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Acquisitions, Dispositions, and Impairment of Long-Lived Assets (Notes)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Acquisitions And Dispositions ACQUISITIONS, DISPOSITIONS, AND IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, and Entergy Texas)
Acquisitions

Sunflower Solar

In November 2018, Entergy Mississippi entered into an agreement for the purchase of an approximately 100 MW solar photovoltaic facility to be sited on approximately 1,000 acres in Sunflower County, Mississippi. The project, Sunflower Solar facility, was being built by Sunflower County Solar Project, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of Recurrent Energy, LLC. In December 2018, Entergy Mississippi filed a joint petition with Sunflower County Solar Project with the MPSC for Sunflower County Solar Project to construct and for Entergy Mississippi to acquire and thereafter own, operate, improve, and maintain the solar facility. In March 2020, Entergy Mississippi filed supplemental testimony addressing questions and observations raised in August 2019 by consultants retained by the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff and proposing an alternative structure for the transaction that would reduce its cost. In April 2020 the MPSC issued an order approving certification of the Sunflower Solar facility, subject to certain conditions, including: (i) that Entergy Mississippi pursue a tax equity partnership structure through which the partnership would acquire and own the facility under the build-own-transfer agreement and (ii) that if Entergy Mississippi does not consummate the partnership structure under the terms of the order, there will be a cap of $136 million on the level of recoverable costs. In April 2022, Entergy Mississippi confirmed mechanical completion of the Sunflower Solar facility. Pursuant to the MPSC’s April 2020 order, MS Sunflower Partnership, LLC was formed for the tax equity partnership with Entergy Mississippi as its managing member. In May 2022 both Entergy Mississippi and the tax equity investor made capital contributions to the tax equity partnership that were then used to make an initial payment of $105 million for acquisition of the facility. Substantial completion of the Sunflower Solar facility was accepted by Entergy Mississippi in September 2022. Commercial operation at the Sunflower Solar facility commenced in September 2022. Pending the remediation of certain operational issues, final payment is expected in first quarter 2023. See Note 1 to the financial statements for further discussion of the HLBV method of accounting used to account for the investment in MS Sunflower Partnership, LLC.

Searcy Solar

In March 2019, Entergy Arkansas entered into a build-own-transfer agreement for the purchase of an approximately 100 MW solar energy facility to be sited on approximately 800 acres in White County near Searcy, Arkansas. The project, Searcy Solar facility, was being constructed by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources. In April 2020 the APSC issued an order approving Entergy Arkansas’s acquisition of the Searcy Solar facility as being in the public interest. In May 2021, Entergy Arkansas filed with the APSC an application seeking to amend its certificate for the Searcy Solar facility to allow for the use of a tax equity partnership to acquire and own the facility. The tax equity partnership structure is expected to reduce costs and yield incremental net benefits to customers beyond those expected under the build-own-transfer structure alone. The APSC approved Entergy Arkansas’s tax equity partnership request in September 2021. AR Searcy Partnership, LLC was formed for the tax equity partnership with Entergy Arkansas as its managing member. In November 2021 both Entergy Arkansas and the tax equity investor made capital contributions to the tax equity partnership that were then used to acquire the facility. Upon substantial completion of the facility in December 2021, the tax equity partnership completed the purchase of the Searcy Solar facility. The purchase price for the Searcy Solar facility was approximately $133 million, which included a final payment of $1 million made in 2022. See Note 1 to the financial statements for further discussion of the HLBV method of accounting used to account for the investment in AR Searcy Partnership, LLC.

Hardin County Peaking Facility

In June 2021, Entergy Texas purchased the Hardin County Peaking Facility, an existing 147 MW simple-cycle gas-fired peaking power plant in Kountze, Texas, from East Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc. In addition, also
in June 2021, Entergy Texas sold a 7.56% partial interest in the Montgomery County Power Station to East Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc. for approximately $68 million. The two interdependent transactions were approved by the PUCT in April 2021. The purchase price for the Hardin County Peaking Facility was approximately $37 million.

Washington Parish Energy Center

In April 2017, Entergy Louisiana entered into an agreement with a subsidiary of Calpine Corporation for the construction and purchase of Washington Parish Energy Center, which consists of two natural gas-fired combustion turbine units with a total nominal capacity of approximately 361 MW. In November 2020, Entergy Louisiana completed the purchase, as approved by the LPSC, of the Washington Parish Energy Center. The total investment, including transmission and other related costs, is approximately $261 million, including a payment of $222 million to purchase the plant.

Dispositions

Palisades

In July 2018, Entergy entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Holtec International to sell to a Holtec subsidiary 100% of the equity interests in the subsidiary that owns Palisades and the Big Rock Point Site. In December 2020, Entergy and Holtec submitted a license transfer application to the NRC requesting approval to transfer the Palisades and Big Rock Point licenses from Entergy to Holtec. The NRC issued an order approving the application in December 2021. Palisades was shut down in May 2022 and defueled in June 2022. The Palisades transaction closed in June 2022 for a purchase price of $1,000 (subject to adjustment for net liabilities and other amounts). The sale included the transfer of the Palisades nuclear decommissioning trust and the asset retirement obligation for spent fuel management and plant decommissioning. The transaction resulted in a gain of $166 million ($130 million net-of-tax) in the second quarter 2022. The disposition-date fair value of the nuclear decommissioning trust fund was approximately $552 million, and the disposition-date fair value of the asset retirement obligation was approximately $708 million. The transaction also included property, plant, and equipment with a net book value of zero and materials and supplies.

Indian Point Energy Center

In April 2019, Entergy entered into an agreement to sell, directly or indirectly, 100% of the equity interests in the subsidiaries that own Indian Point 1, Indian Point 2, and Indian Point 3, after Indian Point 3 had been shut down and defueled, to a Holtec International subsidiary. In November 2020 the NRC approved the sale of the plants to Holtec. Indian Point 3 was shut down in April 2021 and defueled in May 2021. In May 2021 the New York State Public Service Commission approved the sale of the plant to Holtec. The transaction closed in May 2021. The sale included the transfer of the licenses, spent fuel, decommissioning liabilities, and nuclear decommissioning trusts for the three units. The transaction resulted in a charge of $340 million ($268 million net-of-tax) in the second quarter of 2021. The disposition-date fair value of the nuclear decommissioning trust funds was approximately $2,387 million, and the disposition-date fair value of the asset retirement obligations was $1,996 million. The transaction also included materials and supplies and prepaid assets.

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

2020, 2021, and 2022 Impairments

In June 2022, Entergy completed its multi-year strategy to shut down and sell each of the plants in Entergy Wholesale Commodities’ merchant nuclear fleet. The FitzPatrick plant was sold to Exelon in March 2017. The Vermont Yankee plant was sold to NorthStar in January 2019. The Pilgrim plant was sold to Holtec International in
August 2019. The Indian Point 2 and Indian Point 3 plants were sold to Holtec International in May 2021. The Palisades plant was sold to Holtec International in June 2022.

Entergy Wholesale Commodities incurred $1 million in 2022, $7 million in 2021, and $19 million in 2020 of impairment charges primarily related to nuclear fuel spending and expenditures for capital assets. These costs were charged to expense as incurred as a result of the impaired fair value of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities nuclear plants’ long-lived assets due to the significantly reduced remaining estimated operating lives associated with management’s strategy to exit the Entergy Wholesale Commodities merchant power business.

With respect to Palisades, Entergy and Consumers Energy had agreed to amend the existing PPA so that it would terminate early, on May 31, 2018. In September 2017, however, Entergy and Consumers Energy agreed to terminate the PPA amendment agreement. Entergy continued to operate Palisades under the then-current PPA with Consumers Energy, instead of shutting down in the fall of 2018 as previously planned. Entergy shut down the Palisades plant permanently on May 20, 2022. As a result of the change in expected operating life of the Palisades plant, the expected probability-weighted undiscounted net cash flows as of September 30, 2017 exceeded the carrying value of the plant and related assets. Accordingly, nuclear fuel spending and expenditures for capital assets incurred at Palisades after September 30, 2017 were no longer charged to expense as incurred, but recorded as assets and depreciated or amortized, subject to the typical periodic impairment reviews prescribed in the accounting rules.

The impairments and other related charges are recorded as a separate line item in Entergy’s consolidated income statements and are included within the results of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities segment.
Entergy Arkansas [Member]  
Acquisitions And Dispositions ACQUISITIONS, DISPOSITIONS, AND IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, and Entergy Texas)
Acquisitions

Sunflower Solar

In November 2018, Entergy Mississippi entered into an agreement for the purchase of an approximately 100 MW solar photovoltaic facility to be sited on approximately 1,000 acres in Sunflower County, Mississippi. The project, Sunflower Solar facility, was being built by Sunflower County Solar Project, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of Recurrent Energy, LLC. In December 2018, Entergy Mississippi filed a joint petition with Sunflower County Solar Project with the MPSC for Sunflower County Solar Project to construct and for Entergy Mississippi to acquire and thereafter own, operate, improve, and maintain the solar facility. In March 2020, Entergy Mississippi filed supplemental testimony addressing questions and observations raised in August 2019 by consultants retained by the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff and proposing an alternative structure for the transaction that would reduce its cost. In April 2020 the MPSC issued an order approving certification of the Sunflower Solar facility, subject to certain conditions, including: (i) that Entergy Mississippi pursue a tax equity partnership structure through which the partnership would acquire and own the facility under the build-own-transfer agreement and (ii) that if Entergy Mississippi does not consummate the partnership structure under the terms of the order, there will be a cap of $136 million on the level of recoverable costs. In April 2022, Entergy Mississippi confirmed mechanical completion of the Sunflower Solar facility. Pursuant to the MPSC’s April 2020 order, MS Sunflower Partnership, LLC was formed for the tax equity partnership with Entergy Mississippi as its managing member. In May 2022 both Entergy Mississippi and the tax equity investor made capital contributions to the tax equity partnership that were then used to make an initial payment of $105 million for acquisition of the facility. Substantial completion of the Sunflower Solar facility was accepted by Entergy Mississippi in September 2022. Commercial operation at the Sunflower Solar facility commenced in September 2022. Pending the remediation of certain operational issues, final payment is expected in first quarter 2023. See Note 1 to the financial statements for further discussion of the HLBV method of accounting used to account for the investment in MS Sunflower Partnership, LLC.

Searcy Solar

In March 2019, Entergy Arkansas entered into a build-own-transfer agreement for the purchase of an approximately 100 MW solar energy facility to be sited on approximately 800 acres in White County near Searcy, Arkansas. The project, Searcy Solar facility, was being constructed by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources. In April 2020 the APSC issued an order approving Entergy Arkansas’s acquisition of the Searcy Solar facility as being in the public interest. In May 2021, Entergy Arkansas filed with the APSC an application seeking to amend its certificate for the Searcy Solar facility to allow for the use of a tax equity partnership to acquire and own the facility. The tax equity partnership structure is expected to reduce costs and yield incremental net benefits to customers beyond those expected under the build-own-transfer structure alone. The APSC approved Entergy Arkansas’s tax equity partnership request in September 2021. AR Searcy Partnership, LLC was formed for the tax equity partnership with Entergy Arkansas as its managing member. In November 2021 both Entergy Arkansas and the tax equity investor made capital contributions to the tax equity partnership that were then used to acquire the facility. Upon substantial completion of the facility in December 2021, the tax equity partnership completed the purchase of the Searcy Solar facility. The purchase price for the Searcy Solar facility was approximately $133 million, which included a final payment of $1 million made in 2022. See Note 1 to the financial statements for further discussion of the HLBV method of accounting used to account for the investment in AR Searcy Partnership, LLC.

Hardin County Peaking Facility

In June 2021, Entergy Texas purchased the Hardin County Peaking Facility, an existing 147 MW simple-cycle gas-fired peaking power plant in Kountze, Texas, from East Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc. In addition, also
in June 2021, Entergy Texas sold a 7.56% partial interest in the Montgomery County Power Station to East Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc. for approximately $68 million. The two interdependent transactions were approved by the PUCT in April 2021. The purchase price for the Hardin County Peaking Facility was approximately $37 million.

Washington Parish Energy Center

In April 2017, Entergy Louisiana entered into an agreement with a subsidiary of Calpine Corporation for the construction and purchase of Washington Parish Energy Center, which consists of two natural gas-fired combustion turbine units with a total nominal capacity of approximately 361 MW. In November 2020, Entergy Louisiana completed the purchase, as approved by the LPSC, of the Washington Parish Energy Center. The total investment, including transmission and other related costs, is approximately $261 million, including a payment of $222 million to purchase the plant.

Dispositions

Palisades

In July 2018, Entergy entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Holtec International to sell to a Holtec subsidiary 100% of the equity interests in the subsidiary that owns Palisades and the Big Rock Point Site. In December 2020, Entergy and Holtec submitted a license transfer application to the NRC requesting approval to transfer the Palisades and Big Rock Point licenses from Entergy to Holtec. The NRC issued an order approving the application in December 2021. Palisades was shut down in May 2022 and defueled in June 2022. The Palisades transaction closed in June 2022 for a purchase price of $1,000 (subject to adjustment for net liabilities and other amounts). The sale included the transfer of the Palisades nuclear decommissioning trust and the asset retirement obligation for spent fuel management and plant decommissioning. The transaction resulted in a gain of $166 million ($130 million net-of-tax) in the second quarter 2022. The disposition-date fair value of the nuclear decommissioning trust fund was approximately $552 million, and the disposition-date fair value of the asset retirement obligation was approximately $708 million. The transaction also included property, plant, and equipment with a net book value of zero and materials and supplies.

Indian Point Energy Center

In April 2019, Entergy entered into an agreement to sell, directly or indirectly, 100% of the equity interests in the subsidiaries that own Indian Point 1, Indian Point 2, and Indian Point 3, after Indian Point 3 had been shut down and defueled, to a Holtec International subsidiary. In November 2020 the NRC approved the sale of the plants to Holtec. Indian Point 3 was shut down in April 2021 and defueled in May 2021. In May 2021 the New York State Public Service Commission approved the sale of the plant to Holtec. The transaction closed in May 2021. The sale included the transfer of the licenses, spent fuel, decommissioning liabilities, and nuclear decommissioning trusts for the three units. The transaction resulted in a charge of $340 million ($268 million net-of-tax) in the second quarter of 2021. The disposition-date fair value of the nuclear decommissioning trust funds was approximately $2,387 million, and the disposition-date fair value of the asset retirement obligations was $1,996 million. The transaction also included materials and supplies and prepaid assets.

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

2020, 2021, and 2022 Impairments

In June 2022, Entergy completed its multi-year strategy to shut down and sell each of the plants in Entergy Wholesale Commodities’ merchant nuclear fleet. The FitzPatrick plant was sold to Exelon in March 2017. The Vermont Yankee plant was sold to NorthStar in January 2019. The Pilgrim plant was sold to Holtec International in
August 2019. The Indian Point 2 and Indian Point 3 plants were sold to Holtec International in May 2021. The Palisades plant was sold to Holtec International in June 2022.

Entergy Wholesale Commodities incurred $1 million in 2022, $7 million in 2021, and $19 million in 2020 of impairment charges primarily related to nuclear fuel spending and expenditures for capital assets. These costs were charged to expense as incurred as a result of the impaired fair value of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities nuclear plants’ long-lived assets due to the significantly reduced remaining estimated operating lives associated with management’s strategy to exit the Entergy Wholesale Commodities merchant power business.

With respect to Palisades, Entergy and Consumers Energy had agreed to amend the existing PPA so that it would terminate early, on May 31, 2018. In September 2017, however, Entergy and Consumers Energy agreed to terminate the PPA amendment agreement. Entergy continued to operate Palisades under the then-current PPA with Consumers Energy, instead of shutting down in the fall of 2018 as previously planned. Entergy shut down the Palisades plant permanently on May 20, 2022. As a result of the change in expected operating life of the Palisades plant, the expected probability-weighted undiscounted net cash flows as of September 30, 2017 exceeded the carrying value of the plant and related assets. Accordingly, nuclear fuel spending and expenditures for capital assets incurred at Palisades after September 30, 2017 were no longer charged to expense as incurred, but recorded as assets and depreciated or amortized, subject to the typical periodic impairment reviews prescribed in the accounting rules.

The impairments and other related charges are recorded as a separate line item in Entergy’s consolidated income statements and are included within the results of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities segment.
Entergy Louisiana [Member]  
Acquisitions And Dispositions ACQUISITIONS, DISPOSITIONS, AND IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, and Entergy Texas)
Acquisitions

Sunflower Solar

In November 2018, Entergy Mississippi entered into an agreement for the purchase of an approximately 100 MW solar photovoltaic facility to be sited on approximately 1,000 acres in Sunflower County, Mississippi. The project, Sunflower Solar facility, was being built by Sunflower County Solar Project, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of Recurrent Energy, LLC. In December 2018, Entergy Mississippi filed a joint petition with Sunflower County Solar Project with the MPSC for Sunflower County Solar Project to construct and for Entergy Mississippi to acquire and thereafter own, operate, improve, and maintain the solar facility. In March 2020, Entergy Mississippi filed supplemental testimony addressing questions and observations raised in August 2019 by consultants retained by the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff and proposing an alternative structure for the transaction that would reduce its cost. In April 2020 the MPSC issued an order approving certification of the Sunflower Solar facility, subject to certain conditions, including: (i) that Entergy Mississippi pursue a tax equity partnership structure through which the partnership would acquire and own the facility under the build-own-transfer agreement and (ii) that if Entergy Mississippi does not consummate the partnership structure under the terms of the order, there will be a cap of $136 million on the level of recoverable costs. In April 2022, Entergy Mississippi confirmed mechanical completion of the Sunflower Solar facility. Pursuant to the MPSC’s April 2020 order, MS Sunflower Partnership, LLC was formed for the tax equity partnership with Entergy Mississippi as its managing member. In May 2022 both Entergy Mississippi and the tax equity investor made capital contributions to the tax equity partnership that were then used to make an initial payment of $105 million for acquisition of the facility. Substantial completion of the Sunflower Solar facility was accepted by Entergy Mississippi in September 2022. Commercial operation at the Sunflower Solar facility commenced in September 2022. Pending the remediation of certain operational issues, final payment is expected in first quarter 2023. See Note 1 to the financial statements for further discussion of the HLBV method of accounting used to account for the investment in MS Sunflower Partnership, LLC.

Searcy Solar

In March 2019, Entergy Arkansas entered into a build-own-transfer agreement for the purchase of an approximately 100 MW solar energy facility to be sited on approximately 800 acres in White County near Searcy, Arkansas. The project, Searcy Solar facility, was being constructed by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources. In April 2020 the APSC issued an order approving Entergy Arkansas’s acquisition of the Searcy Solar facility as being in the public interest. In May 2021, Entergy Arkansas filed with the APSC an application seeking to amend its certificate for the Searcy Solar facility to allow for the use of a tax equity partnership to acquire and own the facility. The tax equity partnership structure is expected to reduce costs and yield incremental net benefits to customers beyond those expected under the build-own-transfer structure alone. The APSC approved Entergy Arkansas’s tax equity partnership request in September 2021. AR Searcy Partnership, LLC was formed for the tax equity partnership with Entergy Arkansas as its managing member. In November 2021 both Entergy Arkansas and the tax equity investor made capital contributions to the tax equity partnership that were then used to acquire the facility. Upon substantial completion of the facility in December 2021, the tax equity partnership completed the purchase of the Searcy Solar facility. The purchase price for the Searcy Solar facility was approximately $133 million, which included a final payment of $1 million made in 2022. See Note 1 to the financial statements for further discussion of the HLBV method of accounting used to account for the investment in AR Searcy Partnership, LLC.

Hardin County Peaking Facility

In June 2021, Entergy Texas purchased the Hardin County Peaking Facility, an existing 147 MW simple-cycle gas-fired peaking power plant in Kountze, Texas, from East Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc. In addition, also
in June 2021, Entergy Texas sold a 7.56% partial interest in the Montgomery County Power Station to East Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc. for approximately $68 million. The two interdependent transactions were approved by the PUCT in April 2021. The purchase price for the Hardin County Peaking Facility was approximately $37 million.

Washington Parish Energy Center

In April 2017, Entergy Louisiana entered into an agreement with a subsidiary of Calpine Corporation for the construction and purchase of Washington Parish Energy Center, which consists of two natural gas-fired combustion turbine units with a total nominal capacity of approximately 361 MW. In November 2020, Entergy Louisiana completed the purchase, as approved by the LPSC, of the Washington Parish Energy Center. The total investment, including transmission and other related costs, is approximately $261 million, including a payment of $222 million to purchase the plant.

Dispositions

Palisades

In July 2018, Entergy entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Holtec International to sell to a Holtec subsidiary 100% of the equity interests in the subsidiary that owns Palisades and the Big Rock Point Site. In December 2020, Entergy and Holtec submitted a license transfer application to the NRC requesting approval to transfer the Palisades and Big Rock Point licenses from Entergy to Holtec. The NRC issued an order approving the application in December 2021. Palisades was shut down in May 2022 and defueled in June 2022. The Palisades transaction closed in June 2022 for a purchase price of $1,000 (subject to adjustment for net liabilities and other amounts). The sale included the transfer of the Palisades nuclear decommissioning trust and the asset retirement obligation for spent fuel management and plant decommissioning. The transaction resulted in a gain of $166 million ($130 million net-of-tax) in the second quarter 2022. The disposition-date fair value of the nuclear decommissioning trust fund was approximately $552 million, and the disposition-date fair value of the asset retirement obligation was approximately $708 million. The transaction also included property, plant, and equipment with a net book value of zero and materials and supplies.

Indian Point Energy Center

In April 2019, Entergy entered into an agreement to sell, directly or indirectly, 100% of the equity interests in the subsidiaries that own Indian Point 1, Indian Point 2, and Indian Point 3, after Indian Point 3 had been shut down and defueled, to a Holtec International subsidiary. In November 2020 the NRC approved the sale of the plants to Holtec. Indian Point 3 was shut down in April 2021 and defueled in May 2021. In May 2021 the New York State Public Service Commission approved the sale of the plant to Holtec. The transaction closed in May 2021. The sale included the transfer of the licenses, spent fuel, decommissioning liabilities, and nuclear decommissioning trusts for the three units. The transaction resulted in a charge of $340 million ($268 million net-of-tax) in the second quarter of 2021. The disposition-date fair value of the nuclear decommissioning trust funds was approximately $2,387 million, and the disposition-date fair value of the asset retirement obligations was $1,996 million. The transaction also included materials and supplies and prepaid assets.

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

2020, 2021, and 2022 Impairments

In June 2022, Entergy completed its multi-year strategy to shut down and sell each of the plants in Entergy Wholesale Commodities’ merchant nuclear fleet. The FitzPatrick plant was sold to Exelon in March 2017. The Vermont Yankee plant was sold to NorthStar in January 2019. The Pilgrim plant was sold to Holtec International in
August 2019. The Indian Point 2 and Indian Point 3 plants were sold to Holtec International in May 2021. The Palisades plant was sold to Holtec International in June 2022.

Entergy Wholesale Commodities incurred $1 million in 2022, $7 million in 2021, and $19 million in 2020 of impairment charges primarily related to nuclear fuel spending and expenditures for capital assets. These costs were charged to expense as incurred as a result of the impaired fair value of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities nuclear plants’ long-lived assets due to the significantly reduced remaining estimated operating lives associated with management’s strategy to exit the Entergy Wholesale Commodities merchant power business.

With respect to Palisades, Entergy and Consumers Energy had agreed to amend the existing PPA so that it would terminate early, on May 31, 2018. In September 2017, however, Entergy and Consumers Energy agreed to terminate the PPA amendment agreement. Entergy continued to operate Palisades under the then-current PPA with Consumers Energy, instead of shutting down in the fall of 2018 as previously planned. Entergy shut down the Palisades plant permanently on May 20, 2022. As a result of the change in expected operating life of the Palisades plant, the expected probability-weighted undiscounted net cash flows as of September 30, 2017 exceeded the carrying value of the plant and related assets. Accordingly, nuclear fuel spending and expenditures for capital assets incurred at Palisades after September 30, 2017 were no longer charged to expense as incurred, but recorded as assets and depreciated or amortized, subject to the typical periodic impairment reviews prescribed in the accounting rules.

The impairments and other related charges are recorded as a separate line item in Entergy’s consolidated income statements and are included within the results of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities segment.
Entergy Mississippi [Member]  
Acquisitions And Dispositions ACQUISITIONS, DISPOSITIONS, AND IMPAIRMENT OF LONG-LIVED ASSETS (Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, and Entergy Texas)
Acquisitions

Sunflower Solar

In November 2018, Entergy Mississippi entered into an agreement for the purchase of an approximately 100 MW solar photovoltaic facility to be sited on approximately 1,000 acres in Sunflower County, Mississippi. The project, Sunflower Solar facility, was being built by Sunflower County Solar Project, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of Recurrent Energy, LLC. In December 2018, Entergy Mississippi filed a joint petition with Sunflower County Solar Project with the MPSC for Sunflower County Solar Project to construct and for Entergy Mississippi to acquire and thereafter own, operate, improve, and maintain the solar facility. In March 2020, Entergy Mississippi filed supplemental testimony addressing questions and observations raised in August 2019 by consultants retained by the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff and proposing an alternative structure for the transaction that would reduce its cost. In April 2020 the MPSC issued an order approving certification of the Sunflower Solar facility, subject to certain conditions, including: (i) that Entergy Mississippi pursue a tax equity partnership structure through which the partnership would acquire and own the facility under the build-own-transfer agreement and (ii) that if Entergy Mississippi does not consummate the partnership structure under the terms of the order, there will be a cap of $136 million on the level of recoverable costs. In April 2022, Entergy Mississippi confirmed mechanical completion of the Sunflower Solar facility. Pursuant to the MPSC’s April 2020 order, MS Sunflower Partnership, LLC was formed for the tax equity partnership with Entergy Mississippi as its managing member. In May 2022 both Entergy Mississippi and the tax equity investor made capital contributions to the tax equity partnership that were then used to make an initial payment of $105 million for acquisition of the facility. Substantial completion of the Sunflower Solar facility was accepted by Entergy Mississippi in September 2022. Commercial operation at the Sunflower Solar facility commenced in September 2022. Pending the remediation of certain operational issues, final payment is expected in first quarter 2023. See Note 1 to the financial statements for further discussion of the HLBV method of accounting used to account for the investment in MS Sunflower Partnership, LLC.

Searcy Solar

In March 2019, Entergy Arkansas entered into a build-own-transfer agreement for the purchase of an approximately 100 MW solar energy facility to be sited on approximately 800 acres in White County near Searcy, Arkansas. The project, Searcy Solar facility, was being constructed by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources. In April 2020 the APSC issued an order approving Entergy Arkansas’s acquisition of the Searcy Solar facility as being in the public interest. In May 2021, Entergy Arkansas filed with the APSC an application seeking to amend its certificate for the Searcy Solar facility to allow for the use of a tax equity partnership to acquire and own the facility. The tax equity partnership structure is expected to reduce costs and yield incremental net benefits to customers beyond those expected under the build-own-transfer structure alone. The APSC approved Entergy Arkansas’s tax equity partnership request in September 2021. AR Searcy Partnership, LLC was formed for the tax equity partnership with Entergy Arkansas as its managing member. In November 2021 both Entergy Arkansas and the tax equity investor made capital contributions to the tax equity partnership that were then used to acquire the facility. Upon substantial completion of the facility in December 2021, the tax equity partnership completed the purchase of the Searcy Solar facility. The purchase price for the Searcy Solar facility was approximately $133 million, which included a final payment of $1 million made in 2022. See Note 1 to the financial statements for further discussion of the HLBV method of accounting used to account for the investment in AR Searcy Partnership, LLC.

Hardin County Peaking Facility

In June 2021, Entergy Texas purchased the Hardin County Peaking Facility, an existing 147 MW simple-cycle gas-fired peaking power plant in Kountze, Texas, from East Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc. In addition, also
in June 2021, Entergy Texas sold a 7.56% partial interest in the Montgomery County Power Station to East Texas Electric Cooperative, Inc. for approximately $68 million. The two interdependent transactions were approved by the PUCT in April 2021. The purchase price for the Hardin County Peaking Facility was approximately $37 million.

Washington Parish Energy Center

In April 2017, Entergy Louisiana entered into an agreement with a subsidiary of Calpine Corporation for the construction and purchase of Washington Parish Energy Center, which consists of two natural gas-fired combustion turbine units with a total nominal capacity of approximately 361 MW. In November 2020, Entergy Louisiana completed the purchase, as approved by the LPSC, of the Washington Parish Energy Center. The total investment, including transmission and other related costs, is approximately $261 million, including a payment of $222 million to purchase the plant.

Dispositions

Palisades

In July 2018, Entergy entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Holtec International to sell to a Holtec subsidiary 100% of the equity interests in the subsidiary that owns Palisades and the Big Rock Point Site. In December 2020, Entergy and Holtec submitted a license transfer application to the NRC requesting approval to transfer the Palisades and Big Rock Point licenses from Entergy to Holtec. The NRC issued an order approving the application in December 2021. Palisades was shut down in May 2022 and defueled in June 2022. The Palisades transaction closed in June 2022 for a purchase price of $1,000 (subject to adjustment for net liabilities and other amounts). The sale included the transfer of the Palisades nuclear decommissioning trust and the asset retirement obligation for spent fuel management and plant decommissioning. The transaction resulted in a gain of $166 million ($130 million net-of-tax) in the second quarter 2022. The disposition-date fair value of the nuclear decommissioning trust fund was approximately $552 million, and the disposition-date fair value of the asset retirement obligation was approximately $708 million. The transaction also included property, plant, and equipment with a net book value of zero and materials and supplies.

Indian Point Energy Center

In April 2019, Entergy entered into an agreement to sell, directly or indirectly, 100% of the equity interests in the subsidiaries that own Indian Point 1, Indian Point 2, and Indian Point 3, after Indian Point 3 had been shut down and defueled, to a Holtec International subsidiary. In November 2020 the NRC approved the sale of the plants to Holtec. Indian Point 3 was shut down in April 2021 and defueled in May 2021. In May 2021 the New York State Public Service Commission approved the sale of the plant to Holtec. The transaction closed in May 2021. The sale included the transfer of the licenses, spent fuel, decommissioning liabilities, and nuclear decommissioning trusts for the three units. The transaction resulted in a charge of $340 million ($268 million net-of-tax) in the second quarter of 2021. The disposition-date fair value of the nuclear decommissioning trust funds was approximately $2,387 million, and the disposition-date fair value of the asset retirement obligations was $1,996 million. The transaction also included materials and supplies and prepaid assets.

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

2020, 2021, and 2022 Impairments

In June 2022, Entergy completed its multi-year strategy to shut down and sell each of the plants in Entergy Wholesale Commodities’ merchant nuclear fleet. The FitzPatrick plant was sold to Exelon in March 2017. The Vermont Yankee plant was sold to NorthStar in January 2019. The Pilgrim plant was sold to Holtec International in
August 2019. The Indian Point 2 and Indian Point 3 plants were sold to Holtec International in May 2021. The Palisades plant was sold to Holtec International in June 2022.

Entergy Wholesale Commodities incurred $1 million in 2022, $7 million in 2021, and $19 million in 2020 of impairment charges primarily related to nuclear fuel spending and expenditures for capital assets. These costs were charged to expense as incurred as a result of the impaired fair value of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities nuclear plants’ long-lived assets due to the significantly reduced remaining estimated operating lives associated with management’s strategy to exit the Entergy Wholesale Commodities merchant power business.

With respect to Palisades, Entergy and Consumers Energy had agreed to amend the existing PPA so that it would terminate early, on May 31, 2018. In September 2017, however, Entergy and Consumers Energy agreed to terminate the PPA amendment agreement. Entergy continued to operate Palisades under the then-current PPA with Consumers Energy, instead of shutting down in the fall of 2018 as previously planned. Entergy shut down the Palisades plant permanently on May 20, 2022. As a result of the change in expected operating life of the Palisades plant, the expected probability-weighted undiscounted net cash flows as of September 30, 2017 exceeded the carrying value of the plant and related assets. Accordingly, nuclear fuel spending and expenditures for capital assets incurred at Palisades after September 30, 2017 were no longer charged to expense as incurred, but recorded as assets and depreciated or amortized, subject to the typical periodic impairment reviews prescribed in the accounting rules.

The impairments and other related charges are recorded as a separate line item in Entergy’s consolidated income statements and are included within the results of the Entergy Wholesale Commodities segment.