< PreviousENTERG Y INTELLIGENCE REPOR T and voluntarily reduce carbon emissions,” said Paul Browning, Mitsubishi Power America’s president and CEO. “Now, we’re proud to work with Entergy on the next phase of decarbonization.” The companies are wasting no time completing that work. Entergy Texas, Inc.’s Montgomery County Power Station achieved commercial operation in January with two Mitsubishi Power advanced gas turbines to bring 993 MW of reliable, cleaner electricity to Southeast Texas. Mitsubishi Power is delivering all of its advanced class gas turbines with built-in capability for operating on a mixture of up to 30% hydrogen and 70% natural gas, with the option to operate on up to 100% hydrogen in the future. “We are pleased that the plant achieved commercial operation well ahead of schedule and is now using Mitsubishi Power’s advanced class gas turbine technology for cleaner and more efficient power to meet our growing demand,” said Sallie Rainer, president and CEO of Entergy Texas. “The new plant provides improved reliability, cleaner energy and substantial cost savings for our customers.” On-Ramp to the EV Highway Power plant emissions are one thing. Tailpipe emissions are another. Entergy’s engaged in reducing both. The company’s Green Fleet Strategy launched in 2008 aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption by 20% by 2020, but crossed the finish line five years early. Now it’s part of a Two advanced gas turbines from Mitsubishi Power are helping Entergy Texas, Inc.’s Montgomery County Power Station deliver cleaner electricity to Southeast Texas. Photo courtesy of Mitsubishi Power S I T E S E L E C T I O N MAY 2021 129 coalition aiming to get an early jump on the EV revolution. The Edison Electric Institute estimates 18 million EVs will be on U.S. roads by 2030, with range anxiety the No. 1 obstacle. In March, Entergy and five other major U.S. utilities announced a new plan to ease that anxiety with a seamless network of charging stations connecting major highway systems from the Atlantic Coast through the Midwest and South, and into the Gulf Coast and Central Plains regions. The Electric Highway Coalition — comprising American Electric Power, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Entergy, Southern Company and the Tennessee Valley Authority — announced an unprecedented plan for a network of direct-current fast chargers for electric vehicles. The companies are each taking steps to provide EV charging solutions within their service territories. Sites along major highway routes with easy highway access and amenities for travelers are being considered as coalition members work to determine final charging station locations. Charging stations will provide DC fast chargers that can get drivers back on the road in approximately 20 to 30 minutes. “At Entergy, we are taking an integrated approach toward a carbon-free future that includes working with industry peers and customers to electrify other sectors of the economy like transportation and the maritime industry,” said Leo Denault, chairman and CEO of Entergy Corporation. “Initiatives like this proposed regional EV charging corridor will help lower transportation emissions and provide community benefits for all our stakeholders.” To further execute its strategy, Entergy has recently invested in more than 40 strategically located charging stations to be used by its growing EV fleet, which allows for nearly 90 vehicles to charge simultaneously. Starting in 2023, Entergy’s fleet plan is for all passenger vehicles, fork-lifts, pallet jacks, etc., to be all-electric 130 MAY 2021 S I T E S EL E C T I O N ENTERG Y INTELLIGENCE REPOR T where readily available from the manufacturer. Also, 80% of the company’s aerial units will be powered by electricity by 2031. Even before the big coalition announcement, Entergy was proactive in the EV world. Andrew P. Jacques, project manager, Business and Economic Development, with Entergy New Orleans, notes his company’s team is currently working with the city to deploy 30 to 50 level 2 EV chargers scattered throughout Orleans Parish. “Electrification of vehicles is still in its infancy across our area, but by making investments similar to this it will spur EV adoption and create opportunity for local electrical contractors,” he tells me. “Helping spur EV adoption will support our goals of reducing the city’s carbon footprint and fostering a greener environment for all New Orleanians.” Plugging into Ports Among the strongest assets in Entergy territory are multiple Gulf Coast ports, from New Orleans to Port Arthur, Texas — the world’s largest port system in aggregate. Now a new program offers shippers more than the usual low rates and reliable service. It’s called Shore Power, part of the gradual electrification of ports that is allowing shippers to reduce their emissions. With Shore Power, Entergy’s innovation department KeyString Labs enables ships at port to take advantage of clean, inexpensive Entergy electricity to save money and reduce emissions. As the utility explains, “ships at berth typically use diesel-fueled auxiliary engines to provide the power they need. Shore power technology enables these vessels to plug into the local electricity grid and turn off engines while at dock. When using shore power, ship auxiliary systems, such as lighting, air conditioning and crew berths, are powered by the grid.” “Shore power systems can be effective at significantly reducing ship pollutant emissions at dock,” says a U.S. Environmental Protection S I T E S E L E C T I O N MAY 2021 131 ENTERG Y INTELLIGENCE REPOR T Agency assessment. “Under the right circumstances when a vessel is connected to shore power, overall pollutant emissions can be reduced by up to 98%.” In 2020, Entergy and Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) partnered to build the first utility-scale shore power installation at Port Fourchon in Louisiana. The installation extends Entergy’s local distribution system to simultaneously accommodate 10 ECO marine vessels at port. “We’re proud to partner with Entergy Louisiana on what could become a model for ports across the world by adding value for customers and communities through significant emissions reductions,” said Dino Chouest, executive vice president of ECO. “It’s a win for everyone.” More opportunity for Shore Power lurks on the horizon: Entergy has 37 ports in its service area, seven of which are among the 20 largest in the United States. But that’s not all that’s going on at Entergy territory ports when it comes to clean power and economic development. The Gulf may only get windy when a storm blows through, but its ports are seeing their fair share of wind turbine blades passing through on their way to major wind farms in Texas and elsewhere. Karl Segura of Entergy Texas says he sees the blades all the time passing through the Port of Beaumont, which also happens to be the No. 1 military cargo port in the country. The scale of them even impresses Texans. “When you stand next to them,” he says of the blades, “it’s amazing to see how big they really are.” Renewables on Parade Entergy since 2000 has replaced 30% of its generation resources with cleaner alternatives that, on average, have a 50% lower emissions profile. In 2020, renewable resources (solar, wind, renewable energy credits, hydro, biomass, landfill gas, and waste heat) supplied approximately 2.7 million MWh, or approximately 2% of total electric (continued on page 134)132 MAY 2021 S I T E S EL E C T I O N ENTERG Y INTELLIGENCE REPOR T Entergy’s distribution network includes approximately 105,500 miles of distribution lines across the utility’s 94,000-square-mile service area. Even during a pandemic year with fi ve named storms, however, improvement to that network in 2020 provided a steady thrum of $800 million worth of projects to connect generation assets; support economic development by serving new customers; and enhance system reliability, effi ciency and resiliency. Among them: • Entergy Texas completed the $97 million Port Arthur Reliability Improvement Project, which includes the construction of two new 230- kV substations and a new 13-mile, 230-kV transmission line between them. Entergy Texas also energized Phase II of the Western Region economic transmission project. This fi nal phase, which involved building 38 miles of new 230-kV transmission line and a new 500 MW 345/230kV auto station, provides economic benefi ts, reduces congestion, and provides operational fl exibility. READY FOR TRANSMISSION Photo: Getty Images S I T E S E L E C T I O N MAY 2021 133 ENTERG Y INTELLIGENCE REPOR T • Entergy Louisiana completed the $104 million Jefferson Parish Reliability Improvement Project, which includes the construction of a new 230kV station, two new 115/230kV auto transformers, a new 115kV transmission line, and the conversion of several 115kV lines to 230kV. Entergy Louisiana also completed a new $47 million transmission line between the Nelson and Manena substations in the Lake Charles area. The new line withstood damage from Hurricane Laura and facilitated the restoration of transmission service into the Lake Charles area. Entergy Louisiana also completed the $49 million Dunn-to-Winnsboro project which included 22 miles of new 230kV transmission lines and a new 230kV switching station to strengthen service reliability for customers in north Louisiana. • Entergy Mississippi completed a $40 million project to construct a new 115kV substation and 5.5 miles of new and upgraded 115kV transmission lines. The project strengthens reliability in central Mississippi and provides additional capacity to serve growth from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. • Entergy Arkansas completed a $21 million, 500/161-kV autotransformer upgrade project to strengthen service reliability for customers in northeast Arkansas.134 MAY 2021 S I T E S EL E C T I O N ENTERG Y INTELLIGENCE REPOR T demand, to Entergy’s utility customers. (Entergy also operates four nuclear facilities as part of its clean power portfolio.) Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Arkansas are the largest renewable energy providers in their respective states, and now the company is constructing the largest utility-owned solar facility in Mississippi. Entergy Mississippi partnered with Recurrent Energy on Sunflower County Solar, a new 100-MW solar energy farm in Sunflower County. Recurrent Energy is building the facility on approximately 1,000 acres. The project should be complete by no later than mid-2022, when Entergy will assume ownership for the life of the facility. The installation’s 350,000 PV solar modules will generate enough power for more than 16,000 homes. (continued from page 131) S I T E S E L E C T I O N MAY 2021 135 ENTERG Y INTELLIGENCE REPOR T In total, Entergy has 537 MW of renewables available, approximately 445 MW of solar installations in progress, and another 380 MW announced. In addition, it has two requests for proposals for solar resources totaling 500 MW and plans to solicit more than 800 additional solar MWs in 2021. Among the highlights so far: • In 2020, Entergy Arkansas began taking power from Chicot Solar, a 100-MW facility, through a power purchase agreement. • Entergy Louisiana began taking power from Capital Region Solar, a 50-MW facility, in 2020. Entergy Louisiana has a 20-year power purchase agreement for the facility’s output. • Entergy New Orleans completed construction on 5 MW of distributed-scale solar resources through its commercial rooftop solar program. The program leases commercial building rooftops to install utility-owned solar. It just completed the largest commercial rooftop solar project in Louisiana, a 2.4-MW solar project located on TCI’s warehouses near the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal. • New Orleans Solar Station, a 20-MW solar plant developed on approximately 90 acres at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, was completed at the end of 2020. The approximately 70,500 solar panels provide clean energy to more than 3,100 area homes. • Entergy Arkansas’ Searcy Solar, a 100-MW solar energy facility, is in the installation phase. This project is expected to be completed in 2021 and will be the largest utility-owned solar facility in the state and the first to feature battery storage. Entergy Arkansas also selected two solar resources from its 2019 request for proposals: 100-MW Walnut Bend and 180-MW West Memphis. Both proposals are under review by the Arkansas Public Service Commission. • The 100-MW Liberty County Solar project will be owned by Entergy Texas, and the 150-MW Umbriel Solar project will be contracted. The proposed Liberty County Solar project is under review by the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Next >