Want to Go Carbon Neutral? Entergy Will Double Your Efforts

Utility Becomes One of the First to Match CO2 Offset Purchases

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Apr 21, 2010, 11:45 ET

NEW ORLEANS, April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As the world prepares to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) is announcing a new initiative that will help individuals achieve a smaller carbon footprint and reduce their impact on the environment.

Beginning tomorrow, Entergy will launch Double Your Difference, an initiative that will not only allow individuals to purchase high-quality carbon offsets but also double the impact of their purchases through Entergy's dollar-for-dollar match, up to the first five purchased offsets (five tons of CO2). Carbon offset projects prevent or reduce greenhouse gas emissions that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere.

"While many Americans are lowering their personal carbon footprint through energy efficiency, some carbon emissions are practically impossible to avoid in today's society," said Jeff Williams, director of climate consulting for Entergy. "By purchasing offsets through Double Your Difference, individuals can support specific projects that result in real greenhouse gas reductions while maximizing their own efforts to go carbon neutral."

Double Your Difference is the second phase of the Make an Impact program, which Entergy and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change launched in July 2009 to help individuals take action in reducing their carbon footprint. In order to access Double Your Difference, participants must first complete a carbon footprint profile on the Make an Impact website and receive a personalized CO2 analysis.

Entergy will also match the energy efficiency pledges that participants make on the website with additional offsets equal to the amount of CO2 avoided during the next 12 months. In addition, Entergy will buy one carbon credit in the names of the first 1,000 individuals who become a fan of the company's Find Your CO2 Facebook page.

The carbon offsets are sourced from projects that have been third-party verified using protocols developed by the Climate Action Reserve to ensure that each offset represents a permanent and quantifiable reduction, removal or avoidance of one metric ton of CO2 equivalent emissions. 3Degrees, one of the nation's leading environmental commodities sales, trading and advisory firms, is working with Entergy to source the carbon offsets for Double Your Difference. The offset projects include the Garcia River Conservation-Based Forest Management project, located in Mendocino County, Calif., and the Denton Landfill Gas project, located in Denton, Texas.

The carbon offsets sold through Double Your Difference will cost $9.80 per metric ton, in addition to a $0.20 per transaction processing fee. Entergy will not receive a profit from the Double Your Difference initiative.

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 $10 billion and more than 15,000 employees.

Entergy's online address is entergy.com.

Twitter: @EntergyMedia

SOURCE Entergy Corporation