For Entergy, The Light Switch Flipped And Hopefully Nobody Noticed

The light switch has flipped and hopefully nobody noticed.

That’s the attitude of electricity transmission officials in a large part of Arkansas.

Entergy Arkansas announced it has completed its integration into the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), a regional transmission grid operator.

MISO, in coordination with other regional grid operators, coordinates the flow of electricity throughout the nation’s electricity transmission system. Some have likened its efforts and others such as Southwest Power Pool to the air traffic controllers for electricity across the nation.

Entergy’s alignment with MISO is projected to result in nearly a quarter billion dollars worth of savings during the next decade. On Wednesday night, the transfer, or “cutover,” to MISO’s system occurred.

“Despite the magnitude of the transition, the cutover was—and is—completely seamless from the perspective of our customers,” said Hugh McDonald, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas. “Now the real work begins — that of saving our customers money.”

The partnership puts Entergy into what is known as a “Day 2” market, which puts the utility in a system where every 5 minutes electricity is bought and sold at the most affordable rates through the use of sophisticated technology.

“This is a great move for Entergy Arkansas in terms of savings and benefits for our customers,” McDonald said. “We’re grateful to the Arkansas Public Service Commission, our MISO counterparts and hundreds of Entergy teammates and vendors for their efforts toward reaching this historic milestone.”

With Entergy in MISO’s footprint, it now draws generation from 128 electricity generation plants across the U.S. and Canada. Entergy Arkansas is the largest electric utility in Arkansas serving 700,000 customers in 63 counties.