Entergy restores power to half those knocked out by Katrina

Sydney (Platts)--5Sep2005

More than a half million Entergy customers on the US Gulf Coast have had
their power restored in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the utility said in a
statement late Sunday.

     Hurricane Katrina crippled Entergy's electrical system within and around
the city of New Orleans and extensively damaged the electrical system
throughout southeastern Louisiana and Mississippi. Immediately following the
storm, around 1.1-mil of Entergy's 2.7-mil customers were without power.

     The company's crews passed the half way point on Sunday, restoring
electrical service to 561,000 homes and businesses in the affected areas.

Around 531,000 Entergy customers remain without electrical service, of which
461,000 are in Louisiana and 70,000 are in Mississippi, the company said.

     "More than 9,000 Entergy crews and contractors are working around the
clock, almost eight times the size of Entergy crews during normal operations,"
 said Randy Helmick, Entergy's vice president for customer service support and
"storm boss" in charge of coordinating restoration efforts. "Earlier today we
began dispatching the first crews into the metro New Orleans area. But it's
important for people to understand that progress will slow down from here, and
it could take weeks to get the power back on in areas hit the hardest--even
longer for truly devastated portions of New Orleans and coastal Louisiana."

     The continued presence of floodwaters in many areas, damaged
communications systems, and extensive damage to electrical system
infrastructure would continue to present extraordinary challenges to
restoration efforts, the company added. Despite these challenges, a number of
vital facilities have been restored in the greater New Orleans metro area,
including three hospitals, Louis Armstrong International Airport, the
Jefferson Parish Emergency Operations Center and all but three of the 11 oil
refineries served by Entergy in the affected area.

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