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Revolving Credit Facilities, Lines Of Credit And Short-Term Borrowings
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Revolving Credit Facilities, Lines Of Credit, Short-Term Borrowings, And Long-Term Debt REVOLVING CREDIT FACILITIES, LINES OF CREDIT, AND SHORT-TERM BORROWINGS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy)

Entergy Corporation has in place a credit facility that has a borrowing capacity of $3.5 billion and expires in September 2024.  The facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against $20 million of the total borrowing capacity of the credit facility.  The commitment fee is currently 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount.  Commitment fees and interest rates on loans under the credit facility can fluctuate depending on the senior unsecured debt ratings of Entergy Corporation.  The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 3.77% on the drawn portion of the facility.  Following is a summary of the borrowings outstanding and capacity available under the facility as of December 31, 2019.
Capacity
 
Borrowings
 
Letters of Credit
 
Capacity Available
(In Millions)
$3,500
 
$440
 
$6
 
$3,054

Entergy Corporation’s credit facility requires Entergy to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization.  Entergy is in compliance with this covenant.  If Entergy fails to meet this ratio, or if Entergy Corporation or one of the Utility operating companies (except Entergy New Orleans) defaults on other indebtedness or is in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, an acceleration of the facility maturity date may occur.

Entergy Corporation has a commercial paper program with a Board-approved program limit of up to $2 billion.  As of December 31, 2019, Entergy Corporation had $1.947 billion of commercial paper outstanding.  The weighted-average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 2.71%.

Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each had credit facilities available as of December 31, 2019 as follows:
Company
 
Expiration Date
 
Amount of Facility
 
Interest Rate (a)
 
 Amount Drawn as of December 31, 2019
 
Letters of Credit Outstanding as of December 31, 2019
Entergy Arkansas
 
April 2020
 
$20 million (b)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Arkansas
 
September 2024
 
$150 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Louisiana
 
September 2024
 
$350 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$10 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$35 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$37.5 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy New Orleans
 
November 2021
 
$25 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
$20 million
 
$0.8 million
Entergy Texas
 
September 2024
 
$150 million (c)
 
3.30%
 
 
$1.3 million

(a)
The interest rate is the estimated interest rate as of December 31, 2019 that would have been applied to outstanding borrowings under the facility.
(b)
Borrowings under this Entergy Arkansas credit facility may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Arkansas’s option.
(c)
The credit facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against a portion of the borrowing capacity of the facility as follows: $5 million for Entergy Arkansas; $15 million for Entergy Louisiana; $10 million for Entergy New Orleans; and $30 million for Entergy Texas.  
(d)
Borrowings under the Entergy Mississippi credit facilities may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Mississippi’s option. 

The commitment fees on the credit facilities range from 0.075% to 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount. Each of the credit facilities requires the Registrant Subsidiary borrower to maintain a debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. Each Registrant Subsidiary is in compliance with this covenant.

In addition, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each entered into one or more uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as a means to post collateral to support its obligations to MISO. Following is a summary of the uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as of December 31, 2019:
Company
 
Amount of Uncommitted Facility
 
Letter of Credit Fee
 
Letters of Credit Issued as of December 31, 2019 (a)
Entergy Arkansas
 
$25 million
 
0.70%
 
$1.0 million
Entergy Louisiana
 
$125 million
 
0.70%
 
$12.3 million
Entergy Mississippi
 
$64 million
 
0.70%
 
$1.8 million
Entergy New Orleans
 
$15 million
 
1.00%
 
$5.6 million
Entergy Texas
 
$50 million
 
0.70%
 
$12.1 million


(a)
As of December 31, 2019, letters of credit posted with MISO covered financial transmission right exposure of $0.2 million for Entergy Mississippi. See Note 15 to the financial statements for discussion of financial transmission rights.
The short-term borrowings of the Registrant Subsidiaries are limited to amounts authorized by the FERC.  The current FERC-authorized limits for Entergy New Orleans are effective through October 31, 2021. The current FERC-authorized limits for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy Texas, and System Energy are effective through November 8, 2020. In addition to borrowings from commercial banks, these companies may also borrow from the Entergy System money pool and from other internal short-term borrowing arrangements.  The money pool and the other internal borrowing arrangements are inter-company borrowing arrangements designed to reduce the Utility subsidiaries’ dependence on external short-term borrowings.  Borrowings from internal and external short-term borrowings combined may not exceed the FERC-authorized limits.  The following are the FERC-authorized limits for short-term borrowings and the outstanding short-term borrowings as of December 31, 2019 (aggregating both internal and external short-term borrowings) for the Registrant Subsidiaries:
 
Authorized
 
Borrowings
 
(In Millions)
Entergy Arkansas
$250
 
$22
Entergy Louisiana
$450
 
$83
Entergy Mississippi
$175
 
Entergy New Orleans
$150
 
Entergy Texas
$200
 
System Energy
$200
 


Vermont Yankee Asset Retirement Management, LLC Credit Facility

In January 2019, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee was transferred to NorthStar and its credit facility was assumed by Vermont Yankee Asset Retirement Management, LLC, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee’s parent company that remains an Entergy subsidiary after the transfer. The credit facility has a borrowing capacity of $139 million and expires in December 2021. The commitment fee is currently 0.20% of the undrawn commitment amount.  As of December 31, 2019, $139 million in cash borrowings were outstanding under the credit facility.  The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 3.93% on the drawn portion of the facility. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the transfer of Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee to NorthStar.

Variable Interest Entities (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy)

See Note 17 to the financial statements for a discussion of the consolidation of the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities (VIE).  To finance the acquisition and ownership of nuclear fuel, the nuclear fuel company VIEs have credit facilities and three of the four VIEs also issue commercial paper, details of which follow as of December 31, 2019:
Company
 
Expiration Date
 
Amount of Facility
 
Weighted Average Interest Rate on Borrowings (a)
 
Amount Outstanding as of December 31, 2019
 
 
(Dollars in Millions)
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
September 2021
 
$80
 
3.33%
 
$15.1
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE
 
September 2021
 
$105
 
3.23%
 
$70.3
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
September 2021
 
$105
 
3.30%
 
$49.9
System Energy VIE
 
September 2021
 
$120
 
3.34%
 
$31.6


(a)
Includes letter of credit fees and bank fronting fees on commercial paper issuances by the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy. The nuclear fuel company variable interest entity for Entergy Louisiana River Bend does not issue commercial paper, but borrows directly on its bank credit facility.

The commitment fees on the credit facilities are 0.10% of the undrawn commitment amount for the Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy VIEs. Each credit facility requires the respective lessee of nuclear fuel (Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, or Entergy Corporation as guarantor for System Energy) to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 70% or less of its total capitalization.

The nuclear fuel company variable interest entities had notes payable that are included in debt on the respective balance sheets as of December 31, 2019 as follows:
Company
 
Description
 
Amount
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
3.65% Series L due July 2021
 
$90 million
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
3.17% Series M due December 2023
 
$40 million
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE
 
3.38% Series R due August 2020
 
$70 million
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
3.92% Series H due February 2021
 
$40 million
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
3.22% Series I due December 2023
 
$20 million
System Energy VIE
 
3.42% Series J due April 2021
 
$100 million


In accordance with regulatory treatment, interest on the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities’ credit facilities, commercial paper, and long-term notes payable is reported in fuel expense.

Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy each have obtained financing authorizations from the FERC that extend through November 2020 for issuances by its nuclear fuel company variable interest entities.
Entergy Arkansas [Member]  
Revolving Credit Facilities, Lines Of Credit, Short-Term Borrowings, And Long-Term Debt REVOLVING CREDIT FACILITIES, LINES OF CREDIT, AND SHORT-TERM BORROWINGS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy)

Entergy Corporation has in place a credit facility that has a borrowing capacity of $3.5 billion and expires in September 2024.  The facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against $20 million of the total borrowing capacity of the credit facility.  The commitment fee is currently 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount.  Commitment fees and interest rates on loans under the credit facility can fluctuate depending on the senior unsecured debt ratings of Entergy Corporation.  The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 3.77% on the drawn portion of the facility.  Following is a summary of the borrowings outstanding and capacity available under the facility as of December 31, 2019.
Capacity
 
Borrowings
 
Letters of Credit
 
Capacity Available
(In Millions)
$3,500
 
$440
 
$6
 
$3,054

Entergy Corporation’s credit facility requires Entergy to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization.  Entergy is in compliance with this covenant.  If Entergy fails to meet this ratio, or if Entergy Corporation or one of the Utility operating companies (except Entergy New Orleans) defaults on other indebtedness or is in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, an acceleration of the facility maturity date may occur.

Entergy Corporation has a commercial paper program with a Board-approved program limit of up to $2 billion.  As of December 31, 2019, Entergy Corporation had $1.947 billion of commercial paper outstanding.  The weighted-average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 2.71%.

Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each had credit facilities available as of December 31, 2019 as follows:
Company
 
Expiration Date
 
Amount of Facility
 
Interest Rate (a)
 
 Amount Drawn as of December 31, 2019
 
Letters of Credit Outstanding as of December 31, 2019
Entergy Arkansas
 
April 2020
 
$20 million (b)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Arkansas
 
September 2024
 
$150 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Louisiana
 
September 2024
 
$350 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$10 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$35 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$37.5 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy New Orleans
 
November 2021
 
$25 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
$20 million
 
$0.8 million
Entergy Texas
 
September 2024
 
$150 million (c)
 
3.30%
 
 
$1.3 million

(a)
The interest rate is the estimated interest rate as of December 31, 2019 that would have been applied to outstanding borrowings under the facility.
(b)
Borrowings under this Entergy Arkansas credit facility may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Arkansas’s option.
(c)
The credit facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against a portion of the borrowing capacity of the facility as follows: $5 million for Entergy Arkansas; $15 million for Entergy Louisiana; $10 million for Entergy New Orleans; and $30 million for Entergy Texas.  
(d)
Borrowings under the Entergy Mississippi credit facilities may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Mississippi’s option. 

The commitment fees on the credit facilities range from 0.075% to 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount. Each of the credit facilities requires the Registrant Subsidiary borrower to maintain a debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. Each Registrant Subsidiary is in compliance with this covenant.

In addition, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each entered into one or more uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as a means to post collateral to support its obligations to MISO. Following is a summary of the uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as of December 31, 2019:
Company
 
Amount of Uncommitted Facility
 
Letter of Credit Fee
 
Letters of Credit Issued as of December 31, 2019 (a)
Entergy Arkansas
 
$25 million
 
0.70%
 
$1.0 million
Entergy Louisiana
 
$125 million
 
0.70%
 
$12.3 million
Entergy Mississippi
 
$64 million
 
0.70%
 
$1.8 million
Entergy New Orleans
 
$15 million
 
1.00%
 
$5.6 million
Entergy Texas
 
$50 million
 
0.70%
 
$12.1 million


(a)
As of December 31, 2019, letters of credit posted with MISO covered financial transmission right exposure of $0.2 million for Entergy Mississippi. See Note 15 to the financial statements for discussion of financial transmission rights.
The short-term borrowings of the Registrant Subsidiaries are limited to amounts authorized by the FERC.  The current FERC-authorized limits for Entergy New Orleans are effective through October 31, 2021. The current FERC-authorized limits for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy Texas, and System Energy are effective through November 8, 2020. In addition to borrowings from commercial banks, these companies may also borrow from the Entergy System money pool and from other internal short-term borrowing arrangements.  The money pool and the other internal borrowing arrangements are inter-company borrowing arrangements designed to reduce the Utility subsidiaries’ dependence on external short-term borrowings.  Borrowings from internal and external short-term borrowings combined may not exceed the FERC-authorized limits.  The following are the FERC-authorized limits for short-term borrowings and the outstanding short-term borrowings as of December 31, 2019 (aggregating both internal and external short-term borrowings) for the Registrant Subsidiaries:
 
Authorized
 
Borrowings
 
(In Millions)
Entergy Arkansas
$250
 
$22
Entergy Louisiana
$450
 
$83
Entergy Mississippi
$175
 
Entergy New Orleans
$150
 
Entergy Texas
$200
 
System Energy
$200
 


Vermont Yankee Asset Retirement Management, LLC Credit Facility

In January 2019, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee was transferred to NorthStar and its credit facility was assumed by Vermont Yankee Asset Retirement Management, LLC, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee’s parent company that remains an Entergy subsidiary after the transfer. The credit facility has a borrowing capacity of $139 million and expires in December 2021. The commitment fee is currently 0.20% of the undrawn commitment amount.  As of December 31, 2019, $139 million in cash borrowings were outstanding under the credit facility.  The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 3.93% on the drawn portion of the facility. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the transfer of Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee to NorthStar.

Variable Interest Entities (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy)

See Note 17 to the financial statements for a discussion of the consolidation of the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities (VIE).  To finance the acquisition and ownership of nuclear fuel, the nuclear fuel company VIEs have credit facilities and three of the four VIEs also issue commercial paper, details of which follow as of December 31, 2019:
Company
 
Expiration Date
 
Amount of Facility
 
Weighted Average Interest Rate on Borrowings (a)
 
Amount Outstanding as of December 31, 2019
 
 
(Dollars in Millions)
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
September 2021
 
$80
 
3.33%
 
$15.1
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE
 
September 2021
 
$105
 
3.23%
 
$70.3
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
September 2021
 
$105
 
3.30%
 
$49.9
System Energy VIE
 
September 2021
 
$120
 
3.34%
 
$31.6


(a)
Includes letter of credit fees and bank fronting fees on commercial paper issuances by the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy. The nuclear fuel company variable interest entity for Entergy Louisiana River Bend does not issue commercial paper, but borrows directly on its bank credit facility.

The commitment fees on the credit facilities are 0.10% of the undrawn commitment amount for the Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy VIEs. Each credit facility requires the respective lessee of nuclear fuel (Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, or Entergy Corporation as guarantor for System Energy) to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 70% or less of its total capitalization.

The nuclear fuel company variable interest entities had notes payable that are included in debt on the respective balance sheets as of December 31, 2019 as follows:
Company
 
Description
 
Amount
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
3.65% Series L due July 2021
 
$90 million
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
3.17% Series M due December 2023
 
$40 million
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE
 
3.38% Series R due August 2020
 
$70 million
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
3.92% Series H due February 2021
 
$40 million
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
3.22% Series I due December 2023
 
$20 million
System Energy VIE
 
3.42% Series J due April 2021
 
$100 million


In accordance with regulatory treatment, interest on the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities’ credit facilities, commercial paper, and long-term notes payable is reported in fuel expense.

Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy each have obtained financing authorizations from the FERC that extend through November 2020 for issuances by its nuclear fuel company variable interest entities.
Entergy Louisiana [Member]  
Revolving Credit Facilities, Lines Of Credit, Short-Term Borrowings, And Long-Term Debt REVOLVING CREDIT FACILITIES, LINES OF CREDIT, AND SHORT-TERM BORROWINGS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy)

Entergy Corporation has in place a credit facility that has a borrowing capacity of $3.5 billion and expires in September 2024.  The facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against $20 million of the total borrowing capacity of the credit facility.  The commitment fee is currently 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount.  Commitment fees and interest rates on loans under the credit facility can fluctuate depending on the senior unsecured debt ratings of Entergy Corporation.  The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 3.77% on the drawn portion of the facility.  Following is a summary of the borrowings outstanding and capacity available under the facility as of December 31, 2019.
Capacity
 
Borrowings
 
Letters of Credit
 
Capacity Available
(In Millions)
$3,500
 
$440
 
$6
 
$3,054

Entergy Corporation’s credit facility requires Entergy to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization.  Entergy is in compliance with this covenant.  If Entergy fails to meet this ratio, or if Entergy Corporation or one of the Utility operating companies (except Entergy New Orleans) defaults on other indebtedness or is in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, an acceleration of the facility maturity date may occur.

Entergy Corporation has a commercial paper program with a Board-approved program limit of up to $2 billion.  As of December 31, 2019, Entergy Corporation had $1.947 billion of commercial paper outstanding.  The weighted-average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 2.71%.

Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each had credit facilities available as of December 31, 2019 as follows:
Company
 
Expiration Date
 
Amount of Facility
 
Interest Rate (a)
 
 Amount Drawn as of December 31, 2019
 
Letters of Credit Outstanding as of December 31, 2019
Entergy Arkansas
 
April 2020
 
$20 million (b)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Arkansas
 
September 2024
 
$150 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Louisiana
 
September 2024
 
$350 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$10 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$35 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$37.5 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy New Orleans
 
November 2021
 
$25 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
$20 million
 
$0.8 million
Entergy Texas
 
September 2024
 
$150 million (c)
 
3.30%
 
 
$1.3 million

(a)
The interest rate is the estimated interest rate as of December 31, 2019 that would have been applied to outstanding borrowings under the facility.
(b)
Borrowings under this Entergy Arkansas credit facility may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Arkansas’s option.
(c)
The credit facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against a portion of the borrowing capacity of the facility as follows: $5 million for Entergy Arkansas; $15 million for Entergy Louisiana; $10 million for Entergy New Orleans; and $30 million for Entergy Texas.  
(d)
Borrowings under the Entergy Mississippi credit facilities may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Mississippi’s option. 

The commitment fees on the credit facilities range from 0.075% to 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount. Each of the credit facilities requires the Registrant Subsidiary borrower to maintain a debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. Each Registrant Subsidiary is in compliance with this covenant.

In addition, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each entered into one or more uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as a means to post collateral to support its obligations to MISO. Following is a summary of the uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as of December 31, 2019:
Company
 
Amount of Uncommitted Facility
 
Letter of Credit Fee
 
Letters of Credit Issued as of December 31, 2019 (a)
Entergy Arkansas
 
$25 million
 
0.70%
 
$1.0 million
Entergy Louisiana
 
$125 million
 
0.70%
 
$12.3 million
Entergy Mississippi
 
$64 million
 
0.70%
 
$1.8 million
Entergy New Orleans
 
$15 million
 
1.00%
 
$5.6 million
Entergy Texas
 
$50 million
 
0.70%
 
$12.1 million


(a)
As of December 31, 2019, letters of credit posted with MISO covered financial transmission right exposure of $0.2 million for Entergy Mississippi. See Note 15 to the financial statements for discussion of financial transmission rights.
The short-term borrowings of the Registrant Subsidiaries are limited to amounts authorized by the FERC.  The current FERC-authorized limits for Entergy New Orleans are effective through October 31, 2021. The current FERC-authorized limits for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy Texas, and System Energy are effective through November 8, 2020. In addition to borrowings from commercial banks, these companies may also borrow from the Entergy System money pool and from other internal short-term borrowing arrangements.  The money pool and the other internal borrowing arrangements are inter-company borrowing arrangements designed to reduce the Utility subsidiaries’ dependence on external short-term borrowings.  Borrowings from internal and external short-term borrowings combined may not exceed the FERC-authorized limits.  The following are the FERC-authorized limits for short-term borrowings and the outstanding short-term borrowings as of December 31, 2019 (aggregating both internal and external short-term borrowings) for the Registrant Subsidiaries:
 
Authorized
 
Borrowings
 
(In Millions)
Entergy Arkansas
$250
 
$22
Entergy Louisiana
$450
 
$83
Entergy Mississippi
$175
 
Entergy New Orleans
$150
 
Entergy Texas
$200
 
System Energy
$200
 


Vermont Yankee Asset Retirement Management, LLC Credit Facility

In January 2019, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee was transferred to NorthStar and its credit facility was assumed by Vermont Yankee Asset Retirement Management, LLC, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee’s parent company that remains an Entergy subsidiary after the transfer. The credit facility has a borrowing capacity of $139 million and expires in December 2021. The commitment fee is currently 0.20% of the undrawn commitment amount.  As of December 31, 2019, $139 million in cash borrowings were outstanding under the credit facility.  The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 3.93% on the drawn portion of the facility. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the transfer of Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee to NorthStar.

Variable Interest Entities (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy)

See Note 17 to the financial statements for a discussion of the consolidation of the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities (VIE).  To finance the acquisition and ownership of nuclear fuel, the nuclear fuel company VIEs have credit facilities and three of the four VIEs also issue commercial paper, details of which follow as of December 31, 2019:
Company
 
Expiration Date
 
Amount of Facility
 
Weighted Average Interest Rate on Borrowings (a)
 
Amount Outstanding as of December 31, 2019
 
 
(Dollars in Millions)
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
September 2021
 
$80
 
3.33%
 
$15.1
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE
 
September 2021
 
$105
 
3.23%
 
$70.3
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
September 2021
 
$105
 
3.30%
 
$49.9
System Energy VIE
 
September 2021
 
$120
 
3.34%
 
$31.6


(a)
Includes letter of credit fees and bank fronting fees on commercial paper issuances by the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy. The nuclear fuel company variable interest entity for Entergy Louisiana River Bend does not issue commercial paper, but borrows directly on its bank credit facility.

The commitment fees on the credit facilities are 0.10% of the undrawn commitment amount for the Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy VIEs. Each credit facility requires the respective lessee of nuclear fuel (Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, or Entergy Corporation as guarantor for System Energy) to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 70% or less of its total capitalization.

The nuclear fuel company variable interest entities had notes payable that are included in debt on the respective balance sheets as of December 31, 2019 as follows:
Company
 
Description
 
Amount
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
3.65% Series L due July 2021
 
$90 million
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
3.17% Series M due December 2023
 
$40 million
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE
 
3.38% Series R due August 2020
 
$70 million
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
3.92% Series H due February 2021
 
$40 million
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
3.22% Series I due December 2023
 
$20 million
System Energy VIE
 
3.42% Series J due April 2021
 
$100 million


In accordance with regulatory treatment, interest on the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities’ credit facilities, commercial paper, and long-term notes payable is reported in fuel expense.

Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy each have obtained financing authorizations from the FERC that extend through November 2020 for issuances by its nuclear fuel company variable interest entities.
Entergy Mississippi [Member]  
Revolving Credit Facilities, Lines Of Credit, Short-Term Borrowings, And Long-Term Debt REVOLVING CREDIT FACILITIES, LINES OF CREDIT, AND SHORT-TERM BORROWINGS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy)

Entergy Corporation has in place a credit facility that has a borrowing capacity of $3.5 billion and expires in September 2024.  The facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against $20 million of the total borrowing capacity of the credit facility.  The commitment fee is currently 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount.  Commitment fees and interest rates on loans under the credit facility can fluctuate depending on the senior unsecured debt ratings of Entergy Corporation.  The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 3.77% on the drawn portion of the facility.  Following is a summary of the borrowings outstanding and capacity available under the facility as of December 31, 2019.
Capacity
 
Borrowings
 
Letters of Credit
 
Capacity Available
(In Millions)
$3,500
 
$440
 
$6
 
$3,054

Entergy Corporation’s credit facility requires Entergy to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization.  Entergy is in compliance with this covenant.  If Entergy fails to meet this ratio, or if Entergy Corporation or one of the Utility operating companies (except Entergy New Orleans) defaults on other indebtedness or is in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, an acceleration of the facility maturity date may occur.

Entergy Corporation has a commercial paper program with a Board-approved program limit of up to $2 billion.  As of December 31, 2019, Entergy Corporation had $1.947 billion of commercial paper outstanding.  The weighted-average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 2.71%.

Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each had credit facilities available as of December 31, 2019 as follows:
Company
 
Expiration Date
 
Amount of Facility
 
Interest Rate (a)
 
 Amount Drawn as of December 31, 2019
 
Letters of Credit Outstanding as of December 31, 2019
Entergy Arkansas
 
April 2020
 
$20 million (b)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Arkansas
 
September 2024
 
$150 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Louisiana
 
September 2024
 
$350 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$10 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$35 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$37.5 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy New Orleans
 
November 2021
 
$25 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
$20 million
 
$0.8 million
Entergy Texas
 
September 2024
 
$150 million (c)
 
3.30%
 
 
$1.3 million

(a)
The interest rate is the estimated interest rate as of December 31, 2019 that would have been applied to outstanding borrowings under the facility.
(b)
Borrowings under this Entergy Arkansas credit facility may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Arkansas’s option.
(c)
The credit facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against a portion of the borrowing capacity of the facility as follows: $5 million for Entergy Arkansas; $15 million for Entergy Louisiana; $10 million for Entergy New Orleans; and $30 million for Entergy Texas.  
(d)
Borrowings under the Entergy Mississippi credit facilities may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Mississippi’s option. 

The commitment fees on the credit facilities range from 0.075% to 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount. Each of the credit facilities requires the Registrant Subsidiary borrower to maintain a debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. Each Registrant Subsidiary is in compliance with this covenant.

In addition, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each entered into one or more uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as a means to post collateral to support its obligations to MISO. Following is a summary of the uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as of December 31, 2019:
Company
 
Amount of Uncommitted Facility
 
Letter of Credit Fee
 
Letters of Credit Issued as of December 31, 2019 (a)
Entergy Arkansas
 
$25 million
 
0.70%
 
$1.0 million
Entergy Louisiana
 
$125 million
 
0.70%
 
$12.3 million
Entergy Mississippi
 
$64 million
 
0.70%
 
$1.8 million
Entergy New Orleans
 
$15 million
 
1.00%
 
$5.6 million
Entergy Texas
 
$50 million
 
0.70%
 
$12.1 million


(a)
As of December 31, 2019, letters of credit posted with MISO covered financial transmission right exposure of $0.2 million for Entergy Mississippi. See Note 15 to the financial statements for discussion of financial transmission rights.
The short-term borrowings of the Registrant Subsidiaries are limited to amounts authorized by the FERC.  The current FERC-authorized limits for Entergy New Orleans are effective through October 31, 2021. The current FERC-authorized limits for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy Texas, and System Energy are effective through November 8, 2020. In addition to borrowings from commercial banks, these companies may also borrow from the Entergy System money pool and from other internal short-term borrowing arrangements.  The money pool and the other internal borrowing arrangements are inter-company borrowing arrangements designed to reduce the Utility subsidiaries’ dependence on external short-term borrowings.  Borrowings from internal and external short-term borrowings combined may not exceed the FERC-authorized limits.  The following are the FERC-authorized limits for short-term borrowings and the outstanding short-term borrowings as of December 31, 2019 (aggregating both internal and external short-term borrowings) for the Registrant Subsidiaries:
 
Authorized
 
Borrowings
 
(In Millions)
Entergy Arkansas
$250
 
$22
Entergy Louisiana
$450
 
$83
Entergy Mississippi
$175
 
Entergy New Orleans
$150
 
Entergy Texas
$200
 
System Energy
$200
 


Vermont Yankee Asset Retirement Management, LLC Credit Facility

In January 2019, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee was transferred to NorthStar and its credit facility was assumed by Vermont Yankee Asset Retirement Management, LLC, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee’s parent company that remains an Entergy subsidiary after the transfer. The credit facility has a borrowing capacity of $139 million and expires in December 2021. The commitment fee is currently 0.20% of the undrawn commitment amount.  As of December 31, 2019, $139 million in cash borrowings were outstanding under the credit facility.  The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 3.93% on the drawn portion of the facility. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the transfer of Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee to NorthStar.

Variable Interest Entities (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy)

See Note 17 to the financial statements for a discussion of the consolidation of the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities (VIE).  To finance the acquisition and ownership of nuclear fuel, the nuclear fuel company VIEs have credit facilities and three of the four VIEs also issue commercial paper, details of which follow as of December 31, 2019:
Company
 
Expiration Date
 
Amount of Facility
 
Weighted Average Interest Rate on Borrowings (a)
 
Amount Outstanding as of December 31, 2019
 
 
(Dollars in Millions)
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
September 2021
 
$80
 
3.33%
 
$15.1
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE
 
September 2021
 
$105
 
3.23%
 
$70.3
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
September 2021
 
$105
 
3.30%
 
$49.9
System Energy VIE
 
September 2021
 
$120
 
3.34%
 
$31.6


(a)
Includes letter of credit fees and bank fronting fees on commercial paper issuances by the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy. The nuclear fuel company variable interest entity for Entergy Louisiana River Bend does not issue commercial paper, but borrows directly on its bank credit facility.

The commitment fees on the credit facilities are 0.10% of the undrawn commitment amount for the Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy VIEs. Each credit facility requires the respective lessee of nuclear fuel (Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, or Entergy Corporation as guarantor for System Energy) to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 70% or less of its total capitalization.

The nuclear fuel company variable interest entities had notes payable that are included in debt on the respective balance sheets as of December 31, 2019 as follows:
Company
 
Description
 
Amount
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
3.65% Series L due July 2021
 
$90 million
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
3.17% Series M due December 2023
 
$40 million
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE
 
3.38% Series R due August 2020
 
$70 million
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
3.92% Series H due February 2021
 
$40 million
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
3.22% Series I due December 2023
 
$20 million
System Energy VIE
 
3.42% Series J due April 2021
 
$100 million


In accordance with regulatory treatment, interest on the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities’ credit facilities, commercial paper, and long-term notes payable is reported in fuel expense.

Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy each have obtained financing authorizations from the FERC that extend through November 2020 for issuances by its nuclear fuel company variable interest entities.
Entergy New Orleans [Member]  
Revolving Credit Facilities, Lines Of Credit, Short-Term Borrowings, And Long-Term Debt REVOLVING CREDIT FACILITIES, LINES OF CREDIT, AND SHORT-TERM BORROWINGS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy)

Entergy Corporation has in place a credit facility that has a borrowing capacity of $3.5 billion and expires in September 2024.  The facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against $20 million of the total borrowing capacity of the credit facility.  The commitment fee is currently 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount.  Commitment fees and interest rates on loans under the credit facility can fluctuate depending on the senior unsecured debt ratings of Entergy Corporation.  The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 3.77% on the drawn portion of the facility.  Following is a summary of the borrowings outstanding and capacity available under the facility as of December 31, 2019.
Capacity
 
Borrowings
 
Letters of Credit
 
Capacity Available
(In Millions)
$3,500
 
$440
 
$6
 
$3,054

Entergy Corporation’s credit facility requires Entergy to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization.  Entergy is in compliance with this covenant.  If Entergy fails to meet this ratio, or if Entergy Corporation or one of the Utility operating companies (except Entergy New Orleans) defaults on other indebtedness or is in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, an acceleration of the facility maturity date may occur.

Entergy Corporation has a commercial paper program with a Board-approved program limit of up to $2 billion.  As of December 31, 2019, Entergy Corporation had $1.947 billion of commercial paper outstanding.  The weighted-average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 2.71%.

Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each had credit facilities available as of December 31, 2019 as follows:
Company
 
Expiration Date
 
Amount of Facility
 
Interest Rate (a)
 
 Amount Drawn as of December 31, 2019
 
Letters of Credit Outstanding as of December 31, 2019
Entergy Arkansas
 
April 2020
 
$20 million (b)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Arkansas
 
September 2024
 
$150 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Louisiana
 
September 2024
 
$350 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$10 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$35 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$37.5 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy New Orleans
 
November 2021
 
$25 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
$20 million
 
$0.8 million
Entergy Texas
 
September 2024
 
$150 million (c)
 
3.30%
 
 
$1.3 million

(a)
The interest rate is the estimated interest rate as of December 31, 2019 that would have been applied to outstanding borrowings under the facility.
(b)
Borrowings under this Entergy Arkansas credit facility may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Arkansas’s option.
(c)
The credit facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against a portion of the borrowing capacity of the facility as follows: $5 million for Entergy Arkansas; $15 million for Entergy Louisiana; $10 million for Entergy New Orleans; and $30 million for Entergy Texas.  
(d)
Borrowings under the Entergy Mississippi credit facilities may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Mississippi’s option. 

The commitment fees on the credit facilities range from 0.075% to 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount. Each of the credit facilities requires the Registrant Subsidiary borrower to maintain a debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. Each Registrant Subsidiary is in compliance with this covenant.

In addition, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each entered into one or more uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as a means to post collateral to support its obligations to MISO. Following is a summary of the uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as of December 31, 2019:
Company
 
Amount of Uncommitted Facility
 
Letter of Credit Fee
 
Letters of Credit Issued as of December 31, 2019 (a)
Entergy Arkansas
 
$25 million
 
0.70%
 
$1.0 million
Entergy Louisiana
 
$125 million
 
0.70%
 
$12.3 million
Entergy Mississippi
 
$64 million
 
0.70%
 
$1.8 million
Entergy New Orleans
 
$15 million
 
1.00%
 
$5.6 million
Entergy Texas
 
$50 million
 
0.70%
 
$12.1 million


(a)
As of December 31, 2019, letters of credit posted with MISO covered financial transmission right exposure of $0.2 million for Entergy Mississippi. See Note 15 to the financial statements for discussion of financial transmission rights.
The short-term borrowings of the Registrant Subsidiaries are limited to amounts authorized by the FERC.  The current FERC-authorized limits for Entergy New Orleans are effective through October 31, 2021. The current FERC-authorized limits for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy Texas, and System Energy are effective through November 8, 2020. In addition to borrowings from commercial banks, these companies may also borrow from the Entergy System money pool and from other internal short-term borrowing arrangements.  The money pool and the other internal borrowing arrangements are inter-company borrowing arrangements designed to reduce the Utility subsidiaries’ dependence on external short-term borrowings.  Borrowings from internal and external short-term borrowings combined may not exceed the FERC-authorized limits.  The following are the FERC-authorized limits for short-term borrowings and the outstanding short-term borrowings as of December 31, 2019 (aggregating both internal and external short-term borrowings) for the Registrant Subsidiaries:
 
Authorized
 
Borrowings
 
(In Millions)
Entergy Arkansas
$250
 
$22
Entergy Louisiana
$450
 
$83
Entergy Mississippi
$175
 
Entergy New Orleans
$150
 
Entergy Texas
$200
 
System Energy
$200
 


Vermont Yankee Asset Retirement Management, LLC Credit Facility

In January 2019, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee was transferred to NorthStar and its credit facility was assumed by Vermont Yankee Asset Retirement Management, LLC, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee’s parent company that remains an Entergy subsidiary after the transfer. The credit facility has a borrowing capacity of $139 million and expires in December 2021. The commitment fee is currently 0.20% of the undrawn commitment amount.  As of December 31, 2019, $139 million in cash borrowings were outstanding under the credit facility.  The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 3.93% on the drawn portion of the facility. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the transfer of Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee to NorthStar.

Variable Interest Entities (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy)

See Note 17 to the financial statements for a discussion of the consolidation of the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities (VIE).  To finance the acquisition and ownership of nuclear fuel, the nuclear fuel company VIEs have credit facilities and three of the four VIEs also issue commercial paper, details of which follow as of December 31, 2019:
Company
 
Expiration Date
 
Amount of Facility
 
Weighted Average Interest Rate on Borrowings (a)
 
Amount Outstanding as of December 31, 2019
 
 
(Dollars in Millions)
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
September 2021
 
$80
 
3.33%
 
$15.1
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE
 
September 2021
 
$105
 
3.23%
 
$70.3
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
September 2021
 
$105
 
3.30%
 
$49.9
System Energy VIE
 
September 2021
 
$120
 
3.34%
 
$31.6


(a)
Includes letter of credit fees and bank fronting fees on commercial paper issuances by the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy. The nuclear fuel company variable interest entity for Entergy Louisiana River Bend does not issue commercial paper, but borrows directly on its bank credit facility.

The commitment fees on the credit facilities are 0.10% of the undrawn commitment amount for the Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy VIEs. Each credit facility requires the respective lessee of nuclear fuel (Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, or Entergy Corporation as guarantor for System Energy) to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 70% or less of its total capitalization.

The nuclear fuel company variable interest entities had notes payable that are included in debt on the respective balance sheets as of December 31, 2019 as follows:
Company
 
Description
 
Amount
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
3.65% Series L due July 2021
 
$90 million
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
3.17% Series M due December 2023
 
$40 million
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE
 
3.38% Series R due August 2020
 
$70 million
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
3.92% Series H due February 2021
 
$40 million
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
3.22% Series I due December 2023
 
$20 million
System Energy VIE
 
3.42% Series J due April 2021
 
$100 million


In accordance with regulatory treatment, interest on the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities’ credit facilities, commercial paper, and long-term notes payable is reported in fuel expense.

Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy each have obtained financing authorizations from the FERC that extend through November 2020 for issuances by its nuclear fuel company variable interest entities.
Entergy Texas [Member]  
Revolving Credit Facilities, Lines Of Credit, Short-Term Borrowings, And Long-Term Debt REVOLVING CREDIT FACILITIES, LINES OF CREDIT, AND SHORT-TERM BORROWINGS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy)

Entergy Corporation has in place a credit facility that has a borrowing capacity of $3.5 billion and expires in September 2024.  The facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against $20 million of the total borrowing capacity of the credit facility.  The commitment fee is currently 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount.  Commitment fees and interest rates on loans under the credit facility can fluctuate depending on the senior unsecured debt ratings of Entergy Corporation.  The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 3.77% on the drawn portion of the facility.  Following is a summary of the borrowings outstanding and capacity available under the facility as of December 31, 2019.
Capacity
 
Borrowings
 
Letters of Credit
 
Capacity Available
(In Millions)
$3,500
 
$440
 
$6
 
$3,054

Entergy Corporation’s credit facility requires Entergy to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization.  Entergy is in compliance with this covenant.  If Entergy fails to meet this ratio, or if Entergy Corporation or one of the Utility operating companies (except Entergy New Orleans) defaults on other indebtedness or is in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, an acceleration of the facility maturity date may occur.

Entergy Corporation has a commercial paper program with a Board-approved program limit of up to $2 billion.  As of December 31, 2019, Entergy Corporation had $1.947 billion of commercial paper outstanding.  The weighted-average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 2.71%.

Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each had credit facilities available as of December 31, 2019 as follows:
Company
 
Expiration Date
 
Amount of Facility
 
Interest Rate (a)
 
 Amount Drawn as of December 31, 2019
 
Letters of Credit Outstanding as of December 31, 2019
Entergy Arkansas
 
April 2020
 
$20 million (b)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Arkansas
 
September 2024
 
$150 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Louisiana
 
September 2024
 
$350 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$10 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$35 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$37.5 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy New Orleans
 
November 2021
 
$25 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
$20 million
 
$0.8 million
Entergy Texas
 
September 2024
 
$150 million (c)
 
3.30%
 
 
$1.3 million

(a)
The interest rate is the estimated interest rate as of December 31, 2019 that would have been applied to outstanding borrowings under the facility.
(b)
Borrowings under this Entergy Arkansas credit facility may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Arkansas’s option.
(c)
The credit facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against a portion of the borrowing capacity of the facility as follows: $5 million for Entergy Arkansas; $15 million for Entergy Louisiana; $10 million for Entergy New Orleans; and $30 million for Entergy Texas.  
(d)
Borrowings under the Entergy Mississippi credit facilities may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Mississippi’s option. 

The commitment fees on the credit facilities range from 0.075% to 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount. Each of the credit facilities requires the Registrant Subsidiary borrower to maintain a debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. Each Registrant Subsidiary is in compliance with this covenant.

In addition, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each entered into one or more uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as a means to post collateral to support its obligations to MISO. Following is a summary of the uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as of December 31, 2019:
Company
 
Amount of Uncommitted Facility
 
Letter of Credit Fee
 
Letters of Credit Issued as of December 31, 2019 (a)
Entergy Arkansas
 
$25 million
 
0.70%
 
$1.0 million
Entergy Louisiana
 
$125 million
 
0.70%
 
$12.3 million
Entergy Mississippi
 
$64 million
 
0.70%
 
$1.8 million
Entergy New Orleans
 
$15 million
 
1.00%
 
$5.6 million
Entergy Texas
 
$50 million
 
0.70%
 
$12.1 million


(a)
As of December 31, 2019, letters of credit posted with MISO covered financial transmission right exposure of $0.2 million for Entergy Mississippi. See Note 15 to the financial statements for discussion of financial transmission rights.
The short-term borrowings of the Registrant Subsidiaries are limited to amounts authorized by the FERC.  The current FERC-authorized limits for Entergy New Orleans are effective through October 31, 2021. The current FERC-authorized limits for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy Texas, and System Energy are effective through November 8, 2020. In addition to borrowings from commercial banks, these companies may also borrow from the Entergy System money pool and from other internal short-term borrowing arrangements.  The money pool and the other internal borrowing arrangements are inter-company borrowing arrangements designed to reduce the Utility subsidiaries’ dependence on external short-term borrowings.  Borrowings from internal and external short-term borrowings combined may not exceed the FERC-authorized limits.  The following are the FERC-authorized limits for short-term borrowings and the outstanding short-term borrowings as of December 31, 2019 (aggregating both internal and external short-term borrowings) for the Registrant Subsidiaries:
 
Authorized
 
Borrowings
 
(In Millions)
Entergy Arkansas
$250
 
$22
Entergy Louisiana
$450
 
$83
Entergy Mississippi
$175
 
Entergy New Orleans
$150
 
Entergy Texas
$200
 
System Energy
$200
 


Vermont Yankee Asset Retirement Management, LLC Credit Facility

In January 2019, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee was transferred to NorthStar and its credit facility was assumed by Vermont Yankee Asset Retirement Management, LLC, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee’s parent company that remains an Entergy subsidiary after the transfer. The credit facility has a borrowing capacity of $139 million and expires in December 2021. The commitment fee is currently 0.20% of the undrawn commitment amount.  As of December 31, 2019, $139 million in cash borrowings were outstanding under the credit facility.  The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 3.93% on the drawn portion of the facility. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the transfer of Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee to NorthStar.

Variable Interest Entities (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy)

See Note 17 to the financial statements for a discussion of the consolidation of the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities (VIE).  To finance the acquisition and ownership of nuclear fuel, the nuclear fuel company VIEs have credit facilities and three of the four VIEs also issue commercial paper, details of which follow as of December 31, 2019:
Company
 
Expiration Date
 
Amount of Facility
 
Weighted Average Interest Rate on Borrowings (a)
 
Amount Outstanding as of December 31, 2019
 
 
(Dollars in Millions)
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
September 2021
 
$80
 
3.33%
 
$15.1
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE
 
September 2021
 
$105
 
3.23%
 
$70.3
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
September 2021
 
$105
 
3.30%
 
$49.9
System Energy VIE
 
September 2021
 
$120
 
3.34%
 
$31.6


(a)
Includes letter of credit fees and bank fronting fees on commercial paper issuances by the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy. The nuclear fuel company variable interest entity for Entergy Louisiana River Bend does not issue commercial paper, but borrows directly on its bank credit facility.

The commitment fees on the credit facilities are 0.10% of the undrawn commitment amount for the Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy VIEs. Each credit facility requires the respective lessee of nuclear fuel (Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, or Entergy Corporation as guarantor for System Energy) to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 70% or less of its total capitalization.

The nuclear fuel company variable interest entities had notes payable that are included in debt on the respective balance sheets as of December 31, 2019 as follows:
Company
 
Description
 
Amount
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
3.65% Series L due July 2021
 
$90 million
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
3.17% Series M due December 2023
 
$40 million
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE
 
3.38% Series R due August 2020
 
$70 million
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
3.92% Series H due February 2021
 
$40 million
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
3.22% Series I due December 2023
 
$20 million
System Energy VIE
 
3.42% Series J due April 2021
 
$100 million


In accordance with regulatory treatment, interest on the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities’ credit facilities, commercial paper, and long-term notes payable is reported in fuel expense.

Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy each have obtained financing authorizations from the FERC that extend through November 2020 for issuances by its nuclear fuel company variable interest entities.
System Energy [Member]  
Revolving Credit Facilities, Lines Of Credit, Short-Term Borrowings, And Long-Term Debt REVOLVING CREDIT FACILITIES, LINES OF CREDIT, AND SHORT-TERM BORROWINGS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Texas, and System Energy)

Entergy Corporation has in place a credit facility that has a borrowing capacity of $3.5 billion and expires in September 2024.  The facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against $20 million of the total borrowing capacity of the credit facility.  The commitment fee is currently 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount.  Commitment fees and interest rates on loans under the credit facility can fluctuate depending on the senior unsecured debt ratings of Entergy Corporation.  The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 3.77% on the drawn portion of the facility.  Following is a summary of the borrowings outstanding and capacity available under the facility as of December 31, 2019.
Capacity
 
Borrowings
 
Letters of Credit
 
Capacity Available
(In Millions)
$3,500
 
$440
 
$6
 
$3,054

Entergy Corporation’s credit facility requires Entergy to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization.  Entergy is in compliance with this covenant.  If Entergy fails to meet this ratio, or if Entergy Corporation or one of the Utility operating companies (except Entergy New Orleans) defaults on other indebtedness or is in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, an acceleration of the facility maturity date may occur.

Entergy Corporation has a commercial paper program with a Board-approved program limit of up to $2 billion.  As of December 31, 2019, Entergy Corporation had $1.947 billion of commercial paper outstanding.  The weighted-average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 2.71%.

Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each had credit facilities available as of December 31, 2019 as follows:
Company
 
Expiration Date
 
Amount of Facility
 
Interest Rate (a)
 
 Amount Drawn as of December 31, 2019
 
Letters of Credit Outstanding as of December 31, 2019
Entergy Arkansas
 
April 2020
 
$20 million (b)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Arkansas
 
September 2024
 
$150 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Louisiana
 
September 2024
 
$350 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$10 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$35 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy Mississippi
 
May 2020
 
$37.5 million (d)
 
3.30%
 
 
Entergy New Orleans
 
November 2021
 
$25 million (c)
 
2.92%
 
$20 million
 
$0.8 million
Entergy Texas
 
September 2024
 
$150 million (c)
 
3.30%
 
 
$1.3 million

(a)
The interest rate is the estimated interest rate as of December 31, 2019 that would have been applied to outstanding borrowings under the facility.
(b)
Borrowings under this Entergy Arkansas credit facility may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Arkansas’s option.
(c)
The credit facility includes fronting commitments for the issuance of letters of credit against a portion of the borrowing capacity of the facility as follows: $5 million for Entergy Arkansas; $15 million for Entergy Louisiana; $10 million for Entergy New Orleans; and $30 million for Entergy Texas.  
(d)
Borrowings under the Entergy Mississippi credit facilities may be secured by a security interest in its accounts receivable at Entergy Mississippi’s option. 

The commitment fees on the credit facilities range from 0.075% to 0.225% of the undrawn commitment amount. Each of the credit facilities requires the Registrant Subsidiary borrower to maintain a debt ratio, as defined, of 65% or less of its total capitalization. Each Registrant Subsidiary is in compliance with this covenant.

In addition, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy New Orleans, and Entergy Texas each entered into one or more uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as a means to post collateral to support its obligations to MISO. Following is a summary of the uncommitted standby letter of credit facilities as of December 31, 2019:
Company
 
Amount of Uncommitted Facility
 
Letter of Credit Fee
 
Letters of Credit Issued as of December 31, 2019 (a)
Entergy Arkansas
 
$25 million
 
0.70%
 
$1.0 million
Entergy Louisiana
 
$125 million
 
0.70%
 
$12.3 million
Entergy Mississippi
 
$64 million
 
0.70%
 
$1.8 million
Entergy New Orleans
 
$15 million
 
1.00%
 
$5.6 million
Entergy Texas
 
$50 million
 
0.70%
 
$12.1 million


(a)
As of December 31, 2019, letters of credit posted with MISO covered financial transmission right exposure of $0.2 million for Entergy Mississippi. See Note 15 to the financial statements for discussion of financial transmission rights.
The short-term borrowings of the Registrant Subsidiaries are limited to amounts authorized by the FERC.  The current FERC-authorized limits for Entergy New Orleans are effective through October 31, 2021. The current FERC-authorized limits for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, Entergy Texas, and System Energy are effective through November 8, 2020. In addition to borrowings from commercial banks, these companies may also borrow from the Entergy System money pool and from other internal short-term borrowing arrangements.  The money pool and the other internal borrowing arrangements are inter-company borrowing arrangements designed to reduce the Utility subsidiaries’ dependence on external short-term borrowings.  Borrowings from internal and external short-term borrowings combined may not exceed the FERC-authorized limits.  The following are the FERC-authorized limits for short-term borrowings and the outstanding short-term borrowings as of December 31, 2019 (aggregating both internal and external short-term borrowings) for the Registrant Subsidiaries:
 
Authorized
 
Borrowings
 
(In Millions)
Entergy Arkansas
$250
 
$22
Entergy Louisiana
$450
 
$83
Entergy Mississippi
$175
 
Entergy New Orleans
$150
 
Entergy Texas
$200
 
System Energy
$200
 


Vermont Yankee Asset Retirement Management, LLC Credit Facility

In January 2019, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee was transferred to NorthStar and its credit facility was assumed by Vermont Yankee Asset Retirement Management, LLC, Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee’s parent company that remains an Entergy subsidiary after the transfer. The credit facility has a borrowing capacity of $139 million and expires in December 2021. The commitment fee is currently 0.20% of the undrawn commitment amount.  As of December 31, 2019, $139 million in cash borrowings were outstanding under the credit facility.  The weighted average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was 3.93% on the drawn portion of the facility. See Note 14 to the financial statements for discussion of the transfer of Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee to NorthStar.

Variable Interest Entities (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy)

See Note 17 to the financial statements for a discussion of the consolidation of the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities (VIE).  To finance the acquisition and ownership of nuclear fuel, the nuclear fuel company VIEs have credit facilities and three of the four VIEs also issue commercial paper, details of which follow as of December 31, 2019:
Company
 
Expiration Date
 
Amount of Facility
 
Weighted Average Interest Rate on Borrowings (a)
 
Amount Outstanding as of December 31, 2019
 
 
(Dollars in Millions)
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
September 2021
 
$80
 
3.33%
 
$15.1
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE
 
September 2021
 
$105
 
3.23%
 
$70.3
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
September 2021
 
$105
 
3.30%
 
$49.9
System Energy VIE
 
September 2021
 
$120
 
3.34%
 
$31.6


(a)
Includes letter of credit fees and bank fronting fees on commercial paper issuances by the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities for Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy. The nuclear fuel company variable interest entity for Entergy Louisiana River Bend does not issue commercial paper, but borrows directly on its bank credit facility.

The commitment fees on the credit facilities are 0.10% of the undrawn commitment amount for the Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy VIEs. Each credit facility requires the respective lessee of nuclear fuel (Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, or Entergy Corporation as guarantor for System Energy) to maintain a consolidated debt ratio, as defined, of 70% or less of its total capitalization.

The nuclear fuel company variable interest entities had notes payable that are included in debt on the respective balance sheets as of December 31, 2019 as follows:
Company
 
Description
 
Amount
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
3.65% Series L due July 2021
 
$90 million
Entergy Arkansas VIE
 
3.17% Series M due December 2023
 
$40 million
Entergy Louisiana River Bend VIE
 
3.38% Series R due August 2020
 
$70 million
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
3.92% Series H due February 2021
 
$40 million
Entergy Louisiana Waterford VIE
 
3.22% Series I due December 2023
 
$20 million
System Energy VIE
 
3.42% Series J due April 2021
 
$100 million


In accordance with regulatory treatment, interest on the nuclear fuel company variable interest entities’ credit facilities, commercial paper, and long-term notes payable is reported in fuel expense.

Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and System Energy each have obtained financing authorizations from the FERC that extend through November 2020 for issuances by its nuclear fuel company variable interest entities.