In a few weeks, families in many American towns will sit down to a traditional New Year’s Day meal of black-eyed peas, cabbage and cornbread. They’ll wish for health, wealth and luck. And they’ll wish for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.����

Even as health care professionals continue to learn about COVID-19 and the promise of new vaccines, companies like Entergy continue to manage the countless uncertainties of operating during a pandemic.��

Entergy’s employees have risen to the challenge, and the company has once again been a leader in crisis response. Whether providing emergency repair services to an essential hospital in a city with a high infection rate or identifying a local supplier that could deliver innovative infrared technology for employee screenings, Entergy overcomes obstacles every day in order to keep the lights on and the gas flowing for its customers.

Teaming up with Touro

In addition to putting employees’ safety first, Entergy plays a crucial role in maintaining the safety and well-being of its customers and communities. In September, Touro Infirmary, a hospital located in New Orleans, experienced problems with on-site transformers. Without a quick repair, the hospital would have to shut down.

The was on the scene in less than an hour. They found a daunting challenge. The transformer vault was on the third floor, with only stairway access. And the ambient temperature was nearly 120 degrees. But the crew persevered. In less than 24 hours, they completed the repairs, ensuring that Touro’s doctors and nurses could continue their essential work caring for patients and their families.

Taking the temperature

For essential service providers like Entergy, the challenges of workplace safety have grown exponentially in the COVID-19 era. In March, a work-from-home directive took effect for many Entergy employees. Others – like linemen and plant operators – needed to be on site in order to do their jobs.

Since the onset of the pandemic, fever has been one of the most commonly reported symptoms of COVID-19. To maintain safe public spaces and work environments, efficiently and accurately screening skin temperatures quickly became a part of day-to-day operations for many businesses.

That’s when Entergy tapped into its multiyear relationship with Infrared Cameras Inc., a Beaumont,Texas-based manufacturer owned and operated by U.S. veteran Gary Strahan. With just over 40 employees nationwide, Infrared Cameras Inc. is one of only a handful of companies in the country that specialize in infrared medical devices.

“Infrared Cameras Inc. has always enjoyed working with Entergy. We have worked with Entergy power plants, transmission and distribution for decades using infrared cameras to find hot spots and keep the lights on,” Strahan said. “Additionally, all of ICI’s offices are powered by Entergy and their security lights help keep our three facilities in Beaumont, Texas safe!”

Infrared Cameras Inc. has provided cameras for companies like Amazon, Southwest Airlines Co. and FedEx, and in 2020, Entergy has spent almost $45,000 with Infrared Cameras Inc. on thermometers and other essential equipment needed to keep employees safe.��

“We are proud to expand our partnership through this pandemic and contribute to the safety of Entergy employees so they can continue to provide uninterrupted, quality service in times of crisis,” Strahan continued. “ICI is sincerely blessed to be able to work with Entergy and help keep the employees at Entergy safe.”

Video: When Touro Hospital had its own emergency, Entergy’s transformer repair shop stepped up. Entergy teams repaired their transformers in one day, ensuring they could continue their essential work without experiencing an outage. This is just one of the ways we’re helping our communities and customers through these times.

Indian Point Unit 2 continues to operate at full power and has been online for 434 continuous days. It was unaffected by the shutdown at unit 3.

“I want to thank our entire Indian Point team for their professionalism and dedication to safe operations that enabled unit 3 to safely shut down as expected following the transformer failure and then returned the plant to service,” said Larry Coyle, the Site Vice President and top Entergy official at Indian Point. “We are working with industry experts to understand the cause of this transformer failure in order to help prevent a recurrence.”

Entergy is also working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to investigate and mitigate the environmental impact of a clear, light mineral oil known as dielectric fluid on the Hudson River that leaked from the failed transformer.

Preliminary estimates by the Coast Guard, based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, indicate that about 3,000 gallons of dielectric fluid entered the river. The failed transformer held approximately 24,000 gallons of dielectric fluid, which acts as an electrical insulator and coolant inside transformers.

Entergy personnel have conducted assessments of approximately 25 locations based on observations regarding potential oil sheens in the Hudson River, implementing the appropriate mitigation efforts at the direction of the Coast Guard and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at a handful of those sites. Environmental experts determined no action was needed at the other approximately 20 locations. Members of the public can report sightings of transformer dielectric fluid to Entergy at 1-800-472-6372 or environment@safesecurevital.com. Entergy will then investigate.
Visual observations in the plant’s discharge canal and the Hudson River still have not indicated significant quantities of transformer oil, which did not contain PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).

Entergy, which owns the plant, intends to announce its preliminary understanding on the cause of the transformer failure by the end of June.

More information on Entergy’s response to the transformer failure, along with photos of the transformer yard clean-up and transformer replacement, is available at .

Indian Point ���ϳԹ��� Center, in Buchanan, N.Y., is home to two operating nuclear power plants, unit 2 and unit 3, which generate approximately 2,000 megawatts of electricity and supply about 25 percent of power used annually in New York City and Westchester County. ���ϳԹ��� is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 10,000 megawatts of nuclear power, making it one of the nation’s leading nuclear generators.

-30-

Entergy established a telephone hotline and email this week for members of the public to share information about sightings of transformer dielectric fluid. Potential sightings of the fluid can be reported to 1-800-472-6372 or sent to environment@safesecurevital.com. Members of the public are asked to provide their name, phone number, the location of the sighting, the date and time at which they first saw it, and any other information that will help us locate any potential oil sheen. Entergy will investigate reported sightings with its environmental response personnel.

Preliminary estimates by the U.S. Coast Guard, based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, indicate that about 3,000 gallons of dielectric fluid from a transformer that failed at Indian Point Unit 3 have entered the Hudson River, Entergy announced today.

The failed transformer held approximately 24,000 gallons of dielectric fluid, which acts as an electrical insulator and coolant inside transformers when they are operational.

Visual observations in the discharge canal and the Hudson River have not indicated significant quantities of transformer oil. The transformer oil from the failed transformer did not contain PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). Further investigation and aggressive recovery efforts at the site will continue.

Environmental personnel have conducted assessments of approximately 25 locations based on Entergy, Coast Guard and NYSDEC observations regarding potential oil sheens in the Hudson River and have implemented the appropriate mitigation efforts at their direction at a handful of those sites.

Entergy, which owns the plant, continues to investigate the cause of the transformer failure and intends to announce its preliminary understanding on the cause of the transformer failure by the end of June.

In the meantime, engineers are working diligently to restore Indian Point unit 3 to continued safe, reliable operations and are in the process of installing a replacement transformer. Unit 2 continues to operate at full power and has been online for 430 continuous days.

More information on Entergy’s response to the transformer failure, along with photos of the transformer yard clean up and transformer replacement, is available at .

Indian Point ���ϳԹ��� Center, in Buchanan, N.Y., is home to two operating nuclear power plants, unit 2 and unit 3, which generate approximately 2,000 megawatts of electricity and supply about 25 percent of power used annually in New York City and Westchester County. ���ϳԹ��� is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 10,000 megawatts of nuclear power, making it one of the nation’s leading nuclear generators.

Photos of transformer replacement work available at

-30-

Preliminary assessments of the moat system designed to catch the transformer’s dielectric fluid following a transformer failure, along with drains and other areas around the transformer, indicate as of today approximately 8,300 gallons of dielectric fluid have been recovered or were combusted during the fire. Entergy will vigorously investigate and seek to recover as much of the remaining approximately 16,000 gallons as possible. Visual observations in the discharge canal and the Hudson River have not indicated significant quantities of transformer oil, and further investigation and aggressive recovery efforts at the site will continue. These efforts likely are anticipated to take several months, and will be coordinated with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC).

While environmental mitigation crews continue to conduct their investigation to identify potential transformer oil onsite, additional mitigative protective measures have been installed in the plant’s discharge canal to prevent the potential release of transformer oil to the river while the investigation continues.

Dielectric fluid is a clear, light mineral oil that acts as an electrical insulator and coolant inside transformers when they are operational. The oil in the failed transformer contained no PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).

“Any spill of transformer oil to the environment is not in accordance with our standards, and Entergy will be accountable for any violation of our responsibility,” said Bill Mohl, president of Entergy Wholesale Commodities. “We take this commitment very seriously, which is why we have been working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and NYSDEC to identify and respond to reports of transformer oil in the river in order to minimize any potential impact. We will continue to be open and transparent throughout the process, provide regular updates to our stakeholders, and continue our commitment to good environmental stewardship,” added Mohl. “We also are committed to learning from and evaluating our emergency preparedness program in response to this event.”

Engineers and transformer experts are working to identify a cause of the transformer failure and Entergy will share that information when it becomes available, which is estimated to be by June 30.

An automatic sprinkler system, along with trained onsite firefighting personnel, extinguished the fire using water and fire retardant foam. In addition, Entergy environmental professionals and contractors swiftly responded following the event and placed protective oil booms in the plant’s discharge canal and river to capture fluid and mitigate potential releases to the river. Teams were also dispatched to begin monitoring for any fluid that may have reached the River.

Unit 3 remains safely shutdown. Unit 2 continues to operate at full power and has been online for 423 continuous days.

Indian Point ���ϳԹ��� Center, in Buchanan, N.Y., is home to two operating nuclear power plants, unit 2 and unit 3, which generate approximately 2,000 megawatts of electricity and supply about 25 percent of power used annually in New York City and Westchester County. ���ϳԹ��� is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 10,000 megawatts of nuclear power, making it one of the nation’s leading nuclear generators.

-30-

As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting the local environment, Entergy is working alongside federal and state environmental protection officials, including the U.S. Coast Guard and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, to monitor the Hudson River and take any necessary actions to mitigate potential impacts to the river and the surrounding community in the aftermath of the transformer failure.

“We take our commitment to the environment seriously, and any potential spill of transformer oil into the environment is not in accordance with our standards,” said Bill Mohl, president of Entergy Wholesale Commodities, which is responsible for the company’s merchant nuclear plants in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and Michigan. “Onsite personnel moved aggressively to mitigate any potential condition and began an analysis of the failure.”

Entergy crews have been working diligently since Saturday to investigate the cause of the transformer failure. Entergy environmental management professionals and contractors swiftly responded Saturday night and placed protective oil booms in the plant’s discharge canal and river to capture and mitigate fluid from reaching the river. Teams were also dispatched to begin monitoring for any fluid that may have reached the river.

“I want to thank all of those who have worked around the clock to perform this important task, and ensure our local communities that we are investigating how this happened and will take steps to ensure it does not happen again,” said Mohl.

Indian Point unit 3 safely and automatically shut down as designed following a failure of one of two main electrical transformers around 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 9. An automatic sprinkler system, along with trained onsite firefighting personnel, extinguished the resulting fire caused by the transformer failure. There was no damage to plant equipment other than the transformer, no personnel injuries, and no release of radiation due to this event. Unit 3 remains safely shutdown. Unit 2 continues to operate at 100 percent power.

Indian Point ���ϳԹ��� Center, in Buchanan, N.Y., is home to two operating nuclear power plants, unit 2 and unit 3, which generate approximately 2,000 megawatts of electricity and supply about 25 percent of power used annually in New York City and Westchester County. ���ϳԹ��� is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 10,000 megawatts of nuclear power, making it one of the nation’s leading nuclear generators.

-30-