Insights > We are developing our state’s energy future
29.08.2024
(l to r) AWS Vice President of Public Policy for the Americas Shannon Kellogg, Entergy Mississippi President and CEO Haley Fisackerly, ACORE Senior Vice President of Policy and Engagement Lesley Hunter
Across the country, electricity demand projections are increasing, driven by economic development and our society’s increasing reliance on technology. The growth opportunities we have in Mississippi depend on many important outcomes, but what I’m most excited about is Entergy Mississippi’s ability to meet the needs of our customers. We will do that while continuing our commitment to build a better future by balancing the reliability and affordability of electricity for our customers.
When we say we need to meet the needs of our customers, we don’t just mean being able to generate enough power to meet the load that comes with growth. We’re also talking about generating clean energy efficiently.
I recently had the pleasure of participating in a panel at the Amazon Web Services Summit in Washington, DC, and it was clear that with AWS as a customer, we can not only explore new technologies to strengthen the grid, but also continue to lead our industry peers in achieving sustainability goals as we enter the new energy era.
As the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy, Amazon places a high priority on sustainability. Amazon recently achieved its goal of 100% renewable energy for all of its operations by 2023, and the company remains committed to its climate pledge to become net-zero carbon by 2040. By comparison, Entergy was the first U.S. utility to voluntarily set a greenhouse gas reduction target in 2001. We also aim to achieve 50% net-zero carbon energy capacity by 2030 and net-zero carbon by 2050. With these aligned goals, we are rapidly moving forward on clean energy projects to support AWS and prepare for continued business growth.
Why is this important? As I told those in DC, new clean energy technologies that have been on hold are expected to be practical at utility scale in the near future. By bringing on a customer like AWS, we can move one step closer to improving the energy grid with these innovative technologies for the benefit of all of our current and future customers. Yes, solar is clean, carbon-free energy generation and we are adding 650 megawatts of it to our portfolio to support AWS.
But combined heat and power generation is a clean technology we are also focused on to support the grid and our customers. It is efficient and can be converted to hydrogen, enabling carbon capture and storage. In addition to the clean energy that the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station provides, we are pursuing a more diverse energy generation portfolio – which will help us reduce future environmental and market risks. Together, our investments in clean energy not only help the environment, but also contribute to the prosperity of our communities. And they help keep our customers’ bills lower in the future than they would otherwise be.
Intelligent infrastructure
As we work to unlock these new generation options, we are leveraging grid-enhancing technologies that enable us to deliver reliable power and be more resilient during increasingly extreme weather events. Artificial intelligence and predictive modeling help us detect and make equipment repairs before they are needed.
We also use real-time temperature-adjusted assessments and collect data from sensors and devices to predict when ambient temperatures may impact power flow. Operators use this data to reroute power to other existing circuits to minimize the impact to our customers.
The more data we collect, the more AI will help us understand how to use energy more efficiently and unlock more renewable energy and opportunities. I firmly believe that one day, energy providers will be able to tell their customers they will never have a power outage again.
Changing the landscape
When I sat on that panel in DC alongside Shannon Kellogg, AWS Vice President of Public Policy for the Americas, and Lesley Hunter, ACORE Senior Vice President of Policy and Engagement, we agreed that data centers are changing the energy landscape.
Is there enough land and power? That question now drives decisions about where data center companies locate their facilities or expand their operations. With the support of supportive communities and regulators, we are ideally positioned to deliver that speed. Entergy Mississippi is a key economic development partner in attracting new businesses to the state. That means jobs and investment right here in Mississippi communities.
We were at the negotiating table with AWS five years before the company announced its historic $10 billion planned investment and are confident in the strength and durability of our pipeline. This will be a record year in terms of the number of requests we have received for interconnection studies. This is important because it is our first indication that a customer is serious about locating in our service area.
One of the largest and most stable markets for data center investment is the Gulf region. We have landed a big fish, but this is just the beginning. The transition to electrification and clean energy will not only reduce carbon emissions, but will also lead to reshoring jobs, increased tax revenues, investment in educational programs, and a better quality of life in the communities we serve.
Haley Fisackerly
President and CEO, Entergy Mississippi
