Utility, Parent & Other
In fourth quarter 2006, Utility, Parent & Other recorded as-reported earnings of $226.6 million, or $1.08 per share, compared to a loss of $0.2 million, or zero cents per share, in fourth quarter 2005. On an operational basis, earnings were $97.5 million, or 47 cents per share, in fourth quarter 2006, compared to $33.4 million, or 16 cents per share, in fourth quarter 2005. As-reported 2006 earnings reflect special items totaling 61 cents per share including: 1) nine cents per share loss at Entergy New Orleans, Inc. in fourth quarter 2006; 2) 26 cents per share gain on the sale of Entergy-Koch Trading based on receipt of final cash distributions; 3) 49 cents per share of tax benefits associated with liquidation of the holding company that owned Entergy's investment in Entergy-Koch, LP and, 4) five cents per share loss from the discontinued competitive retail business in Texas.
Earnings for Utility, Parent & Other in fourth quarter 2006, excluding Entergy New Orleans, primarily reflect higher revenue from sales growth and constructive rate actions, income associated with recording a regulatory asset to reflect a regulatory order issued during the period, and lower income taxes. Partially offsetting these factors were higher operation and maintenance expense due primarily to higher benefits expense, higher interest expense due to debt incurred to pay for storm restoration costs for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the absence of colder-than-normal weather that contributed positively to earnings in fourth quarter 2005.
Excluding Entergy New Orleans, megawatt-hour sales in the residential sector in fourth quarter 2006, on a weather-adjusted basis, were comparable to fourth quarter 2005. Commercial and governmental sales, after adjusting for weather, were up five percent, compared to the prior quarter. Industrial sales experienced an increase of nine percent in fourth quarter 2006, compared to the same period a year ago.
The absence of any increase in the residential segment reflects the lagging return of citizens to storm-affected regions. The quarter over quarter increase in the commercial and industrial sectors reflects rebound from the effect of storms in fourth quarter 2005. The industrial sector has seen some level of recovery in all segments with the exception of pipeline, which continues to experience the effects of periodic interruptions in their operations and mild winter weather.
Entergy New Orleans' results for fourth quarter 2006 are being treated as a special item. As such, its results are included in Utility, Parent & Other as-reported earnings, but are excluded from operational earnings. For fourth quarter 2005, Utility, Parent & Other results include Entergy New Orleans on both as-reported and operational bases. Also, Entergy New Orleans is de-consolidated for both fourth quarter 2006 and fourth quarter 2005 reporting purposes due to uncertainties surrounding the nature, timing, and specifics of the Entergy New Orleans bankruptcy proceedings. Accordingly, revenue and expense explanations provided above exclude the revenues and expenses of Entergy New Orleans.
To ensure continued progress in restoring power and gas service to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, on September 23, 2005, Entergy New Orleans filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Entergy New Orleans filed its initial plan of reorganization with the bankruptcy court on October 23, 2006 and filed its fourth amended plan on January 24, 2007. A competing plan has been filed by the unsecured creditors and on January 25, 2007 the bankruptcy court ruled that both Entergy New Orleans' plan and the unsecured creditor's plan could be distributed to all parties in the bankruptcy proceeding for review and consideration for approval. Entergy believes its plan is workable, fair, and in the public interest. For more information on documents filed in this proceeding, including the original plan of reorganization and all amendments, go to www.entergy.com/investor_relations/enoi.aspx.
Entergy New Orleans' results for fourth quarter 2006 reflect a loss of $19.6 million, or nine cents per share. In fourth quarter 2005, Entergy New Orleans also reported a loss in the amount of $19.3 million, or eight cents per share. In fourth quarter 2005 Entergy New Orleans experienced significant reductions in operating revenues due to customer losses as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Fourth quarter 2006 resultsreflect the ongoing effects of the hurricane as well as certain actions taken by Entergy New Orleans to stabilize the company's financial condition.Results for the current period include higher operation and maintenance expense due to bankruptcy reorganization expenses, including previously waived interest on first mortgage bonds that was accrued and recorded in operation and maintenance expense. Interest had not been accrued since the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing date in September 2005 for a period of one year as part of a December 2005 agreement between Entergy New Orleans and bondholders. Entergy New Orleans' plan of reorganization provides for a payment equal to the amount of that full year's interest at the time of exit from bankruptcy. Entergy New Orleans' plan of reorganization also provides for interest to unsecured creditors from the bankruptcy filing date, which Entergy New Orleans accrued in fourth quarter 2006. Also, pursuant to an agreement with the bondholders approved by the bankruptcy court, Entergy New Orleans is paying current interest on the bonds which is reflected in interest expense in fourth quarter 2006.
For the year 2006, Utility, Parent and Other earned $838.8 million, or $3.97 per share, on an as-reported basis, compared with $604.2 million, or $2.82 per share, for 2005. Operational earnings in 2006 were $676.2 million, or $3.20 per share, compared to $648.9 million, or $3.03 per share, in 2005. The higher operational earnings in 2006 were due primarily to higher revenues from sales growth and constructive rate actions and lower income taxes.
Entergy Nuclear
Entergy Nuclear earned $57.7 million, or 27 cents per share, on both as-reported and operational bases in fourth quarter 2006. This compares to as-reported and operational earnings of $77.1 million, or 37 cents per share, in fourth quarter 2005. The lower results in fourth quarter 2006 came from higher income taxes and higher operation and maintenance expense due to higher benefits expense. Partially offsetting these effects was higher pricing.
For the year 2006, Entergy Nuclear earned $309.5 million, or $1.46 per share, on both as-reported and operational bases, compared with $282.6 million, or $1.32 per share, for 2005. The increase in 2006 earnings was due primarily to increased revenue from higher contract pricing and higher generation due to fewer outage days and uprates.
Non-Nuclear Wholesale Assets
Entergy's non-nuclear wholesale assets business recorded a loss of $16.0 million, or eight cents per share, on an as-reported basis, and earnings of $11.7 million, or five cents per share, on an operational basis, in fourth quarter 2006. Earnings on both as-reported and operational bases in fourth quarter 2005 were $13.3 million, or six cents per share. Operational results for the current quarter primarily reflect lower income taxes while earnings in fourth quarter 2005 included sales of SO2 allowances. There were no sales of SO2 allowances in the current period.
For the year 2006, Entergy's non-nuclear wholesale assets business lost $15.7 million, or seven cents per share, on an as-reported basis compared to earnings of $11.6 million, or five cents per share, for 2005. Operational earnings for 2006 were $12.0 million, or six cents per share, compared to $11.6 million, or five cents per share, for 2005.
Outlook
Entergy is reaffirming 2007 earnings guidance in the range of $5.40 to $5.70 per share on both as-reported and operational bases. Earnings guidance for 2007 excludes Entergy New Orleans given the uncertainty that remains for this business as it works through its Chapter 11 Bankruptcy proceeding. During 2007, actual results for Entergy New Orleans will be separately identified as a special item for earnings release purposes until such time as Entergy New Orleans emerges from bankruptcy.
Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.6 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $10 billion and approximately 14,000 employees.
Additional information regarding Entergy's quarter and year-to-date results of operations, regulatory proceedings, and other operations is available in Entergy's investor news release dated January 30, 2007, a copy of which has been filed today with the Securities Exchange Commission on Form 8-K and is available on Entergy's investor relations Web site at www.entergy.com/investor_relations.