hill said, “And with our recent EDGE announcement for 1,000 additional megawatts of renewables, we’re targeting even more carbon-free energy to add to our portfolio.”

The organization is passionate about supporting the communities in which it operates, whether through helping local charities or contributing to the regional energy economy. It balances the resiliency and reliability of the grid while keeping customers’ costs down and is working towards a more sustainable grid that can be accessed by all.

Entergy Mississippi is also juggling the demands of modern consumers as the world approaches global energy transition. With several technologies and renewable energy sources in constant discussion, Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi’s President and CEO, is tasked with managing, and meeting customers’ expectations.

Powering communities
Haley joins us to discuss the ever-changing market in Mississippi, the adoption of renewables, and the ways in which the company gives back to the communities in which it operates. “This year, we’re celebrating 100 years of doing business in Mississippi, which was the second of ���ϳԹ���’s operating companies that were incorporated into the group,” he opens.

“Our Founder, Harvey Couch, established Arkansas Power and Light, which is now Entergy Arkansas, in 1913. Ten years later, he came across the river into Mississippi and chartered into what was then Mississippi Power & Light Company and is now Entergy Mississippi. After that charter in April 1923, Harvey started acquiring various municipalities and the corporation grew from there.

“When we think about electricity, it’s something that many of us take for granted; we don’t order it, we just wake up and it’s there, ready to be flicked on and used,” Haley continues. “However, back when we started, electricity was still somewhat a novelty. Not everyone had electricity, mainly because people couldn’t afford it, so it was limited to municipalities that could have a power plant and deployed lines.

“The birth of our company ran almost in parallel to the birth of the electricity industry itself,” he proposes. “Here we are 100 years later and for most of us, we couldn’t imagine life without power. We truly are the bloodline of the communities and the customers we serve, as well as driving the state’s economy.”

Resilient and reliable
Operating in an area prone to storms, hurricanes, and tornadoes, Entergy Mississippi is responsible for power restoration after outages in the region. Recognizing that electrical power is now a necessity of day-to-day life, it is concentrating its efforts on strengthening the grid to bring enhanced reliability but also resiliency in the event of adverse weather.

“2023 has been a tumultuous year for us,” Haley reflects. “We’ve been hit with record cold temperatures, awful tornadoes hit some of our communities in March, and then we had a June like we’ve never seen before with a series of thunderstorms equal to Category 1 hurricanes. We’ve also dealt with record high temperatures, which surpassed our peak record three days in a row.

“When we have storms or outages for other reasons, power can be rerouted with its self-healing capabilities,” he proposes. “Although the entire utility industry must have effective storm response units, not just the energy sector, it is our mission to harden our grid to consistently and reliably provide cleaner energy to our customers.”

Haley continues: “One of the things I love most about my job is the opportunity to work with our communities and help them grow. Our most valuable asset is our people, many of whom live in local areas alongside our customers and we’re passionate about giving back to them.

“I’m also constantly aware that 20 percent of our customers live below the national poverty level, so we’re dedicated to deploying technologies and energy sources that benefit all our customers. We support local business by providing various economic incentives to help people get started, or even help existing companies through times of difficulty.”

With sustainability and renewables dominating discussions over the future of energy, Entergy Mississippi is playing into these conversations. Striving to provide the safest, cleanest energy to its customers, the organization is constantly searching for ways to lower costs while meeting increasing demands for sustainable power.

“Historically, the big debate in the US was deregulation of the industry, but after many failed attempts, we saw the wholesale markets become extremely competitive,” Haley recalls. “However, there is widespread recognition that retail markets still require regulation to enable us to deploy technologies and find new ways of generating energy.

Smart grids
“We’re looking at solar power, for example, as well as wind power and the use of hydrogen, but to be able to launch such technologies takes a huge capital expense. The best way to do that, I believe, is under a modernized, regulated model. There will be more distributed energy resources moving forward, from rooftop solar panels to micro turbines or grids.

“We have a heavy mix of natural gas and nuclear and have a commitment to increasingly add renewables to our portfolio. We’re striving to be well-positioned to appropriately respond to energy circumstances. When the sun is shining, we’re ready to deploy solar power, and when we get a cloud, we can quickly transition using all available resources to find another clean, effective alternative.

“We’re deploying 1000-megawatts of solar facilities over the next five years, for instance, as part of our Economic Development with Green ���ϳԹ��� (EDGE) program,” he reveals. “This strategy is two-fold, giving Mississippi an edge in recruiting industry while simultaneously giving Entergy customers
an effective hedge against volatile natural gas prices.”

Aside from sustainability, the evolution of technology has resulted in several changes to the company’s operations. “We’re no longer our grandfather’s utility,” laughs Haley.
“The biggest advancement we’ve seen in our lifetime is communications technology, which is transforming the way we manage and produce energy, especially as we modernize the grid. The future will almost certainly include smart grids, so we must learn how to best operate them and how to use devices like reclosers.

“It’s not only technology that has changed the way we monitor the grid and reroute power, but the materials have changed too. For example, we’re currently in the process of replacing wooden transmission poles with more resilient steel ones, which can withstand winds of up to 155 miles per hour.”

Exceeding expectations
As our conversation draws to a close, Haley adds: “Our goal remains to meet customers’ expectations and address some of the many challenges currently facing the entire industry. While challenges lie ahead, it is those opportunities that excite me. It’s amazing to see the industry progress with technology. It excites me that we can start to imagine a day where people don’t lose power. It’s within the realm of possibility, particularly when we start to analyze how we can build a smart grid with various distributed energy sources.

“Further afield, I’d like to see us as the premier utility company in Mississippi, and even in the US,” he concludes. “We will continue to deliver the best service and most competitive rates for our customers, while also providing opportunities for our employees and the wider communities.”

��

This article was originally published in ���ϳԹ���, Oil & Gas Magazine. To view it, click .

For the utility industry, the crisis was a reckoning point that held long-term repercussions for millions of customers nationwide. Signs were clear that the status quo was no longer tenable—it was a new era that demanded new solutions.

Today, Entergy Mississippi’s customers and communities continue benefiting from actions taken by the company to forge a new direction into the future. They include the construction of Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, which has been safely generating emission-free electricity for nearly 40 years, and an emphasis on energy-saving programs and technologies that help customers control costs and reduce their carbon footprint.

The company also sought relief for customers struggling with record energy costs by launching the “Concern” initiative in partnership with local communities. It eventually became The Power to Care, an Entergy-wide program that provides emergency bill-payment assistance for low-income elderly and disabled customers.

“When a company lasts 100 years, that means it stayed the course through a lot of ups and downs,” said Katherine Nelson, who rose to internal communications manager while working for Mississippi Power & Light, the precursor to Entergy Mississippi, from 1974 to 1988. “Entergy had a common denominator: They were men and women of integrity who were very forward-thinking and committed to customers. They were successful at developing strategic, long-term plans to make sure customers had access to affordable electricity to power Mississippi’s economy.”

Driving innovation and energy conservation

Though the company announced plans in 1972 to build Grand Gulf, it would be more than a decade before the plant was ready to supply power to the grid. In the meantime, Entergy Mississippi pursued a variety of strategies to mitigate the effects of the energy crisis.��

As part of Middle South Utilities, the company helped form System Fuels, Inc., which specialized in finding and acquiring fuels for its generating facilities. When the oil embargo sent shockwaves through the economy in 1973, Entergy Mississippi launched a $50 million program to adapt its plants to efficiently burn fuel oil, a less expensive and domestically produced alternative to natural gas.��

Entergy also invested more resources in helping customers conserve energy and save money. Marketing campaigns promoted energy-efficient heat pumps and water heaters, and innovative strategies such as off-peak metering helped customers lower bills by running appliances during early morning or evening hours.

The ���ϳԹ��� Efficient Electric program, or E3, encouraged home builders to adopt energy-efficient construction standards, such as increasing wall and attic insulation, while the “Zip Up” program focused on conservation tips for homeowners.��

Efforts to help customers improve energy efficiency became hardwired into Entergy Mississippi’s service offerings. Through today’s program, residential and business customers can access resources to increase energy and cost savings along with energy-efficient products and programs in the.��������

When the first mass-produced electric car debuted in 1975, Entergy Mississippi incorporated it into its pro-electricity messaging. Built by Florida-based Sebring-Vanguard, the tiny, red 3.5-horsepower CitiCar was often seen zipping around town during its sensational albeit short life in Jackson.

“I got to ride in a parade in the CitiCar, and luckily we got it back to the office in time before it quit on us—it was not that reliable,” Nelson said. “But who would have thought electric cars in the 70s? The company was always in tune with anything that was on the horizon in terms of promoting electricity.”

Entergy stayed in tune with the electric vehicle market and has been advancing EV technology and infrastructure as part of its sustainability goals. Entergy is working with other utilities to throughout major regions of the U.S.; and Entergy Mississippi recently launched the of its kind in ���ϳԹ���’s four-state service area. The pilot project also will study the effects of EV charging on the electric grid.

In 1978, solar technology came to Entergy Mississippi when NASA selected its training center in Clinton for a five-year project to test solar heating. Funded by the Department of ���ϳԹ���, the experimental solar unit provided heating and hot water for the training staff’s overnight facility.

Powering out of the crisis and onto the path to premier

But it would be decades before utility-scale solar power and electric vehicles entered the mainstream. In Mississippi, all eyes were on nuclear power and Grand Gulf Unit 1, which was 60% complete in 1979 when a partial meltdown occurred at Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Pennsylvania.

In response to the accident, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission indefinitely suspended all plant construction projects. Grand Gulf was delayed more than a year, resulting in major cost overruns. When construction resumed, utilities were required to make Three Mile Island-related modifications that drove up budgets. Anti-nuclear protests were on the rise, and many construction projects were eventually canceled, including Grand Gulf Unit 2.��

It was a dark chapter for nuclear power, yet the energy crisis persisted. Entergy Mississippi filed for rate increases to address volatile fuel prices and sought cheaper sources of electricity. The company purchased 25% of the coal-fired Independence Steam Electric Station in Arkansas and explored the feasibility of building a coal plant in DeSoto County and a hydroelectric unit on the Ross Barnett Reservoir north of Jackson.

The energy equation in the U.S. began shifting in the late 1970s with the completion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System as well as the enactment of national energy policies. But even with a plentiful new supply of cheaper domestic crude oil, it would take years for the utility industry to recover from disruptions in global oil markets.��

Entergy Mississippi held fast to its vision to bring the stabilizing benefits of nuclear energy to Mississippians. On July 1, 1985, Grand Gulf entered commercial operations, and by the end of the decade, it was one of the top-performing nuclear plants in the country. In 2016, the NRC validated Grand Gulf’s sustained record of safe operations by granting a license extension through 2044, two additional decades past the plant’s original licensing date.��

“We answered the challenges of the energy crisis by investing in new technologies and transforming our generation mix with more diverse fuel sources,” said Haley Fisackerly, president and CEO of Entergy Mississippi. “Since that time, we’ve also stepped up our environmental leadership by voluntarily reducing carbon emissions and seeking more sustainable strategies to power life safely, reliably and affordably for many generations to come.

As more efficient and economical generation options became available, Entergy Mississippi replaced older fossil units with combined cycle gas turbine technology, enabling more electricity to be produced from the same amount of fuel while reducing carbon emissions.��

With the addition of Sunflower Solar Station in 2022 and similar projects on the horizon, customers also have a growing supply of emission-free as part of EDGE, for “,” a program that will add 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy to the grid by 2027.

Entergy Mississippi’s decision in 2013 to join the Midcontinent Independent System Operator also has helped secure access to a reliable supply of electricity while providing $284 million in economic benefits to the company and its customers.

“As we enter a new century of operations in Mississippi, we’re focused on becoming the premier utility,” Fisackerly said, “and that means working every day to build a brighter, more resilient future for our customers and communities.”��

Entergy Mississippi is the third Entergy operating company to add a green tariff to its portfolio. Our RCO program provides renewable energy credits (or certificates) to enrolled business customers.

Renewable energy credits

A renewable energy credit is a certificate or credit which signifies energy generation from renewable sources, such as wind or solar, to the electric utility grid. Customers enrolled in renewable energy credit programs receive documentation of their renewable energy use.

Our customers – specifically industrial and commercial – are increasingly sourcing renewables to meet their energy needs and power business. With this shift, we must include renewable energy credits in our strategy to better serve our customers and help Mississippi attract economic growth. The RenewABLE Community Option is Entergy Mississippi’s program that provides access to renewable energy, currently produced by Sunflower Solar Station, and the associated renewable energy credits to enrolled customers.

Reducing carbon footprints��

Our RenewABLE Community Option is a low-cost subscription program for eligible industrial, commercial and governmental customers. Customers can reduce their carbon footprint by adding clean, renewable energy to their power usage – up to 5,000 kW. Parent companies with multiple accounts may subscribe to as few or as many eligible accounts as desired, up to the 5,000 kW total.

When we launched the RCO program in May, we had 40 MW available for subscription. As of November 6, approximately 17 MW are available.

Here are some important facts to remember about the current RCO:

• It’s not intended to provide 100% of a customer’s electricity from solar. Solar is considered an intermittent generation source, meaning that it can’t produce power 100% of the time. Customers will continue to receive power from all of Entergy Mississippi’s generation resources or mix, which includes solar.
• Customers enrolled in Entergy Mississippi’s net-metering program are not eligible to enroll in the RenewABLE Community Option. Customers are only able to participate in one of these programs.
• The monthly RenewABLE Community Option subscription charge is calculated by multiplying the number of kilowatts (kW) the customer has subscribed to by the preset RCO Capacity Charge (a $7 per kW value).
• The monthly RenewABLE Community Option subscription credit is calculated by multiplying the customer’s portion of the energy (kWh) the Sunflower Solar facility produces (tied to subscription amount) by the MISO Market Settlement Rate (the amount that MISO pays for that energy).

Eligible customers may subscribe to the program as long as the allotted megawatts are available.

Commercial, governmental or industrial customers interested in the RenewABLE Community Option, can learn more at .

We aim to help all of our customers meet their sustainability goals. While the RenewABLE Community Option is not currently available to residential customers. ���ϳԹ��� interested in solar energy options may inquire about net metering at or notify Entergy Mississippi of their interest in a residential option for RenewABLE Community Option at .

“Those early steps by the company set the course for what sustainability means in the modern era,” said Kelli Dowell, Entergy’s director, environmental policy. “It’s everything we’re doing to make sure our stakeholders are thriving now and well into the future. It’s more than environmental actions—it’s boosting economic development, helping people in need and improving the quality of life in our communities. Lutken understood that those efforts were interconnected in fundamental ways.”��

Environmental stewardship, poverty solutions and education and workforce development all contribute to Entergy’s mission of delivering sustainable value to customers, employees, communities and owners. Entergy-led initiatives in Mississippi have provided financial and volunteer support to meet many critical needs—from tax-return assistance and disaster relief to stocking food pantries and improving early childhood education.��

Today, Lutken’s bold vision for the future is a reality. Since 2001, when Entergy became the first U.S. utility to voluntarily stabilize its carbon dioxide emissions, the company has become a leader in sustainability. Early action led to a carbon emission rate that at year-end 2022 was 31% lower than year-2000 levels.��

Net-zero emissions by 2050

Entergy’s commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 now drives the company’s business strategy. Key initiatives include transitioning to cleaner generation sources, building a more resilient system and partnering with customers to help them meet their own sustainability goals.��

Entergy Mississippi’s contributions to achieving Entergy’s overall sustainability goals have been vital. Over the past two decades, Entergy Mississippi has significantly reduced carbon emissions through fleet modernization; and since 1985, Grand Gulf Nuclear Station has added safe, carbon-free energy to the grid while affordably generating around 20% of Mississippi’s electricity.��

In 2021, Entergy Mississippi made its largest-ever commitment to renewable resources with the rollout of EDGE, for , a five-year strategy to replace aging natural gas plants with 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy.����

Today, the new 100-megawatt Sunflower Solar Station in Ruleville is producing clean, green energy for customers in addition to local sales and property tax revenues for Sunflower County. Indirect benefits have included increased local spending for service and construction industries in the Mississippi Delta.��

Entergy Mississippi also is making it possible for customers to fulfill their own climate commitments.��

“Our commercial and industrial customers have sustainability goals that they’re trying to meet, and the fact that we’re a lower-emission source of power is a key advantage for them,” said Ann Becker, senior manager of corporate sustainability. “In many ways, sustainability is our business. It means understanding our customers’ needs, providing cost-effective solutions and working with them in meaningful ways to reduce their carbon footprint.”��

Increasing sustainability through grantmaking

Another way Entergy Mississippi is helping reduce emissions and increase sustainability is through shareholder-funded grants from the and the Entergy Charitable Foundation.����

Since 2009, EIF grants totaling approximately $1.3 million have supported a variety of improvements in Mississippi, such as a Ducks Unlimited initiative that helps rice farmers and other agricultural producers optimize irrigation and enhance wildlife habitat. The project protects groundwater resources by utilizing surface water for irrigation and includes pump electrification to improve energy efficiency and lower carbon emissions.��

Other shareholder-funded projects in Mississippi have included the Sky Lake Boardwalk near Belzoni, which winds through some of the largest and oldest bald cypress trees on Earth; and the Fannye Cook Natural Area in Flowood, Mississippi’s largest urban natural area.��

Entergy’s sustainability focus also is boosting Mississippi’s electric vehicle market. In 2010, the company helped fund the installation of EV charging stations at Jackson State University, University of Mississippi Medical Center and Mississippi State University. More recently, Entergy Mississippi launched a in Ridgeland—the first company-owned EV charging station of its kind in Entergy’s four-state service area.��

“I believe we’re still here because of the value we place on sustainability and making the right decisions today that will help future generations thrive,” said Haley Fisackerly, president and CEO. “For the past century, investing in the well-being of our customers and communities has shaped our identity. We’re always working to build a better, more sustainable future for Mississippi because that’s what a premier utility does.”��

The year was 1980. I was in 8th grade at Coleman Junior High School in Greenville. My science project was a solar furnace; it utilized a Fresnel lens which could easily melt aluminum, which melts at approximately 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. I placed second for my grade at the State Science Fair in Biloxi that year. Unlike wind, I have always thought that we as a nation could better harness the sun’s energy. My first use of solar cells was a transistor radio I built from a kit. I think it may have been from RadioShack. The solar cell was about 1″ X 2″ in size.

During the past 40 years, there has been a great advancement in technology of solar cells—and their size! I am very proud of Entergy Mississippi and its president and CEO Haley Fisackerly for leading Mississippi in utilizing this technology to supplement our state’s energy needs.

Entergy Mississippi recently announced that its 100-megawatt renewable solar power station is up and running near the small Delta town of Ruleville. This power station, known as the Sunflower Solar Station, is the largest utility-owned solar installation in Mississippi. This solar station will provide clean energy to Entergy Mississippi’s 461,000 customers, with enough energy to power 16,000 homes.

At the dedication of the solar station, Fisackerly passionately stated, “It’s a historic day for Entergy Mississippi, our customers, and our state. Powering communities is the heart of our business, and this power station does that in several ways: by providing clean, green power to customers and a hedge against rising natural gas prices and giving industries with renewable energy goals an incentive to locate or expand operations in our state. This is our first large, utility-scale solar facility, and it’s historic also due to the fact that this year, Entergy Mississippi will be celebrating its 100th year of serving customers in Mississippi. It’s truly amazing how far our company and industry have evolved in that time to where we’re now using solar energy to serve our customers.”

Situated on nearly 1,000 acres in Sunflower County, the emissions-free, renewable energy plant connects to Entergy’s transmission grid nearby. It consists of a single-axis tracking photovoltaic power generator with 272,000 PV modules.

The Sunflower Solar Station is also the first plant in what will eventually be the most significant expansion of renewable power in the state’s history, according to Fisackerly. Entergy intends to replace aging natural gas plants with 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy over the next 5 years under its Economic Development with Green ���ϳԹ��� (EDGE) program.

Fisackerly states, “Reaching out to our bigger customers and, also, our individual customers, we have heard more and more their desire to have renewable energy options available. In my 27 years here, I’ve seen our customers gaining a bigger voice in what they want regarding their energy needs, especially regarding sustainability and reducing their greenhouse gases. That’s why we’ve retired many of our older plants and replaced them with newer, cleaner energy sources, and this station is yet another step in that direction.”

Over its 30-year life, the Sunflower Solar Station is expected to bring in $17 million in ad valorem taxes to Sunflower County. During the construction of the plant, local vendors and construction workers in Mississippi were used, which further benefited the local economy. For example, A-1 Kendrick Fence Company installed the perimeter fence, Signal ���ϳԹ��� served as Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) provider, and Attala Steel Industries supplied nearly 2,500 tons of steel for the foundation.

Fisackerly noted that under Entergy’s EDGE strategy, “our energy portfolio will go from 1% to approximately 30% renewables in only 5 years, so this is a huge shift toward these new power sources—probably mostly solar, but possibly wind and hydro, too.”

Entergy Mississippi’s efforts are part of an overall move toward renewable power by Entergy companies. In 2021, ���ϳԹ��� announced plans to triple its renewable energy portfolio over a 3-year period. The company expects to have 11,000 megawatts of renewable energy generation by the end of 2030 in the four southern states its operating companies serve. The Sunflower Solar Station is another milestone in the corporation’s continued transformation of its power generation portfolio, meeting customers’ needs with clean, efficient, and diverse sources of electricity while maintaining affordable rates.

Recurrent ���ϳԹ���, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian Solar, Inc., developed and built the Sunflower Solar Station for Entergy Mississippi under a Build Transfer Agreement (BTA). Recurrent ���ϳԹ��� initially signed a BTA with Entergy Mississippi in 2018, designating the regulated utility to own the Sunflower Solar project once it reached commercial operation. The Mississippi Public Service Commission approved the BTA unanimously in April 2020. Entergy Mississippi celebrated taking ownership of the plant on May 26 at the site, and it became commercially operational on September 21.

Fisackerly explained how they selected the Ruleville location. “We had a bidding process where we sent out a request for proposals, and dozens of solar developers like Recurrent were going around the state finding locations to bid into through a competitive process. They chose Ruleville by putting a land deal together with landowners in the area, and there were also transmission lines and a substation onsite, making it easier to serve.”

When asked if Entergy customers would notice any differences in their service with solar power, Fisackerly answered, “No. However, it will help lower costs during these times of higher fuel and natural gas prices. Plus, in 2015, we deployed three small-scale solar facilities to test how well solar would work here in Mississippi. From that, we were able to learn how safe and efficient this form of energy was and would be of value to our customers.”

Entergy proudly became the first U.S. electric utility to commit to capping greenhouse gas emissions. Since its announcement in 2001, Entergy has renewed and strengthened its commitment to responsible climate actions and goals, and this solar station is evidence of that. More recently, Entergy announced it is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Along with renewable power sources, the corporation owns and operates four nuclear plants in its southern footprint, and these sources of clean, carbon-free energy will help Entergy meet that goal.

Fisackerly explained that there would be a need to retrain employees because of the move to solar energy as well as the use of newer technologies. He stated as an example of the use of new technology, Entergy would use robotic mowers to mow the grass at the Ruleville station. He acknowledged that different skill sets would have to be learned and utilized by Entergy’s crews.

Entergy Mississippi, LLC provides electricity to approximately 461,000 customers in 45 counties. A subsidiary of ���ϳԹ���, Entergy Mississippi is an integrated energy company engaged in electric power production, transmission, and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power-generating fleets with nearly 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, with annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,500 employees.

President and CEO Dr. Shawn Qu founded Canadian Solar in 2001 in Canada. Canadian Solar has become one of the world’s most comprehensive solar technology and renewable energy companies. It is a leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules, provider of solar energy and battery storage solutions, and developer of utility-scale solar power and battery storage projects with a geographically diversified pipeline in various stages of development.

A leading utility-scale solar and storage project developer, Recurrent ���ϳԹ��� delivers competitive, clean electricity to large energy buyers. Based in the U.S., Recurrent ���ϳԹ��� is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian Solar Inc. and functions as Canadian Solar’s U.S. project development arm. They have approximately 5 GW of solar and storage projects in development in the United States.

While this is the most recent project that Entergy Mississippi has conducted to reduce the effects of climate change, it is by no means their first. Entergy has invested in a variety of carbon sequestration projects, including reforestation, since 2001. Its first reforestation projects involved planting trees at company-owned facilities. As early as 2002, Entergy supported projects to purchase and reforest marginal agricultural land to create new national wildlife refuges or expand existing ones. Projects supported by Entergy occurred at Tensas National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Louisiana and Overflow National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Arkansas. Entergy Mississippi reforested its own lands, too, in Washington, Bolivar, and Tunica counties in Mississippi.

Entergy was the first U.S. electric utility to announce a greenhouse gas emissions target and has invested a variety of sequestration projects to meet about 20% of its short- and long-term emission goals. Other types of projects included ones to sequester or reduce emissions of methane at landfills, projects that reduced emissions of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, from industrial processes by other companies, and geologic sequestration, where carbon emissions are captured and pumped underground to help extract oil from dormant wells.

For anyone interested in learning more about Entergy’s leadership in creating and sustaining a cleaner, more sustainable energy future, visit entergy.com/environment and entergy.com/renewable-energy.

This article was originally published in the Fall 2022 issue of magazine.

At Entergy Mississippi we think a lot about the future. Why? Because we are not only tasked by the State of Mississippi with providing you power today, but also with having plans in place to ensure you have safe, reliable and affordable power years from now.

Much like turning a large ship at sea, the massive and complex grid infrastructure required to provide you with 24/7 power cannot be turned quickly. So we watch for changes on the horizon to get ready for what’s ahead. A power plant being constructed today is designed to meet customer power needs a decade from now. It takes years of coordination and planning by thousands of people any time we make major enhancements to the grid.

That is why we are planning in 2023 for things we think will impact our customers in 2033. Two of those are: how will we serve the needs of today’s growing electric vehicle market; and how will we diversify our power generation for a future of potentially more volatile natural gas prices in a global economy?

Regardless of what your personal vehicle preference may be right now, most major auto companies have publicly stated their plans to offer more electric vehicles in the future. Some predict that by 2030, as much as half the U.S. car market will be electric vehicles. At Entergy, we must start planning for car charging infrastructure today. If we wait, Mississippians will not be able to consider half of the new vehicles in the future car market because they will only be able to charge those vehicles at home. Furthermore, if Mississippi remains a car charging “desert,” out-of-state EV owners will be unwilling to risk making visits through our state – depriving Mississippians of tourism dollars.

To learn what kind of impact widespread use of public and home charging systems will have on the power grid, Entergy Mississippi has filed a state plan to pilot a handful of charging station sites in Mississippi now – in January 2023. We hope to learn how different charging station models, frequency, time-of-day and locations might impact the grid. When the day comes for privately-owned, commercial charging stations at gas stations, shopping centers, city downtowns and other convenient places for Mississippi consumers, Entergy Mississippi will be ready to serve them reliably and cost-effectively.

We are also looking at where affordable power will come from in the future. Entergy Mississippi has long had a diverse, “all of the above” approach to generating power. Like most utilities, we have historically relied on a fleet of natural gas and coal-fired plants to generate the bulk of our electricity. Our customers have also benefitted from the low cost, zero-emission nuclear power generated at the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Port Gibson.

However, worldwide inflation and international conflicts doubled natural gas prices over the last year and more volatility is expected. Also, recent environmental regulations and transportation disruptions have made burning coal for electric generation unsustainable. These developments have prompted utilities to further explore renewable energy to fill the void in coming years.

With a generation portfolio that is more than 60% natural gas, customer bills rising as a result and few other diversification options available today, Entergy Mississippi has turned to large solar projects as a way to keep costs down for customers – last year. The company will add about 500 megawatts of solar power to its portfolio by 2026 and plans to add another 500 megawatts by 2027. While we recognize that solar energy is not a 24/7 power source, it can complement our existing generation sources and help keep bills affordable.

There is also an ancillary benefit to this renewable energy diversification: economic development. Many large corporations now require a certain amount of the power serving their facilities to be emission-free. When our state is recruiting large, job-creating economic development projects to Mississippi, officials can now tell these companies that emission-free nuclear and solar power are both available in Entergy-served areas – giving Mississippi another advantage in creating new jobs in the future.

Whether it’s preparing for a coming storm next week or anticipating the impact of a new technology next decade, Entergy’s 2,500 utility and nuclear employees in Mississippi are always looking ahead. All of us wish you and your family a happy and healthy 2023, and a bright future beyond.

JACKSON, Miss. – It was the end of an era the morning of Thursday, July 28. That’s when Entergy Mississippi imploded the remainder of the Rex Brown Steam Electric Station, a natural gas-fired plant that served the company’s customers for 71 years.

The controlled implosion was the final stage of the demolition of the generating facility, named for a former Mississippi Power & Light Company president. Entergy retired the plant in 2019 as part of a process to modernize its generating portfolio. In an effort to be a good corporate citizen, the company is removing all traces of the decommissioned plant. Crews have been removing chemicals and equipment, disconnecting power sources and dismantling outlying structures from its prominent site on Jackson’s Northside Drive.

At peak capacity, the Rex Brown plant could generate 676,000 kilowatts of electricity.

“Rex Brown played a crucial role in Entergy being able to meet its obligation to provide safe, reliable and affordable energy to our customers,” said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. “But as newer, cleaner technologies emerged and the plant neared the end of its useful life, it was time to retire Rex Brown and focus on modernizing our grid to make it even more reliable and resilient for customers now and in the future.”

The land that the plant sat on is Entergy-owned property and will be held by the company for future use. The land that the cooling pond is on is 16^th section property owned by Jackson Public Schools. Entergy leased the property and will return it to JPS in its original state, per JPS’ request.

Entergy Mississippi has been in operation for nearly 100 years. During that time, the company has owned and operated many natural gas-fired generating plants, as well as Grand Gulf Nuclear Station. As the older plants, such as Rex Brown, reached the end of their natural lives the company has taken steps to replace their generating capacity:

• . In May, construction was complete on a 100-megawatt renewable solar power station in the Mississippi Delta. It will provide clean energy to Entergy Mississippi’s 461,000 customers.
• . “Economic Development with Green ���ϳԹ���” is a program announced last year that will replace some aging natural gas plants with 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy, such as solar, over the next five years. The program’s strategy is two-fold: give Mississippi an edge in recruiting industry while also giving Entergy customers a hedge against volatile natural gas prices. It will be the largest expansion of renewable power in state history.
• . Entergy purchased this clean, modern 810-megawatt combined-cycle natural gas turbine unit in 2019.
• . Entergy joined the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, a regional transmission organization, in 2013. MISO operates sophisticated markets for the purchase and sale of electricity, and membership has resulted in tens of millions of dollars in savings to Entergy Mississippi customers to date as well as increased reliability.
• Grand Gulf Nuclear Station. In 2012, Entergy upgraded its nuclear plant to increase its output of power to more than 1,440 megawatts and purchased additional output from Entergy Arkansas. The company also won approval to extend the license to operate the plant through 2044.
• . Entergy purchased this clean, modern 450-megawatt combined-cycle natural gas turbine unit in 2012.

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 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,500 employees.

JACKSON, Miss. – Construction is complete on a 100-megawatt renewable solar power station near Ruleville in the Mississippi Delta, providing clean energy to Entergy Mississippi’s 461,000 customers. The Sunflower Solar Station is the largest utility-owned solar installation in Mississippi and provides enough energy to power 16,000 homes.

“It’s a historic day for Entergy Mississippi, our customers and our state,” said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. “Powering communities is the heart of our business, and this power station will do that in several ways—by providing clean, green power to customers and a hedge against rising natural gas prices, and giving industries with renewable energy goals an incentive to locate or expand operations in our state.”

The solar station is also the first plant in what will be the largest expansion of renewable power in the state’s history. Under a program called EDGE, for “Economic Development with Green ���ϳԹ���,” the company plans to replace some aging natural gas plants with 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy over the next five years.

Recurrent ���ϳԹ���, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian Solar, Inc., developed and built the Sunflower Solar Station for Entergy Mississippi, which will own it for the life of the facility. Sunflower is one of the first utility-scale solar projects to be constructed under a Build Transfer Agreement in the United States. Recurrent ���ϳԹ��� signed a BTA with Entergy Mississippi in 2018 designating the regulated utility to own the Sunflower Solar project when it reached commercial operation. The BTA was approved unanimously by the Mississippi Public Service Commission in April 2020.

The Sunflower Solar Station employed Mississippi vendors and construction workers. Attala Steel Industries, based in Kosciusko, supplied 2,475 tons of steel for foundations. Additionally, A-1 Kendrick Fence Company, based in Jackson, installed the perimeter fence. More than half of the labor hours spent on the project’s construction were from workers local to the area and surrounding counties. Signal ���ϳԹ��� LLC served as the Engineering, Procurement and Construction provider.

“We are proud to have commissioned the largest utility-owned solar project in Mississippi on behalf of Entergy in a way that has supported Mississippi businesses and paved the way for more renewable energy in the state,” said Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Office of Canadian Solar. “Sunflower is our first build-own-transfer project and our first project in Mississippi. We look forward to supporting the growth of solar throughout the southeast United States, and repeating this model which provides additional value for our customers.”

The emissions-free, renewable energy plant sits on approximately 1,000 acres in Sunflower County and connects to Entergy’s transmission grid in Ruleville. The plant is a single axis tracking photovoltaic power generator with 272,000 PV modules.

In 2021, ���ϳԹ��� announced plans to triple its renewable energy portfolio over a three-year period. The company expects to have 11,000 megawatts of renewable energy generation by the end of 2030. The Sunflower Solar Station is another milestone in our continued transformation of our power generation portfolio, meeting customers’ needs with clean, efficient and diverse sources of electricity while maintaining affordable rates. Learn more about our renewable energy generation growth at entergy.com/renewable-energy.

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 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,500 employees.

About Canadian Solar Inc.
Canadian Solar was founded in 2001 in Canada and is one of the world’s largest solar technology and renewable energy companies. It is a leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules, provider of solar energy and battery storage solutions, and developer of utility-scale solar power and battery storage projects with a geographically diversified pipeline in various stages of development. Over the past 19 years, Canadian Solar has successfully delivered over 52 GW of premium-quality, solar photovoltaic modules to customers in over 150 countries. Likewise, since entering the project development business in 2010, Canadian Solar has developed, built, and connected over 5.7 GWp in over 20 countries across the world. Currently, the Company has around 500 MWp of projects in operation, over 5 GWp of projects under construction or in backlog (late-stage), and an additional 14 GWp of projects in pipeline (mid- to early- stage). Canadian Solar is one of the most bankable companies in the solar and renewable energy industry, having been publicly listed on the NASDAQ since 2006. For additional information about the Company, follow Canadian Solar on or visit .

About Recurrent ���ϳԹ��� (Canadian Solar Subsidiary)
Recurrent ���ϳԹ��� is a leading utility-scale solar and storage project developer, delivering competitive, clean electricity to large energy buyers. Based in the U.S., Recurrent ���ϳԹ��� is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian Solar Inc. and functions as Canadian Solar’s U.S. project development arm. Recurrent ���ϳԹ��� has approximately 5 GW of solar and storage projects in development in the U.S. Additional details are available at .