Exhibit 99(b)
Entergy Gulf States, Inc.
Computation of Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges and
Ratios of Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred Dividends
12 months
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 June-00
Fixed charges, as defined:
Total Interest charges $200,224 $193,890 $180,073 $178,220 $153,034 $152,232
Interest applicable to rentals 16,648 14,887 15,747 16,927 16,451 16,542
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Total fixed charges, as defined 216,872 208,777 195,820 195,147 169,485 168,774
Preferred dividends, as defined (a) 44,651 48,690 30,028 32,031 29,355 25,992
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Combined fixed charges and preferred dividends, as defined $261,523 $257,467 $225,848 $227,178 $198,840 $194,766
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Earnings as defined:
Income (loss) from continuing operations before
extraordinary items and
the cumulative effect of accounting changes $122,919 ($3,887) $59,976 $46,393 $125,000 $166,113
Add:
Income Taxes 63,244 102,091 22,402 31,773 75,165 85,151
Fixed charges as above 216,872 208,777 195,820 195,147 169,485 168,774
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Total earnings, as defined (b) $403,035 $306,981 $278,198 $273,313 $369,650 $420,038
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Ratio of earnings to fixed charges, as defined 1.86 1.47 1.42 1.40 2.18 2.49
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Ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and
preferred dividends, as defined 1.54 1.19 1.23 1.20 1.86 2.16
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(a) "Preferred dividends," as defined by SEC regulation S-K, are computed by
dividing the preferred dividend requirement by one hundred percent (100%)
minus the income tax rate.
(b) Earnings for the year ended December 31, 1994, for GSU were not adequate
to cover fixed charges combined fixed charges and preferred dividends by
$144.8 million and $197.1 million, respectively.