News Release > Entergy Shareholders Power a Healthier Louisiana Through More than $450,000 in Grants
Entergy Shareholders Power a Healthier Louisiana Through More than $450,000 in Grants
02/19/2020
11 environmental partners receive grants to support improvement programs and projects
Entergy shareholders are helping protect the environment by contributing more than $450,000 to partnering organizations in Louisiana through the company’s Environmental Initiatives Fund.
The fund supports projects or programs that help improve the environment by reducing emissions, protecting natural resources and restoring wetlands and forests. Additionally, the fund supports projects or programs that help our customers, employees and communities better understand the value of natural resources and other environmental improvements.
“At Entergy, we have a responsibility to partner with our communities to work to reduce environmental risk and seize opportunity for improvement,” said Patty Riddlebarger, Entergy’s vice president of corporate social responsibility. “We are advancing the growth of our communities while supporting all of our stakeholders through these initiatives and collaborating with environmental partners who work endlessly to make our communities more vibrant. This supports our vision as the premier utility to create long-term, sustainable value that benefits all our stakeholders.”
EIF recipients in Louisiana include:
- Ducks Unlimited was granted $250,000 to improve water and energy use on agricultural lands by implementing 30 or more surface water projects on approximately 20,000 acres. The projects will focus on increasing surface water use instead of ground water use in Arkansas, Mississippi and New Orleans.
- Restore the Earth Foundation received $100,000 to reconstruct existing pump infrastructure to move freshwater into an adjacent wetland complex at Pointe-aux-Chenes Wildlife Management Area in Louisiana. The project aims to improve the health of the wetland ecosystem.
- The US Business Council on Sustainable Development received over $76,000 for its Gulf Coast Carbon Collaborative, identifying and implementing viable decarbonization opportunities in the Gulf Coast region.
- The Audubon Nature Institute was granted $30,000 to support its Party for the Planet campaign. The campaign hosts a series of fun, educational environmental events and volunteer projects in New Orleans.
Additional recipients include the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, Woodlands Conservancy, Grounds Krewe NOLA, Save Our Urban Landscape, Arbor Day Foundation, NOLA Tree Project and Xerox PrintReleaf.
A complete list of 2019 EIF grant recipients can be found here. Organizations interested in partnering with Entergy this year on environmental improvement programs and projects can apply for grant consideration here.
In 2019, Entergy shareholders contributed $1 million to support 20 environmental organizations and programs throughout its service territory in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Since 2001, more than $35 million of Entergy shareholder contributions have been invested in environmentally beneficial projects and programs through the fund.
The fund contributes to Entergy’s leadership role as an environmental advocate, while supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The UNSDGs were established in 2015 to create a brighter future on Earth. The company’s EIF projects influence UNSDGs, including: (12) Responsible Consumption; (14) Life Below Water; (15) Life on Land and (17) Partnerships for the Goals, among other goals. Learn more about the UNSDGs here.
Entergy and its subsidiaries operate one of the cleanest large-scale generation fleets in the U.S., as noted in MJ Bradley and Associates’ 2019 Benchmarking Air Emissions Report. Last year, the company released its Climate Scenario Analysis and Evaluation of Risks and Opportunities and announced a new climate goal to reduce its carbon emission rate to 50% below its year 2000 levels by 2030.
Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than 1 million customers and natural gas service to more than 93,000 customers in the greater Baton Rouge area. It has operations in southern, central and northern Louisiana.
Entergy New Orleans, LLC is an electric and gas utility that serves Louisiana’s Orleans Parish. The company provides electricity to more than 200,000 customers and natural gas to more than 106,000 customers. Both companies are subsidiaries 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 9,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of $11 billion and approximately 13,500 employees.
-30-
entergylouisiana.com
facebook.com/EntergyLA
Twitter: @EntergyLA
entergyneworleans.com
facebook.com/EntergyNOLA
Twitter: @EntergyNOLA