Entergy Mississippi, Inc.
P.O. Box 1640
Jackson, MS 39215-1640
Date:
April 3, 2013
For Release: Immediately
Contact:
News
Release
Mara Hartmann
601-969-2520 (office)
601-594-9042 (cell)
mhartma@entergy.com
Entergy Mississippi Celebrates 90 Years of Service
Entergy Corporation marks 100 years
JACKSON, Miss. – Considering its age, Entergy is looking pretty spry. During 2013,
Entergy Mississippi, Inc. celebrates its 90th anniversary, while Entergy Corporation marks a
century of serving customers. Entergy Mississippi officially began operations in April, 1923.
Not too shabby for a company that started with a simple handshake over a pile of sawdust
in 1913. Back in the day, Arkansas industrialist Harvey C. Couch cut a deal with H.H. Foster,
president of the Arkansas Land and Lumber Company. Foster had a lumber plant that
produced excess sawdust. Couch offered to buy that sawdust, burning it to power two 550kilowatt generators.
Within 10 years, Couch’s Arkansas Power Company expanded its operations across the
state line, and Mississippi Power and Light Company was born. Ever since, the company has
played a major role in Mississippi’s economic growth and development.
“During the past 90 years, Entergy Mississippi has made history, again and again, in
helping to build this state,” said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi, Inc. president and
CEO. “From attracting industry to recovering after catastrophic events like the 1979 flood,
the people of this company have played a key role in moving our state forward.”
Highlights of Entergy Mississippi’s history include:
News Release: Entergy Mississippi Celebrates 90 Years of Service
April 3, 2013
Page 2 of 3
 Helping the war effort. In 1941, the company quickly built new substations and
transmission lines to support local plants supplying the war effort. The company also
became the first organization in the state to adopt the U.S. Treasury’s voluntary
payroll allotment plan, providing for salary and wage deductions for the purchase of
War Bonds.

Developing Mississippi’s economy. In 1949, the company established the “Helping
Build Mississippi Club,” an economic development organization comprised of
business owners and state leaders. Within a year of its founding, the club boasted
more than 5,000 members and was active in early pro-business efforts. Groups like
these laid the foundation for Entergy Mississippi’s later work in economic
development, which included playing a key role in attracting a Nissan plant to Canton
in 2003. The facility employs 4,350 Mississippians and has an annual payroll of more
than $200 million.

Planning for the future. When Entergy Mississippi constructed Grand Gulf Nuclear
Power station, it ensured a long-term, clean, reliable source of power for
Mississippians. The plant, which underwent a major upgrade in 2012, currently
generates the lowest-cost power available to Mississippi customers. Entergy
Mississippi continued its forward-thinking traditions with the recent purchase of the
environmentally-friendly Hinds Energy Plant, which will help keep both energy costs
and emissions low.

Responding to emergencies. In 1979, employees stacked sandbags 10 feet high to
fight Pearl River floodwaters and keep power flowing in downtown Jackson. Twentysix years later, the heroic efforts of Entergy Mississippi employees during Hurricane
Katrina restoration earned national praise and garnered top industry awards for storm
response.

Offering a hand up. The company’s history shows an unwavering commitment to
helping its most vulnerable customers. Entergy has created a variety of programs to
aid customers in need, including emergency bill-payment assistance and the
distribution of free weatherization materials. In addition, Entergy Mississippi’s
philanthropic efforts have funded a wide variety of programs that enhance quality of
life for Mississippians, supporting everything from early childhood education to
college scholarships.
“Through their hard work, our nearly 2,000 employees and 700 retirees living in
Mississippi have accomplished so much for our state,” added Fisackerly. “We look forward to
many more years of enhancing our communities and serving our customers well.”
News Release: Entergy Mississippi Celebrates 90 Years of Service
April 3, 2013
Page 3 of 3
Throughout the year, Entergy Mississippi will celebrate its birthday with a variety of
activities that will enhance educational opportunities, conserve environmental resources and
provide assistance to low-income customers.
Entergy Mississippi, Inc., which celebrates its 90th birthday this year, provides electricity
to more than 437,000 customers in 45 counties. It is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation.
Entergy Corporation, which celebrates its 100th birthday this year, 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 more than 10,000 megawatts of nuclear power, making it one
of the nation’s leading nuclear generators. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.8 million utility
customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of
more than $11 billion and approximately 15,000 employees.
-30entergy-mississippi.com.
Twitter: @EntergyMS
facebook.com/EntergyMS