U.S. Department of Justice Investigating Entergy Dispatch, Other Competitive Issues

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil investigation into competitive issues concerning certain practices and policies of the Entergy utility companies - Entergy Arkansas, Inc.; Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, LLC; Entergy Louisiana, LLC; Entergy Mississippi, Inc.; Entergy New Orleans, Inc.; Entergy Texas, Inc.; and Entergy Services, Inc.

Entergy said that it became aware of the investigation during the required Hart-Scott-Rodino anti-trust proceedings necessary to complete Entergy Louisiana's pending purchase of the Acadia generation units. Although the DOJ recently informed Entergy Louisiana that it will allow the relevant Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) waiting period to expire without action (and that period has since expired), thereby permitting the acquisition to proceed from DOJ's perspective, the DOJ also informed Entergy that it has opened a civil investigation of competitive issues concerning certain generation procurement, dispatch and transmission system practices and policies of Entergy's utility companies. The DOJ's present inquiry has no effect on the HSR clearance of the Acadia acquisition.

Entergy said that the investigation is just beginning, and no conclusion has been reached that the Entergy utility companies have done anything improper.