Entergy 2010 Annual Report Download - page 17

ENTERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES 2010
Our total shareholder return over the
past 12 years ranked in the top quartile
of our peer group; yet in 2010, Entergy
delivered negative total shareholder
return. We will work diligently to once
again deliver top-quartile performance.
Total Shareholder Return
2010, %
(9.7)
S&P
500
ETR
5.7
15.1
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Utility Index
Utility Index
Utility Index
Total Shareholder Return
12/31/1998 to 12/31/2010, %
S&P
500
ETR
98.1
240.9
26.6
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Utility Index
Utility Index
Utility Index
region for one year. In 2011 and 2012, Entergy and America’s WETLAND
Foundation are sponsoring regional “Resilient Community” forums to
identify specifi c needs of host communities and investments to reduce
losses and help ensure safety and quality of life in the Gulf Coast region.
Contributing to a Society That Is Healthy, Educated and Productive
All four states served by the Entergy utility operating companies rank
among the top 10 states with the highest poverty rates. As high as offi cial
poverty rates are, government statistics don’t supply a complete picture.
Roughly 25 percent of Entergy’s 2.3 million residential customers require
government assistance to meet their basic daily needs. In addition, the
suffering and devastation in the Gulf Coast region following recent hurricanes
was disproportionately felt by low-income individuals and families.
Entergy’s success is linked inextricably to the success of the
communities it serves. It is our moral responsibility and a business
imperative to provide assistance to our low-income customers and the
communities that support them. We must help the most vulnerable
become more resilient. Our low-income initiative, which began more than
10 years ago, is designed to improve the fl ow of assistance funds, help
customers better manage their energy use and support education, job
training and asset accumulation programs that can help break the cycle of
poverty. We made progress in each of these three areas last year.
In 2010, we raised $2.3 million through our Power to Care fuel fund.
We also continued to advocate for increased funding for the federal
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, participating in the
annual LIHEAP Washington Action Day event to promote the program.
Appropriations for fi scal year 2010 were sustained at a record level of
$5.1 billion. Even at this level of funding, LIHEAP is estimated to reach
only one out of every fi ve eligible American households and the program
could be subject to signifi cant cuts as Congress attempts to address budget
concerns. Entergy continues to believe increased levels of LIHEAP funding
are needed along with more equitable distribution of funds across states.
Last year, Entergy and state-run programs helped weatherize
approximately 7,000 homes, helping homeowners reduce their energy
use and costs. In a pilot program funded in part by a $5 million stimulus
matching grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, Entergy New
Orleans will place smart meters in up to 7,400 residences of low-income
customers. The technology puts valuable information in the hands of
customers, which can help reduce energy bills.
Entergy and the Entergy Charitable Foundation gave $16.3 million in grants
in 2010, many of which fund programs to help break the cycle of poverty. For
example, a $200,000 grant to the United Way of Greater New Orleans will help
fund a program that matches the savings of working poor families.
Our efforts to fi ght poverty and improve education in our utility service
territory continue to earn recognition. We received the Edison Electric
Institute Advocacy Excellence Award and the National Fuel Funds Network
Corporate Excellence Award. We will continue to support the communities
we serve with a special focus on assisting those in need.
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