Entergy Announces Purchase of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Credits

NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) today announced the purchase of approximately 137,000 tons of greenhouse gas reduction credits from New York's largest non-hazardous solid waste facility.

The credits were generated from the capture and destruction of methane, a byproduct of waste decomposition. Seneca Meadows, Inc. owns and operates the waste facility located in Waterloo, N.Y. SMI captures methane emitted from decomposing waste through a collection system that is then sent to a landfill gas-to-energy facility. The landfill manages an average of 6,000 tons of waste per day.

"Entergy is proud to help support the efforts of Seneca Meadows to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in New York," said Brent Dorsey, Entergy's director of corporate environmental programs. "As a committed member of the community, we believe projects such as this one are illustrative of Entergy's concern for the environment."

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that remains in the atmosphere for decades, if not captured and controlled. Compared to carbon dioxide, methane has a global warming potential 21 times greater than CO2.

This is Entergy's second purchase of greenhouse gas reduction credits from SMI in 2011. Entergy's latest purchase represents the equivalent of removing roughly 137,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, or taking more than 24,000 vehicles off the road for one year. The previous purchase, announced in July, was for nearly 35,000 tons.

Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd., the parent company of SMI, was recently named a top performer on the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index.  

"The CDLI recognition is the result of our commitment to the environment and our relationship with partners such as Entergy," said Tom Hasek, environmental manager for SMI.

The greenhouse gas credits were purchased through Entergy's dedicated Environmental Initiatives Fund and registered through Winrock International's nonprofit American Carbon Registry, a voluntary offset program with strong environmental integrity standards. Environmental Capital LLC, a New York-based carbon credit advisory firm, facilitated project development and registration, as well as brokered the transaction.

"Entergy's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and Seneca Meadow's proactive efforts in the early collection and destruction of methane, combined with the market infrastructure provided by the American Carbon Registry, is exactly the type of alliance that successfully addresses our environmental challenges," said Denise Farrell, managing director at Environmental Capital LLC.

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, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $11 billion and approximately 15,000 employees.

Entergy's online address is entergy.com

Twitter: @Entergy

SOURCE Entergy Corporation