Entergy CEO gives update on power outages

THROUGH ONMOE RE TIME WHO WE ARE SPEAKING WITH. PHILIP MAY. MR. MAY, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THE PHONE, MR. MAY. I AM SURE YOU GUYS ARE SO BUSY RIGHT NOW RESPONDG.IN CAN YOU TELL US AT THIS POINT -- I KNOW IT WILL TAKE A WHILE TO GET SOME OF TSHI FIXED, BUT YTANHING ON THE GROUND ASSESSING THIS DAMAGE AS OF YET? >> ABSOLUTELY. TODAY WILL BE A BIG DAY IN TERMS OF ASSESSING. IMMEDIATELY AFTER A BIG STORM, THE FIRST THING WE DO IS CHECK ON OUR EMPLOYEES, MAKE SURE THEY ARE SAFE, KEMA SURE THEY ARE OK AND BEGIN DOING THE WORK OF THOSE ASSESSMENTS. TODAY WILL BE A BIG DAY IN THAT PROCESS GIVEN ETH BROAD GEOGRAPHIC AREA IN WHICH WE HAVE TO DO THEM, THEY WILL TAKE SOME TIME. IT WILL ALLOW US TO START PRIORITIZING WHERE WE WILL RESTORE POWER, AND THAT PROCESS WILL CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL DAYS AS WE DO THAT, BUT WE WILL BEGIN TO GIVE CUSTOMERS ESTIMATES ON WHEN WE CAN HAVE RESTORATION AS WE BEGIN TO ACCUMULATE THAT DATA, HAVE THOSE ASSESSMENTS SO WE CAN HAVE A PLANF O ATTACK AND HAVE A FEEL FOR HOW QUICKLY OR HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO RESTORE POWER. RANDI: -- CHAD: AND AS WE HAVE HIT 9:30 THIS MONDAY MNINGOR FOLLOWING THE LANDFALL OF HURRICANE IDA AND THE AFTERMATH, AS TTHA CONTINUES, MR. MAY, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT OUTAGES IN SOUTH LOUISIANA? WE KNOW 800,000 ENTERGY OUTAGES HAVE BNEE REPORTED. WHAT IS THE LATEST UPDATE YOU HAVE RECEIVED? >> YEAH, SO THAT NUMBER HAS CONTINUED TO RISE. THE STORM IS STILL DOING DAMAGE TO OUR SYSTEM BUT IS BEGINNING TO MOVE OUT OF THE AREA. THE LAST NUMBER I SAW IT IS 850,000 CUSTOMERS. ONE OF THE AREAS THAT I THINK IS A VERY STRONG FOCUS FOR OUR TEAM RIGHT NOW IS THE NEW ORLEANS REGION. THE AREA IS COMPLETELY IN THE DARK DUE TO THE LOSS OF EIGHT TRANSMISSION LINES THAT FEED INTO THAT AREA, AND IF I COULD JUST AT BACK AND GIVE YOU A FEEL FOR WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH, GEOGRAPHICALLY, THAT AREA, IT IS SORT OF THE TOES ON THE BTOO OF LOUISIANA, AND FROM A GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE, YOU CANNOT REALLY SEE IT TOHE T SOUTH, THE GULF OF MEXICO, OR TO THE EAST, SO WE HAVE TO BRING TRANSMISSION IN ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. WE HAVE A CORRIDOR ON THE WEST SIDE OF ETH RIVER AND THE EAST SIDE GOING ACROSS THE BONNET CARRE SPILLWAY. I HAVE -- I AM SURE YOU HAVE SEEN THE FEED LINES NORTH IN TANGIPAHOA PARISH AND WE ALSO HAVE FEED LINES TO SLIDELL. ALL EIGHT OF THOSE TRANSMISSION LINES ARE OUT OF SERVICE AT THIS POINT. NOW, WE DON'T HAVE EYES ON THAT YET, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGES. WE DO KNOW ONE OF THE TOWERS THAT FAILED, OR THE TOWER THAT DID NOT WERAV -- FAILED WAS THE TOWER THAT D NOTID WAVER DURING KATRINA. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST ROBUST STRUCTURES IN OUR ENTIRE SYSTEM, 110 FEET TALL, AND IDA KNOCKED IT DOWN. WE WILL CONTINUE TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE. WE WILL FOCUS ON GETTING THE LIGHTS BACK ON IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA DESPITE THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE WITH TRANSMISSION. RANDI: MR.RANDI: MAY, YOU HAVE TO GET ALL EIGHT OF THOSE LINES FIXED FIRST BEFORE YOU CAN GET WORKING ON THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE CITY, OR CAN YOU WORK BY LINE? CAN YOU GIVE PEOPLE AN IDEA OF HOW THE PROCESS WILL WORK? >> GREAT QUESTION. THOSE LESIN PROVIDE A LOT OF REDUNDANCY FOR THIS HIGHLY POPULATED, HIGHLY INDUSTRIALIZED AREA. WE DON'T NEED EVERY ONE OF THOSE ON TO BEGIN RESTORATION. IF WE CAN GET EON LINE, THAT PROVIDES US THE ABILITY, A TOEHOLD IFOU Y WILL, TO BEGIN RESTORING POWER. WE WILL GET A SECOND NELI THAT PROVIDES ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY, ADDITIONAL ACTNIO ANALOGY, ABILITY TO SERVE MORE LOAD. THE LAWRENCE POWER STATION WILL PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN RELIGHTI NNGEW ORLEANS. STATION SIX AND JEFFEONRS PARISH -- SIX IN JEFFERSON PARISH WILL PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN RELIGHTING THE NEW ORLEANS AREA. SO WE DON'T NEED ALL EIGHT BACK. WE WILL BEGIN RESTORING THEM AND THEN, ONE AT A TIME,IL BL BACK POWER IN THIS REGION. CHAD: WE KNOWHE T ROAD TO RECOVERY WILL BE ARDUOUS. IT WILL BE HOUR-BY-HOUR, REALLY MINUTE BY MINUTE. LOOKING AHEAD -- LOOK, THERE ARE A LOT OF SCESEN FANS. -- LOT OF SAINTS FANS. LET ME ASK YOU THIS. DO YOU FEEL CONFIDENT THAT INFRASTRUCTURE AND POWER CAN BE RESTORED IN THE DAYS AND WEEKS AHEAD FOR THE SAINTS TO BE ABLE TO HOST THAT GAME ON SEPTEMBER 12, NOW TWO WEEKS AWAY? >> AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ASSESSMENT TO SAY WHIT CERTAINTY WHETHER WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT. HISTORICAL,LY WE HAVE SAID FOR A STORM LIKE THIS, SEVEN TO 10 DAYS FOR MOST CUSTOME.RS FOR HARD-HIT AREAS, THREE WEEKS, SO I REALLY CANNOT SAY WITH CERTAINTY WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN MEET THAT DATE. OUR GOAL IS TO RESTORE OUR CUSTOMERS AS QUICKLY AND AS SAFELYS A POSSIBLE, AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING. RANDI: WHEN YOU MENTIONED THAT VERY LARGE LINE, THE WHEN YOU SAID THAT WAS VERY ROBUST, THAT WITHSTOOD HURRICANE KATRINA, WHERE WAS THAT LOCATED? >> THAT WAS ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER OVER FROM AVONDALE. RAI:ND SO THAT WAS THE JEFFERSON PARISH ONE THAT FELL? >> THAT'S CORRECT. RANDI: ONE OF THE THING SCOTT WALKER MENTIONED THIS MORNING, AND IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN FURTHER HERE, WITHIN THAT ONE PARTILACUR TOWER, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO PUT THATNE O UP, HE SAID YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO REROUTE POWER UNTIL UYO CAN REPAIR THAT ONE IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE IT IS SO ROBUST, AND INSTEAD WOFAITING WEEKS TO FIX THAT ONE, THERE'S WAYS TO DIVERT POWER TO PUT A PATCHWORK TOGETHER, SO HOW DOES THAT PROCESS WERE? YEAH, SO, AS I MENTIONED, THAT STRUCTURE IS A COMPONENT OF ONE OF THE EIGHT LINES THAT COME INTO THIS REGION. WE WILL HAVE OTHER COMPONENTS LIKE THAT WE WILL HAVE TO CHECK ON, BUT AS NOTED, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ALL EIGHT LINES BACK TO SERVE THE CY ITOF NEW ORLEANS. WE CAN DO THIS WITH SUPPORT FROM LOLCA GENERATION, AS I MENTIONED, GETTING LINES BACK ON ONE AT A TIME. THAT PARTICULAR LINE IS A SPECIFICALLY ENGINREEED STRUCTURE, ONE OF THE MOST ROBUST IN OUR SYSTEM, AND THAT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO REPAIR. THE REPOWERING OF THE NEW ORLESAN REGION IS NOT DEPENDENT ON THAT LINE. REDUNDANCY IS HELPED BY THAT LINE, BUT POWERING THE CITY IS TNO DEPENDENT ON THAT LINE. CHAD: AS MANY NEW ORLEANS RESIDESNT SPEND MONDAY MORNING AT HOME IN THE DARK, NOT AT WORK, NOT AT SCHOOL BY SHELTERING IN PLACE AT HOME WHE ERIT IS SAFE, THEY ARE TIRED, EXHAUSTED -- THEY ARE RESILIENT, BUT THEY LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN THE POWER IS RESTOR.ED WHAT WOULD YOUR MESSAGE TO THEM BE? >> A COUPLE THINGS HERE. FIRST AND FOREMOST, SAFETY IS TOP OF MIND. WHILWEE KNOW THE POWER IS OUT IN BROAD AREAS OF THE NEW ORLEANS REGION, THERE ARE GENERATORS OUT THERE RUNNING. YOU HAVE TO ASSUME THAT EVERY LINE THAT YOU SEE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO KILL YOU. IT COULD BE A LIVE WIRE BECAUSE OF BACK FEEDING GENERATORS EVEN IF POWER IS NOT BEING SUPPLIED BY ENTERGY, SO STAY SE.AF STAY AWAY FROM DOWNED POWER LINES. AN TDHOSE MAY BE UNDERNEATH A TREE OR FENCE. YOU MAY NOT SEE THEM DIRECTLY. I URGE YOU TO PRACTICE EXTREME CAUTION AROUND THOSE. DURING HURRICANE LAWYER, THOUGH IT- - HURRICANE LAURA, THE LARGEST LOSS-OLIF-FE WAS DUE TO MISUSE OF GENERATORS. AND OUR EMPLOYEES, OURSELVES, WE ARE SITTING IN THE DARK. WE ARE READY FOR THE POWER TO BE RESTORED. THIS IS A WEATHER TESTED TEAM. WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS BEFORE. WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING. WE WILL GET THE POWER RESTORED AS QCKUILY AND AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE. RAI:ND MR. MAY, ONE FINAL QUESTION HERE. AT LAST CHECK, WEAD H 10,000 EXTRA WORKERS WHO WERE GOING TO COME IN AND HELP YOU ALL. WHAT IS THE STORY WITH THAT THIS MORNING IN TERMS OF THE CREWS COMINGN I OR PLANNING TO COME IN TO HELP YOU AND YOUR HARD-WORKING EMPLOYEES HELP RESTORE THIS POWER? >> WE HAVE REQUESTS OUT NOW FOR MORE THAN 20,000 RESTORATION WORKERS TO COME HELP. NOW THOSE -- AT THIS POINT, WE VEHA ABOUT 14,000, 15,000 RESTORATION WORKERS SECURED,ND A THOSE ADDITIONAL WORKERS WILL BE FLOWING IN THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK, AND BECAUSE THEY ARE COMING FROM FAR AWAY PLACES, AS FAR AS NEW YK,OR COLORADO, IT WILL TAKE TIME FOR THEM TO GET HERE. WE WILL BE STAGING WORK FOR WHEN THEY ARRIVE. RANDI: THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND INSIGHT INTO A SYSTEM THAT IS A LITTLE OVER OUR HEADS IN SOME WAYS. WE FORGETHE T