Retirement and Other Postretirement Benefits

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Retirement and Other Postretirement Benefits [Abstract]

RETIREMENTAND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

NOTE 6. RETIREMENT AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans,

Entergy Texas, and System Energy)

Components of Net Pension Cost

     Entergy’s qualified pension cost, including amounts capitalized, for the third quarters of 2011 and 2010, included the following components:

	2011			2010
	(In Thousands)
Service cost — benefits earned during the period	$	30,490		$	26,239
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation		59,248			57,802
Expected return on assets		(75,319	)		(64,902	)
Amortization of prior service cost		838			1,164
Amortization of loss		23,244			16,475
Net pension costs	$	38,501		$	36,778

     Entergy’s qualified pension cost, including amounts capitalized, for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, included the following components:

	2011			2010
	(In Thousands)
Service cost — benefits earned during the period	$	91,470		$	78,717
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation		177,744			173,406
Expected return on assets		(225,957	)		(194,706	)
Amortization of prior service cost		2,514			3,492
Amortization of loss		69,732			49,425
Net pension costs	$	115,503		$	110,334

     The Registrant Subsidiaries’ qualified pension cost, including amounts capitalized, for the third quarters of 2011 and 2010, included the following components:

				Entergy
	Entergy			Gulf States			Entergy			Entergy			Entergy			Entergy			System
2011	Arkansas			Louisiana			Louisiana			Mississippi			New Orleans			Texas			Energy
										(In Thousands)
Service cost — benefits earned during the period	$	4,518		$	2,462		$	2,886		$	1,327		$	561		$	1,197		$	1,235
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation		12,991			5,928			8,159			3,909			1,762			3,993			2,939
Expected return on assets		(15,609	)		(8,339	)		(9,716	)		(5,038	)		(2,114	)		(5,501	)		(3,784	)
Amortization of prior service cost		115			20			70			38			9			16			4
Amortization of loss		6,421			2,279			4,497			1,680			1,166			1,394			1,321
Net pension cost	$	8,436		$	2,350		$	5,896		$	1,916		$	1,384		$	1,099		$	1,715

				Entergy
	Entergy			Gulf States			Entergy			Entergy			Entergy			Entergy			System
2010	Arkansas			Louisiana			Louisiana			Mississippi			New Orleans			Texas			Energy
										(In Thousands)
Service cost — benefits earned during the period	$	3,944		$	2,116		$	2,443		$	1,163		$	516		$	1,067		$	1,033
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation		12,319			6,094			7,135			3,807			1,510			3,967			2,252
Expected return on assets		(12,659	)		(7,688	)		(8,194	)		(4,313	)		(1,809	)		(5,137	)		(2,952	)
Amortization of prior service cost		196			75			119			79			44			59			8
Amortization of loss		4,126			1,906			2,151			1,091			636			802			132
Net pension cost	$	7,926		$	2,503		$	3,654		$	1,827		$	897		$	758		$	473

     The Registrant Subsidiaries’ qualified pension cost, including amounts capitalized, for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, included the following components:

				Entergy
	Entergy			Gulf States			Entergy			Entergy			Entergy			Entergy			System
2011	Arkansas			Louisiana			Louisiana			Mississippi			New Orleans			Texas			Energy
										(In Thousands)
Service cost — benefits earned during the period	$	13,554		$	7,386		$	8,658		$	3,981		$	1,683		$	3,591		$	3,705
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation		38,973			17,784			24,477			11,727			5,286			11,979			8,817
Expected return on assets		(46,827	)		(25,017	)		(29,148	)		(15,114	)		(6,342	)		(16,503	)		(11,352	)
Amortization of prior service cost		345			60			210			114			27			48			12
Amortization of loss		19,263			6,837			13,491			5,040			3,498			4,182			3,963
Net pension cost	$	25,308		$	7,050		$	17,688		$	5,748		$	4,152		$	3,297		$	5,145

				Entergy
	Entergy			Gulf States			Entergy			Entergy			Entergy			Entergy			System
2010	Arkansas			Louisiana			Louisiana			Mississippi			New Orleans			Texas			Energy
										(In Thousands)
Service cost — benefits earned during the period	$	11,832		$	6,348		$	7,329		$	3,489		$	1,548		$	3,201		$	3,099
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation		36,957			18,282			21,405			11,421			4,530			11,901			6,756
Expected return on assets		(37,977	)		(23,064	)		(24,582	)		(12,939	)		(5,427	)		(15,411	)		(8,856	)
Amortization of prior service cost		588			225			357			237			132			177			24
Amortization of loss		12,378			5,718			6,453			3,273			1,908			2,406			396
Net pension cost	$	23,778		$	7,509		$	10,962		$	5,481		$	2,691		$	2,274		$	1,419

     Entergy recognized $4.9 million and $4.7 million in pension cost for its non-qualified pension plans in the third quarters of 2011 and 2010, respectively. In the third quarter 2010, Entergy recognized a $0.4 million settlement charge related to the payment of lump sum benefits out of the plan that is included in the non-qualified pension cost above. Entergy recognized $14.6 million and $20.9 million in pension cost for its non-qualified pension plans for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, including the $7.3 million settlement charge recognized in the second and third quarters 2010.

     The Registrant Subsidiaries recognized the following pension cost for their non-qualified pension plans in the third quarters of 2011 and 2010:

			Entergy
	Entergy		Gulf States		Entergy		Entergy		Entergy		Entergy
	Arkansas		Louisiana		Louisiana		Mississippi		New Orleans		Texas
	(In Thousands)
Non-qualified pension cost third quarter 2011	$	115	$	42	$	4	$	48	$	16	$	192
Non-qualified pension cost third quarter 2010	$	105	$	41	$	6	$	52	$	6	$	169

     The Registrant Subsidiaries recognized the following pension cost for their non-qualified pension plans for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010:

			Entergy
	Entergy		Gulf States		Entergy		Entergy		Entergy		Entergy
	Arkansas		Louisiana		Louisiana		Mississippi		New Orleans		Texas
	(In Thousands)
Non-qualified pension cost nine months ended September 30, 2011	$	345	$	126	$	12	$	144	$	48	$	576
Non-qualified pension cost nine months ended September 30, 2010	$	395	$	122	$	17	$	153	$	19	$	515
Settlement charge recognized in the nine months ended September 30, 2010 included in cost above	$	86	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	5

Components of Net Other Postretirement Benefit Cost

     Entergy’s other postretirement benefit cost, including amounts capitalized, for the third quarters of 2011 and 2010, included the following components:

	2011			2010
	(In Thousands)
Service cost — benefits earned during the period	$	14,835		$	13,078
Interest cost on accumulated postretirement benefit obligation (APBO)		18,631			19,020
Expected return on assets		(7,369	)		(6,553	)
Amortization of transition obligation		796			932
Amortization of prior service cost		(3,518	)		(3,015	)
Amortization of loss		5,298			4,317
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$	28,673		$	27,779

     Entergy’s other postretirement benefit cost, including amounts capitalized, for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, included the following components:

	2011			2010
	(In Thousands)
Service cost — benefits earned during the period	$	44,505		$	39,234
Interest cost on APBO		55,893			57,060
Expected return on assets		(22,107	)		(19,659	)
Amortization of transition obligation		2,388			2,796
Amortization of prior service cost		(10,554	)		(9,045	)
Amortization of loss		15,894			12,951
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$	86,019		$	83,337

     The Registrant Subsidiaries’ other postretirement benefit cost, including amounts capitalized, for the third quarters of 2011 and 2010, included the following components:

				Entergy
	Entergy			Gulf States			Entergy			Entergy			Entergy			Entergy			System
2011	Arkansas			Louisiana			Louisiana			Mississippi			New Orleans			Texas			Energy
	(In Thousands)
Service cost — benefits earned during the period	$	2,013		$	1,540		$	1,635		$	658		$	362		$	769		$	661
Interest cost on APBO		3,436			2,075			2,192			1,093			806			1,486			667
Expected return on assets		(2,882	)		—			—			(977	)		(800	)		(1,874	)		(529	)
Amortization of transition obligation		205			60			96			88			298			47			2
Amortization of prior service cost		(133	)		(206	)		(62	)		(35	)		10			(107	)		(147	)
Amortization of loss		1,610			723			698			540			241			700			369
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$	4,249		$	4,192		$	4,559		$	1,367		$	917		$	1,021		$	1,023

				Entergy
	Entergy			Gulf States			Entergy		Entergy			Entergy			Entergy			System
2010	Arkansas			Louisiana			Louisiana		Mississippi			New Orleans			Texas			Energy
	(In Thousands)
Service cost — benefits earned during the period	$	1,843		$	1,370		$	1,371	$	550		$	347		$	697		$	563
Interest cost on APBO		3,629			2,144			2,269		1,093			900			1,582			641
Expected return on assets		(2,445	)		—			—		(888	)		(725	)		(1,718	)		(468	)
Amortization of transition obligation		205			60			96		88			415			66			2
Amortization of prior service cost		(197	)		(77	)		117		(62	)		90			19			(191	)
Amortization of loss		1,690			663			609		476			274			752			325
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$	4,725		$	4,160		$	4,462	$	1,257		$	1,301		$	1,398		$	872

     The Registrant Subsidiaries’ other postretirement benefit cost, including amounts capitalized, for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, included the following components:

				Entergy
	Entergy			Gulf States			Entergy			Entergy			Entergy			Entergy			System
2011	Arkansas			Louisiana			Louisiana			Mississippi			New Orleans			Texas			Energy
	(In Thousands)
Service cost — benefits earned during the period	$	6,039		$	4,620		$	4,905		$	1,974		$	1,086		$	2,307		$	1,983
Interest cost on APBO		10,308			6,225			6,576			3,279			2,418			4,458			2,001
Expected return on assets		(8,646	)		—			—			(2,931	)		(2,400	)		(5,622	)		(1,587	)
Amortization of transition obligation		615			180			288			264			894			141			6
Amortization of prior service cost		(399	)		(618	)		(186	)		(105	)		30			(321	)		(441	)
Amortization of loss		4,830			2,169			2,094			1,620			723			2,100			1,107
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$	12,747		$	12,576		$	13,677		$	4,101		$	2,751		$	3,063		$	3,069

				Entergy
	Entergy			Gulf States			Entergy		Entergy			Entergy			Entergy			System
2010	Arkansas			Louisiana			Louisiana		Mississippi			New Orleans			Texas			Energy
	(In Thousands)
Service cost — benefits earned during the period	$	5,529		$	4,110		$	4,113	$	1,650		$	1,041		$	2,091		$	1,689
Interest cost on APBO		10,887			6,432			6,807		3,279			2,700			4,746			1,923
Expected return on assets		(7,335	)		—			—		(2,664	)		(2,175	)		(5,154	)		(1,404	)
Amortization of transition obligation		615			180			288		264			1,245			198			6
Amortization of prior service cost		(591	)		(231	)		351		(186	)		270			57			(573	)
Amortization of loss		5,070			1,989			1,827		1,428			822			2,256			975
Net other postretirement benefit cost	$	14,175		$	12,480		$	13,386	$	3,771		$	3,903		$	4,194		$	2,616

Employer Contributions

     Based on current assumptions, Entergy expects to contribute $400.5 million to its qualified pension plans in 2011. As of the end of September 2011, Entergy had contributed $337.9 million to its pension plans. Therefore, Entergy presently anticipates contributing an additional $62.6 million to fund its qualified pension plans in 2011.

     Based on current assumptions, the Registrant Subsidiaries expect to contribute the following to qualified pension plans in 2011:

			Entergy
	Entergy		Gulf States		Entergy		Entergy		Entergy		Entergy		System
	Arkansas		Louisiana		Louisiana		Mississippi		New Orleans		Texas		Energy
	(In Thousands)
Expected 2011 pension contributions	$	120,400	$	27,318	$	60,597	$	29,169	$	12,160	$	18,235	$	28,351
Pension contributions made through September 2011	$	104,218	$	22,619	$	51,411	$	25,173	$	10,291	$	14,946	$	24,452
Remaining estimated pension contributions to be made in 2011	$	16,182	$	4,699	$	9,186	$	3,996	$	1,869	$	3,289	$	3,899