“We are pleased to welcome Michael to Entergy,” said Harbert. “Technology will play an increasingly critical role for Entergy, including areas such as grid and asset management, technology-driven capital projects, energy efficiency and customer service. Michael’s experience in guiding IT strategy and leading technology transformations for large organizations have equipped him well for our ambitious technology goals as we build the premier utility on behalf of our customers and all of our stakeholders.”

Rhymes previously served as CIO since 2015 for Gates Corporation, a global manufacturing company with more than 14,000 employees. Before Gates, he held senior leadership positions at Eaton, Cooper Industries, Ernst & Young and Anderson Consulting. His consulting work included major clients such as Florida Power & Light, Bank of America and Tenneco.

Rhymes is a native of El Paso, Texas, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and a Master of Business Administration, both from Texas A&M University.

About șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű (NYSE: ETR) 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 8,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of $11 billion and approximately 13,600 employees.

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“In addition to affordable and reliable electricity, we need a good business environment, good transportation and qualified employees to help businesses grow if we want our state and communities to be successful,” said Entergy Arkansas President and CEO Laura Landreaux. “To that end, Entergy Arkansas is proud to support these efforts with nearly a half a million dollars from the Entergy Charitable Foundation.”Ìę

In Arkansas, a majority of high school students are enrolled in one or more CTE programs of study, which are designed to prepare them for college and career after graduation.

“We are excited to partner with Entergy Arkansas to offer additional CTE courses to students around the state,” said Arkansas Department of Education Secretary Johnny Key. “CTE is essential, as it provides high school students the opportunity to build workforce skills that will enhance learning and employability. Fifty three percent of CTE students earn a median income of $55,000 or higher after graduation, and 68 percent of students who complete a CTE program of study earn a post-secondary credential. These additional opportunities will expand the workforce pipeline to address critical economic development needs.”

When schools closed in the spring due to COVID-19, CTE students experienced a loss of access to in-person instruction and hands-on experience, potentially creating a gap in the pipeline of prepared workers. As a result, the Department of Education began working with $300,000 in CARES Act Funds to develop a plan for online and blended learning with its CTE Playbook, a template for 80 classes in multiple areas such as business and marketing, agriculture technology, STEM, and welding.

Because of the need for more trade and industry coursework, the department is partnering with Entergy Arkansas to create 20 additional courses to better prepare students for jobs in manufacturing and industry. Based on research and input from Arkansas businesses regarding their workforce needs, online CTE coursework in industrial equipment technologies; precision machining; machine power and equipment systems; mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems; and metal fabrication are among the 20 courses that will be available to students for the 2021-2022 school year.

“Technology has advanced tremendously in the last few years while Arkansas competes every day in recruiting for new and expanding business,” said Danny Games, director for Entergy Arkansas Business and Economic Development. “These companies require an educated and skilled workforce that can satisfy their needs and, in turn, provide higher-skilled and higher-paying jobs. These CTE courses should benefit students and their potential employers for years to come.”

The 20 new Trade and Industry CTE courses will be available to high school students in July 2021, while other CTE courses will be made available over the next two years. The State Chamber of Commerce, Arkansas Economic Development Commission and Office of Skills Development will provide additional consultation to reflect business and industry needs.

Ìę“I am also glad to announce that a separate portal will be built to make these CTE courses available to persons already in the workplace who are looking to learn new skills and advance their careers,” Landreaux said. “Our message is this – if you missed out on opportunities like this in high school, a little time and energy on nights and weekends now can mean more opportunities for advancement and a better-paying job in the future.”

Employers and employees will have access to the 20 new courses at a nominal cost by fall 2021.

“We appreciate Secretary Johnny Key and the Department of Education for their support of this initiative for adult learners, as well,” Landreaux concluded.

The CTE grant is made possible by Entergy Arkansas and the Entergy Charitable Foundation as part of $1.13 million dollars Entergy has invested or committed in Arkansas over the past five years to develop the state’s workforce and support its customers and communities.

Other funding investments and commitments include $50,000 to the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce Be Pro, Be Proud initiative; $350,000 for the Academies of Central Arkansas; and $250,000 for the Jobs for Arkansas Graduates high school programs across the state. The Arkansas grants are part of an overall Entergy initiative to provide $5 million across its four-state utility service area.

For more information about the CTE Playbook and related coursework, visit .

Paul Hinnenkamp, chief operating officer for host utility Entergy Corp., will be one of Tuesday’s keynote speakers at .

Hinnenkamp has spent 18 years with Entergy, starting out in operations support and working on various facets from environmental programs to capital projects. He was named COO in 2015.

He talked to us about Entergy, of course, his experience in nuclear power and how much technology is driving change not only within the company but industry-wide. The Day One DistribuTECH keynote begins 9 a.m. CT in New Orleans at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

1. This is DistribuTECH’s first trip to New Orleans. Aside from the usual things we know about the city’s attractions, what is a best-kept secret fun thing that you like about it?

“Welcome to New Orleans! I think what you’ll find most interesting, more so than anything else, are the people of New Orleans. We’re a diverse city with an incredibly kind and passionate group of locals that make up the fabric of this city. It’s truly a patchwork of unique individuals who will go out of their way to ensure you have a good experience while you’re here. I would say do as the locals do. Take a stroll and talk to people and, I think, you will pull more from those conversations than anything else the city can offer. The food’s not too bad either. And of course you are visiting during Carnival!”

2. Tell us a little about the Entergy generation mix and what you’re doing in terms of distributed energy interaction?

“Like most utilities, we are doing everything we can to ensure our power is coming from the most reliable sources possible. And like most, we’re working diligently to make sure that happens as efficiently as possible and in an environmentally-responsible way. Over the next few years, our business model includes more and more renewable sources of power and that’s something that’s important for us to achieve.”

3. You worked in the nuclear energy early on at Entergy. That is something many utilities are moving away from. But do you see a role for it and any thoughts on its future value to the generation mix?

“We continue to make calculated and responsible investments in our nuclear fleet. Investing in the long-term sustainability of Entergy’s nuclear facilities enables us to preserve the positive benefits associated with a diversified energy portfolio, such as clean power, minimal environmental footprint and stable cost benefits for our customers. Our nuclear plants are also necessary to ensure the continued reliability of our electric grid. The investment in the company’s nuclear plants aligns with our commitment to operate a leading energy business and achieve our goal of operational excellence.”

4. Data and control technologies more and more seem to be dominating how the smart grid is evolving. Where does Entergy see the greatest value in capital investment from transmission substation to the meter?

“You’re absolutely right. Technology is really what’s driving not just Entergy, but the entire industry right now. It really is the ‘what’s next’ for all of us. Grid modernization is a major part of what we’re focusing our efforts on in the next few years and the part I’m most excited about is the data we’ll learn. More than ever before, we will have real, hard proof points of how our customers are using our product. When we leverage that data properly, truly understand the outcomes that our customers are seeking and deliver those outcomes, then we will delight the customer like we never have before.”

5. You are one of DistribuTECH’s Day One Keynote speakers. Give us a little sneak preview on what you’ll be talking at the keynote?

“The utility industry is currently undergoing rapid change. I’ll be talking about Entergy and the broader utility industry. Both are being reimagined, if you will. I will share a bit of the journey we are on and where we need to be in the next few years to ensure we’re serving our customers and communities with new products and services. That’s how We Power Life!”

This article was originally published on and is republished here with permission.Ìę

For a recap of Hinnenkamp’s remarks at DistribuTECH 2019, including a link to accompanying slides, click here.

Modern society is using tech in ways we never have before. What can’t you do with your smart phone? What outcomes does technology deliver to you?

Because of that mindset and those patterns of consumer behavior, the utility industry must shift focus. We have to move from providing customers with an input to providing the products and services customers want to power their lives. We must focus on and deliver the new outcomes customers want.

Doing so means moving from a supplier to a partner. Shifting from a ratepayer mentality to a customer-driven mentality. We must solve problems with and for our customers.

Our world moves quickly, and it’s getting faster. Our stakeholders’ expectations of us are changing. Customer service has been and continues to be redefined and reimagined. Long-term success will be dependent on our ability to provide products and services that meet and exceed expectations.

Netflix went from a start-up DVD mail rental service to winning Academy Awards in the space of 20 years. The grid is more than 100 years old. It’s still a marvel today, but it’s past time to ask ourselves: What will utilities look like in 20 years?

The level of tech interest in the utility sector is pretty high these days. Utilities are exploring ways to deploy tech that improves the lives of customers:

• Grid modernization efforts will continue as customers enjoy the benefits of advanced meters, distribution automation, electric vehicles, smart thermostats, wireless charging systems and more.
• Better information about how customers use our product will provide clearer insight than ever on what customers want and need. What new products and services will be informed by today’s investments in data analytics?

At Entergy, we’re deploying technologies now that offer a wide range of benefits. We’ll use that technology to help deliver world class service. We’re making investments in generation, transmission and distribution to build a brighter future. A few examples:

• Generation: We’re expanding green energy options. We’ve got almost 5 GW of new generation in various phases of development and construction, comprised of gas, acquisitions and renewables. We’re also pursuing 1000 MW of renewable generation. That number is expected to grow as the economics, performance and reliability of these resources continues to improve.

  (It’s worth noting that exceeding environmental requirements is nothing new for Entergy.ÌęIn 2001, we were the first U.S. utility to voluntarily commit to stabilizing CO2 emissions. We’ve extended that commitment twice. Most recently, we made a voluntary pledge to maintain our CO2 emissions at 20 percent below year 2000 levels through 2020.)

• Transmission: In 2018, we placed more than $1 billion of new transmission facilities into service, including 67 major projects, 205 miles of new lines and 10 new substations. In addition, 96 miles of existing line and 100 substations were upgraded.

• Distribution: Our grid modernization projects include the installation of 3 million automated meters. This effort will enhance reliability and allow for more accurate detection of problems and faster response times. These meters will also provide our customers with new, transparent energy management tools and enable us to offer new energy-saving programs.

ÌęAnd we’re doing all of this while providing power at some of the lowest rates in the country.

What the utility of the future looks like may be very uncertain. But we know that to get there, we have to execute on what is in front of us extremely well, radically improve the customer experience, and create a high-performing, flexible organization.

At Entergy, our vision is simple but strong – We Power Life. We power homes, hospitals, schools and industry. And we’re preparing for a future in which we remain at the core of our customers’ lives, continuing to power the communities we serve.

Ìę

These remarks were originally presented during a keynote address at the DistribuTECH Conference, held in New Orleans, Louisiana, in February 2019. To download related slides, click here.

The UAS pilot program

In search of innovative solutions for inspections and patrols, Entergy’s transmission group developed a UAS pilot program to test the technology.

“After benchmarking utility peers and input from the , we knew the possible benefits of having engineers and field personnel use UAS as a tool on our system,” said Katie Robertson, transmission engineer and pilot program coordinator and participant. “The goal of the internal pilot program is to develop a standardized process to qualify and train transmission personnel to use this technology on our system in a controlled and safe manner.”

Robertson reached out to Dennis Lott, UAS program director at , located near Jackson, to develop a training program for employees. For the initial training, operation coordinators and engineers were nominated for the program, as these individuals have experience with inspections and responding to storms and outages.

Training

The employees in this program underwent intense training to receive their (FAA) certificates after completing a three day classroom training and sitting for the FAA exam. Prior to using UAS on the transmission system, an internal training requirement is in place for the pilots to perform an additional 20 hours of hands-on training, which is beyond FAA requirements.Ìę

The training showed the engineers and operation coordinators a newer, safer approach to monitor transmission assets.

Dustin Cranford, transmission line supervisor in Arkansas, said, “There’s less exposure to right of way hazards with hazard identification when scoping for future jobs and storm response. We can use these for up close inspections on outages and trip/recloses. I believe as we work with these in the days to come we will find more applications and benefits of the drones.”

Echoing Cranford, Curtis Robertson, vegetation operations coordinator in Mississippi, said another safety benefit of utilizing the UAS technology is to “identify safety concerns related to a tree on the line that would not be visible any other way prior to sending tracked equipment in to remove the tree after the line has been grounded and tested.”

Robertson also suggested the team would be able to “conduct inspections in difficult to access locations due to terrain, which would reduce the potential for tripping hazards, snake and insect exposure, unknown water depths,” and other safety risks.

Next steps

Entergy’s transmission group currently has seven UASs for the operation coordinators and engineers to use across the system. The engineers will have a shared UAS with the ability to change the sensors to meet detailed reliability inspection needs. Participants in the pilot program will also look for opportunities to use their newly acquired skills and tools in their everyday jobs.

Lance Schumacher, a vegetation operations coordinator in Arkansas who is participating in the pilot program, commented on the opportunities for UAS in transmission.Ìę

“The training opens your eyes to the airspace you are sharing and the responsibility that goes with it,” said Schumacher. “I believe we are just scratching the surface on how we will utilize the UAS on the job.”

I’m reading Resisting Happiness by Matthew Kelly, a thought-provoking look at how we resist doing things we know are good for us. I’m purposefully reading it slowly, a chapter a day, and trying to focus on suggested actions from each chapter. But I’ll be honest. It’s easier to do nothing and let the days go by without having completed just one of the suggested actions.

Why is it so hard to change?

Consider the change that will happen in the energy industry in the next few years. Technology continues to create amazing new possibilities. We’re transforming how we serve customers, manage the grid and design infrastructure. Entergy is no exception. We expect tremendous change at our company within just the next five years.

It’s natural to resist the change that’s coming, to hold onto the way we do our work and insist that new processes work just like the old ones did. Resistance is going to happen, but conquering it is key to a successful transformation. In so many cases, our own success depends on us, individually, recognizing and conquering our resistance to change.ÌęÌęÌę

So how do we begin? Resisting Happiness talks about the power of habits, both good and bad. Habits create rituals that make it easier to complete tasks in our lives, whether as simple as brushing our teeth or as complex as preparing a weekly project report. In the energy industry, the projects we’re working on will replace systems that have been in place for decades. We’ve created habits around these systems and processes. We know how they work and how to work around them when necessary. So if I may suggest a new habit for all of us – take a fresh look at your daily habits at work, and think about ways they can be improved.

Be open to listening and learning. Cognitive bias is a tendency to think in certain ways that can lead to a deviation from good judgment. It’s human nature to think we’re better at something than we actually are. When you read about a new project, talk to peers about change, or receive training for new business procedures, resist cognitive bias. Be open to listening and learning something new!

A final suggestion is to be comfortable giving and receiving feedback. Feedback from those who are out “running the railroad” will ultimately lead to better solutions. As you work toward change in your own organization, seek out and provide feedback so everyone can listen and learn.

The transformational shift of our industry will lead to success if each of us is open to change. Recognize the resistance to change, and seek to overcome it. I can’t wait to see what the future of the energy industry holds. I know Entergy will be successful in our transformation, and it will be attributable to our employees’ dedication and willingness to change.​

You can learn more about what’s next for Entergy in .