Entergy : Mississippi Gives $1 Million to 2 Mississippi Museums Project

Money is 90th birthday gift from Entergy stockholders to customers, communities

JACKSON, Miss. - Over the past 12 months, Entergy Mississippi, Inc. has celebrated its 90th birthday with a variety of activities and events. That celebration culminated Thursday, May 1, with a $1 million gift from Entergy stockholders to the State of Mississippi, the utility's customers and the communities it serves. The money will be used for the 2 Mississippi Museums project currently under construction. The Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum will be two state-of-the-art, interactive facilities located on the Mississippi Department of Archives and History campus in downtown Jackson.

"Our company's history has been intertwined with the state's history for 90 years and our future will be as well," said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. "We're pleased and proud to be a part of preserving our state's rich history and sharing it with the world. The Museums will be the ultimate tourism destination for visitors interested in the many facets of the Mississippi story."

"The museums will also be an educational gem for children, will create jobs for Mississippians and will have a tremendous economic impact on the Jackson area and across the state," he added.

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, joined by former Governor William Winter and Judge Reuben Anderson, a member of the 2 Mississippi Museums Board of Trustees, accepted the gift on behalf of the state and the museums.

"Entergy has been a valued corporate partner to Mississippi for generations," said Gov. Bryant. "The company is an important part of Mississippi's economy and has a long history of supporting Mississippi communities. I appreciate this contribution and congratulate Entergy Mississippi on marking the milestone of 90 years in our state."

The museums will open in 2017 in celebration of Mississippi's statehood bicentennial.

"We are very grateful to the Entergy stockholders for this extraordinary gift to the people of Mississippi," said H.T. Holmes, MDAH director. "Entergy's leadership in making this gift sends a strong message about the significance of this project to the state, region and nation."

As part of the gift, Entergy Corporation is also holding its board meeting and annual shareholder meeting in Jackson May 1 and 2. The Fortune 500 company is headquartered in New Orleans, but counts Jackson as its operational headquarters as the city is home to two of the corporation's largest divisions, Entergy Nuclear and Entergy Transmission Headquarters. These divisions and the Mississippi residents who work for them manage the company's nationwide nuclear power plant fleet and multi-state transmission grid.

In conjunction with the meeting and gift announcement, Entergy Mississippi employees, retirees and community partners joined board members and stockholders for a first-ever collaborative volunteer activity supporting the Museum to Market bike and walking trail that stretches from downtown Jackson to LeFleur's Bluff State Park.

Entergy Mississippi, Inc. provides electricity to more than 441,000 customers in 45 counties. It is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation. Entergy Corporation 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 14,000 employees.