Global business development leader joining Entergy Texas

02/17/2022

Peeples to drive increased partnerships with industrial customers

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – To further build partnerships and deliver energy solutions to our largest customers, Entergy Texas, Inc. has appointed Ernest Peeples as director of business and economic development. Peeples is a veteran leader with deep experience in business development across several global organizations.

Peeples most recently served as a consultant with L&G Holdings, where he led client engagements around business development opportunities in the areas of oil & gas strategy, retail marketing, and product trading and origination. Previously, Peeples held leadership roles in business development with BP, Vopak, Shell, and Amoco.

“As a company, we are evolving to increase collaboration and strengthen partnerships with our customers – including with our large industrial customers,” said Eliecer “Eli” Viamontes, president and CEO of Entergy Texas. “Ernest’s strategic mindset and business development experience will be valuable to our team as we look to work closer with our largest customers to meet their energy needs and sustainability goals.”

Located in the Gulf South, Entergy’s four-state service territory is home to the largest industrial base in the United States. The collective energy intensity of this group of customers is unique in comparison to other areas of the country. About 40% of Entergy’s electricity demand comes from industrial customers today, with significant growth potential as they look towards electrification solutions from Entergy to help reduce their own carbon emissions. Recently, Entergy announced collaborations with U.S. Steel and Sempra Infrastructure to help them meet their energy needs.

In addition to these efforts, Entergy Texas is deploying new products and services to help our customers achieve the outcomes they want. These initiatives include:

Deploying on-site backup power solutions for commercial customers that helps ensure uninterrupted power for the host customer but also can serve Entergy customers in the area. Following a successful pilot project, Entergy Texas is expanding this program to include several other sites across southeast Texas.
Partnering with customers to develop electrification solutions. Entergy Texas partnered with the City of Port Arthur to help electrify city buses, resulting in lower emissions and lower maintenance costs.
Creating opportunities for customers to invest in renewable energy credits to offset emissions. Entergy Texas recently filed a request with the Public Utility Commission of Texas to establish two new tariffs that provide easy access for customers to purchase renewable energy credits.

“The landscape we operate in is changing and we’re changing to be more responsive to our customers,” continued Viamontes. “This includes tailored products for largest customers, but also investing in modernizing our infrastructure to serve future growth in a way that is sustainable, reliable, and affordable.”

As part of Entergy Texas’ work to modernize its infrastructure, the company recently announced plans for the Orange County Advanced Power Station, a 1,215-megawatt, dual-fuel combined cycle power facility. The dual-fuel capability will allow Entergy Texas to meet current customer needs and provide increased resiliency across southeast Texas. The plant’s ability to be powered by hydrogen, which emits no carbon dioxide, supports its long-term viability for customers and the southeast Texas community.

About Entergy Texas

Entergy Texas, Inc. provides electricity to more than 473,000 customers in 27 counties. Entergy Texas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, an integrated energy company engaged in electric power production, transmission and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,500 employees.