Item 1A. Risk Factors
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Item 1A. Risk Factors
See the risk factors discussed in “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in the Form 10-K, which could materially affect Entergy’s and its Registrant Subsidiaries’ business, financial condition, or future results. The information set forth in this report, including the risk factors presented below, updates and should be read in conjunction with the risk factors and information disclosed in the Form 10-K. In addition, because Entergy cannot predict the ultimate impacts of COVID-19, the actual impacts may also exacerbate other risks discussed in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in the Form 10-K, any of which could have a material effect on Entergy and its Registrant Subsidiaries.
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and responsive measures taken on Entergy’s and its Utility operating companies’ business, results of operations, and financial condition are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
In December 2019 a novel strain of coronavirus was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China. Since then, several variants of the COVID-19 virus have spread throughout the world, including the United States. To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, public health officials in the United States have at various times both recommended and mandated wearing of masks and other precautions, including prohibitions on congregating in heavily-populated areas, closure or limitations on the functions of non-essential business, and shelter-in-place orders or similar measures, including throughout Entergy’s service areas. While many of these mitigation measures have been lifted following the wide availability of COVID-19 vaccines, there is a risk that certain of these measures could be reinstated and/or continued, and that such measures could have an adverse effect on the general economy, Entergy’s customers, and its operations.
Entergy and its Utility operating companies experienced a decline in commercial and industrial sales and an increase in arrearages and bad debt expense due to non-payment by customers. Much of the commercial and industrial sales have recovered, and the arrearages have begun to decline, although management cannot predict the timing of collections of such arrearages. The Utility operating companies have resumed disconnecting customers for non-payment of bills, but such disconnects could again be suspended at the Utility operating companies should another shelter-in-place order or similar measure occur and their regulators mandate. While they are working with regulators to ensure ultimate recovery for those and other COVID-19 related costs, the amount, method, and timing of such recovery is unknown. Entergy and its Registrant Subsidiaries also could experience, and in some cases have experienced, among other challenges, supply chain, vendor, and contractor disruptions; delays in completion of capital or other construction projects, maintenance, and other operations activities, including prolonged or delayed outages; delays in regulatory proceedings; workforce availability challenges, including from COVID-19 infections, quarantining, or concerns with vaccination or testing mandates, health or safety issues; increased storm recovery costs; increased cybersecurity risks as a result of many employees telecommuting; risks or uncertainties associated with the return for many employees from telecommuting to on-site work on a full-time or hybrid basis; volatility in the credit or capital markets (and any related increased cost of capital or any inability to access the capital markets or draw on available credit facilities); or other adverse impacts on their ability to execute on business strategies and initiatives.
Although the economy has been recovering, another economic decline could adversely impact Entergy’s and the Utility operating companies’ liquidity and cash flows, including through declining sales, reduced revenues, delays in receipts of customer payments, or increased bad debt expense. The Utility operating companies also may experience regulatory outcomes that require them to postpone planned investment and otherwise reduce costs due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their customers. In addition, if the COVID-19 pandemic creates additional disruptions or turmoil in the credit or financial markets, or adversely impacts Entergy’s credit metrics or ratings, such developments could adversely affect its ability to access capital on favorable terms and continue to
meet its liquidity needs or cause a decrease in the value of its defined benefit pension trust funds, as well as its nuclear decommissioning trust funds, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
Entergy cannot predict the extent or duration of the outbreak, the impact of new variants of COVID-19, the effectiveness of mitigation efforts, or vaccines, anti-viral or other treatments for COVID-19, governmental responsive measures, or the extent of the effects or ultimate impacts on the global, national or local economy, the capital markets, or its customers, suppliers, operations, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
(Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas)
A delay or failure in recovering amounts for storm restoration costs incurred as a result of severe weather (including from Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, Hurricane Zeta, and Hurricane Ida), or the impact on customer bills of permitted storm cost recovery, could have material effects on Entergy and its Utility operating companies.
Entergy’s and its Utility operating companies’ results of operations, liquidity, and financial condition can be materially affected by the destructive effects of severe weather. Severe weather can also result in significant outages for the customers of the Utility operating companies and, therefore, reduced revenues for the Utility operating companies during the period of the outages. A delay or failure in recovering amounts for storm restoration costs incurred or revenues lost as a result of severe weather could have a material effect on Entergy and those Utility operating companies affected by severe weather. In addition, the recovery of major storm restoration costs from customers could effectively limit our ability to make planned capital or other investments due to the impact of such storm cost recovery on customer bills.
In August and October 2020, Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Hurricane Zeta caused significant damage to portions of the Utility’s service territories in Louisiana, including New Orleans, Texas, and to a lesser extent, Arkansas and Mississippi. The storms resulted in widespread power outages, significant damage to distribution and transmission infrastructure, and the loss of sales during the outages. Additionally, as a result of Hurricane Laura’s extensive damage to the grid infrastructure serving the impacted area, large portions of the underlying transmission system required nearly a complete rebuild. Total restoration costs for the repair and/or replacement of the electrical system damaged by Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Hurricane Zeta are currently estimated to be approximately $2.4 billion.
In August 2021, Hurricane Ida caused extensive damage to the Entergy distribution and transmission systems across Louisiana resulting in widespread power outages. Total restoration costs for the repair and/or replacement of the electrical system damaged by Hurricane Ida are currently estimated to be in the range of $2.1 billion to $2.5 billion. Most of the storm costs were incurred by Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans. Also, Utility revenues in 2021 were adversely affected by extended power outages resulting from the hurricane.
Because Entergy has not gone through the regulatory process regarding these storm costs, there is an element of risk, and Entergy is unable to predict with certainty the degree of success it may have in its recovery initiatives, the amount of restoration costs that it may ultimately recover, or the timing of such recovery.
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