Louisiana agency OKs combining of Entergy utilities into 1 entity

Entergy said last week that the Louisiana Public Service Commission approved the folding of Entergy Louisiana, LLC, and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C., into a single utility entity.

Entergy's customers in this region will experience up to $140 million in benefits over the initial 10 years from this move, including reduced regulation costs, economic-development enhancements, and improved operational and financial structures.

"Combining the utilities improves our ability to help Louisiana's communities prosper," Phillip May, president and CEO of both utilities, said. "A unified, financially strong company will be better able to attract the capital required to upgrade our grid and replace aging power plants with highly efficient, clean units so we can provide the safe, reliable and affordable power needed to satisfy our current customers' expectations and meet the demands of a growing economy."
  
May said the transition to one single utility will not cause any disruption of service to either utility's customers.

Entergy's utilities in Louisiana provide electricity to approximately 1 million individuals and liquid natural gas to approximately 93,000 individuals in the Baton Rouge area and statewide. This transaction aims to be revenue neutral, so changes to customer bills will remain as consistent as possible.