ENTERGY NEW ORLEANS, LLC - Annual Report: 2005 (Form 10-K)

Indicate by check mark if the registrants are a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ____ No Ö

Indicate by check mark if the registrants are not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ____ No Ö

Indicate by check mark whether the registrants (1) have filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrants were required to file such reports), and (2) have been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes __Ö __ No          

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrants' knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [ ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of "accelerated filer and large accelerated filer" in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Indicate by check mark whether any of the registrants are a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act.) Yes ____ No Ö

The aggregate market value of Entergy Corporation Common Stock, $0.01 Par Value, held by non-affiliates as of the end of the second quarter of 2005, was $15.9 billion based on the reported last sale price of $75.55 per share for such stock on the New York Stock Exchange on June 30, 2005. Entergy Corporation is the sole holder of the common stock of Entergy Arkansas, Inc., Entergy Gulf States, Inc., Entergy Louisiana Holdings, Inc., Entergy Mississippi, Inc., Entergy New Orleans, Inc., and System Energy Resources, Inc. Entergy Louisiana Holdings, Inc. is the sole holder of the common membership interests in Entergy Louisiana, LLC.

Portions of the Proxy Statement of Entergy Corporation to be filed in connection with its Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be held May 12, 2006, are incorporated by reference into Parts I and III hereof.

This combined Form 10-K is separately filed by Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Inc., Entergy Gulf States, Inc., Entergy Louisiana Holdings, Inc., Entergy Louisiana, LLC, Entergy Mississippi, Inc., Entergy New Orleans, Inc., and System Energy Resources, Inc. Information contained herein relating to any individual company is filed by such company on its own behalf. Each company makes representations only as to itself and makes no other representations whatsoever as to any other company. References to Entergy Louisiana are intended to apply both to Entergy Louisiana Holdings on a consolidated basis and to Entergy Louisiana, LLC.

The report should be read in its entirety as it pertains to each respective registrant. No one section of the report deals with all aspects of the subject matter. Separate Item 6, 7, and 8 sections are provided for each registrant, except for the Notes to the financial statements. The Entergy Corporation Notes to the financial statements are separately presented, but the Notes to the financial statements for the other registrants are combined. These two sets of Notes are marked by headers. All other Items are combined for the registrants.

In this filing and from time to time, Entergy makes statements concerning its expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, and future events or performance. Such statements are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although Entergy believes that these forward-looking statements and the underlying assumptions are reasonable, it cannot provide assurance that they will prove correct. Except to the extent required by the federal securities laws, Entergy undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there are factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the statements. Some of those factors (in addition to others described elsewhere in this report and in subsequent securities filings) include:

• resolution of pending and future rate cases and negotiations, including various performance-based rate discussions and implementation of new Texas legislation, and other regulatory proceedings, including those related to Entergy's System Agreement, Entergy's utility supply plan, recovery of storm costs, and recovery of fuel and purchased power costs
• Entergy's ability to manage its operation and maintenance costs
• the performance of Entergy's generating plants, and particularly the capacity factors at its nuclear generating facilities
• prices for power generated by Entergy's unregulated generating facilities, the ability to hedge, sell power forward or otherwise reduce the market price risk associated with those facilities, including the Non-Utility Nuclear plants, and the prices and availability of fuel and power Entergy must purchase for its utility customers, and Entergy's ability to meet credit support requirements for fuel and power supply contracts
• Entergy's ability to develop and execute on a point of view regarding prices of electricity, natural gas, and other energy-related commodities
• changes in the financial markets, particularly those affecting the availability of capital and Entergy's ability to refinance existing debt, execute its share repurchase program, and fund investments and acquisitions
• actions of rating agencies, including changes in the ratings of debt and preferred stock, changes in general corporate ratings, and changes in the rating agencies' ratings criteria
• changes in inflation, interest rates, and foreign currency exchange rates
• Entergy's ability to purchase and sell assets at attractive prices and on other attractive terms
• volatility and changes in markets for electricity, natural gas, uranium, and other energy-related commodities
• changes in utility regulation, including the beginning or end of retail and wholesale competition, the ability to recover net utility assets and other potential stranded costs, the establishment of a regional transmission organization that includes Entergy's utility service territory, and the application of market power criteria by the FERC
• changes in regulation of nuclear generating facilities and nuclear materials and fuel, including possible shutdown of nuclear generating facilities, particularly those in the northeastern United States
• uncertainty regarding the establishment of interim or permanent sites for spent nuclear fuel storage and disposal
• resolution of pending or future applications for license extensions or modifications of nuclear generating facilities

Certain abbreviations or acronyms used in the text and notes are defined below:

Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail electric distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 MW of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear power generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.6 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Entergy generated annual revenues of $10.1 billion in 2005 and had approximately 14,100 employees as of December 31, 2005.

Entergy operates primarily through two business segments: U.S. Utility and Non-Utility Nuclear.

• U.S. Utility generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power in a four-state service territory that includes portions of Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana, including the City of New Orleans; and operates a small natural gas distribution business.
• Non-Utility Nuclear owns and operates five nuclear power plants located in the northeastern United States and sells the electric power produced by those plants primarily to wholesale customers. This business also provides services to other nuclear power plant owners.

In addition to its two primary, reportable, operating segments, Entergy also operates the Energy Commodity Services segment and the Competitive Retail Services business. Energy Commodity Services includes (i) Entergy-Koch, LP and (ii) Entergy's non-nuclear wholesale power marketing business. Entergy Koch is a non-operating entity, which prior to the fourth quarter of 2004, owned and operated an energy marketing/trading and gas transportation/storage business. The Competitive Retail Services business markets and sells electricity, thermal energy, and related services in competitive markets, primarily in the ERCOT region in Texas. Entergy has decided to divest the retail electric portion of the Competitive Retail Services business operating in the ERCOT region of Texas, and now reports this portion of the business as a discontinued operation. Entergy reports Energy Commodity Services and Competitive Retail Services as part of All Other in its segment disclosures.

The following shows the principal subsidiaries and affiliates within Entergy's business segments. Companies that file reports and other information with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are identified in bold-faced type.

Entergy aspires to achieve industry-leading total shareholder returns by leveraging the scale and expertise inherent in its core nuclear and utility operations. Entergy's scope includes electricity generation, transmission and distribution as well as natural gas transportation and distribution. Entergy focuses on operational excellence with an emphasis on safety, reliability, customer service, sustainability, cost efficiency, and risk management. Entergy also focuses on portfolio management to make periodic buy, build, hold, or sell decisions based upon its analytically-derived points of view which are continuously updated as market conditions evolve.

Entergy's annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments are available without charge on its website, http://www.shareholder.com/entergy/edgar.cfm, as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed electronically with the SEC. Entergy is providing the address to its Internet site solely for the information of investors. Entergy does not intend the address to be an active link or to otherwise incorporate the contents of the website into this report.

Part I, Item 1 is continued on page 111.

Management of Entergy Corporation and its subsidiaries has prepared and is responsible for the financial statements and related financial information included in this document. To meet this responsibility, management establishes and maintains a system of internal control designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. This system includes communication through written policies and procedures, an employee Code of Entegrity, and an organizational structure that provides for appropriate division of responsibility and the training of personnel. This system is also tested by a comprehensive internal audit program.

Entergy management assesses the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting on an annual basis. In making this assessment, management uses the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control - Integrated Framework. Management acknowledges, however, that all internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations and can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation.

As a supplement to management's assessment, Entergy's independent auditors conduct an objective assessment of the degree to which management meets its responsibility for fairness of financial reporting and issue an attestation report on the adequacy of management's assessment. They evaluate Entergy's internal control over financial reporting and perform such tests and other procedures as they deem necessary to reach and express an opinion on the fairness of the financial statements.

In addition, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, composed solely of independent Directors, meets with the independent auditors, internal auditors, management, and internal accountants periodically to discuss internal controls, and auditing and financial reporting matters. The Audit Committee appoints the independent auditors annually, seeks shareholder ratification of the appointment, and reviews with the independent auditors the scope and results of the audit effort. The Committee also meets periodically with the independent auditors and the chief internal auditor without management present, providing free access to the Committee.

Based on management's assessment of internal controls using the COSO criteria, management believes that Entergy maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005. Management further believes that this assessment, combined with the policies and procedures noted above provide reasonable assurance that Entergy's financial statements are fairly and accurately presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Entergy operates primarily through two business segments: U.S. Utility and Non-Utility Nuclear.

In addition to its two primary, reportable, operating segments, Entergy also operates the Energy Commodity Services segment and the Competitive Retail Services business. Energy Commodity Services includes Entergy-Koch, LP and Entergy's non-nuclear wholesale assets business. Entergy-Koch, LP engaged in two major businesses: energy commodity marketing and trading through Entergy-Koch Trading, and gas transportation and storage through Gulf South Pipeline. Entergy-Koch sold both of these businesses in the fourth quarter of 2004, and Entergy-Koch is no longer an operating entity. The non-nuclear wholesale assets business sells to wholesale customers the electric power produced by power plants that it owns while it focuses on improving performance and exploring sales or restructuring opportunities for its power plants. Such opportunities are evaluated consistent with Entergy's market-based point-of-view. The Competitive Retail Services business markets and sells electricity, thermal energy, and related services in competitive markets, primarily in the ERCOT region in Texas. Entergy has decided to divest the retail electric portion of the Competitive Retail Services business operating in the ERCOT region of Texas, and now reports this portion of the business as a discontinued operation. Entergy reports Energy Commodity Services and Competitive Retail Services as part of All Other in its segment disclosures.

Following are the percentages of Entergy's consolidated revenues and net income generated by its operating segments and the percentage of total assets held by them:

Entergy has recorded accruals for the portion of the estimated $1.5 billion of storm restoration costs not yet paid. In accordance with its accounting policies, and based on historic treatment of such costs in the U.S. Utility's service territories and communications with local regulators, Entergy recorded assets because management believes that recovery of these prudently incurred costs through some form of regulatory mechanism is probable. In December 2005, Entergy Gulf States' Louisiana jurisdiction, Entergy Louisiana, and Entergy Mississippi filed with their respective retail regulators for recovery of storm restoration costs. The filings are discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements. Because Entergy has not gone through the regulatory process regarding these storm costs, however, there is an element of risk, and Entergy is unable to predict with certainty the degree of success it may have in its recovery initiatives, the amount of restoration costs and incremental losses it may ultimately recover, or the timing of such recovery.

The temporary power outages associated with the hurricanes in the affected service territory caused Entergy Louisiana's and Entergy New Orleans' sales volume and receivable collections to be lower than normal beginning in September 2005. Revenues are expected to continue to be affected for a period of time that cannot be estimated as a result of customers at Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Louisiana that are unable to accept electric and gas service and as a result of changes in load patterns that could occur, including the effect of residential customers who can accept electric and gas service not permanently returning to their homes. Restoration for many of the customers who are unable to accept service will follow major repairs or reconstruction of customer facilities, and will be contingent on validation by local authorities of habitability and electrical safety of customers' structures. Entergy estimates that lost non-fuel revenues in 2006 caused by the hurricanes will be approximately $123 million for Entergy New Orleans and $39 million for Entergy Louisiana. Entergy's estimate of the revenue impact is subject to change, however, because of a range of uncertainties, in particular the timing of when individual customers will recommence taking service.

Entergy is pursuing a broad range of initiatives to recover storm restoration and business continuity costs and incremental losses. Initiatives include obtaining reimbursement of certain costs covered by insurance, obtaining assistance through federal legislation for damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and, as noted above, pursuing recovery through existing or new rate mechanisms regulated by the FERC and local regulatory bodies.

Entergy's non-nuclear property insurance program provides coverage up to $400 million on an Entergy system-wide basis, subject to a $20 million per occurrence self-insured retention, for all risks coverage for direct physical loss or damage, including boiler and machinery breakdown.  Covered property generally includes power plants, substations, facilities, inventories, and gas distribution-related properties. Excluded property generally includes above-ground transmission and distribution lines, poles, and towers. The primary property program (excess of the deductible) is placed through Oil Insurance Limited ($250 million layer) with the excess program ($150 million layer) placed on a quota share basis through Underwriters at Lloyds (50%) and Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company (50%).  Coverage is in place for Entergy Corporation, Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Gulf States, Entergy Louisiana, Entergy Mississippi, and Entergy New Orleans. There is an aggregation limit of $1 billion for all parties insured by OIL for any one occurrence, and Entergy has been notified by OIL that it expects claims for Hurricane Katrina to materially exceed this limit. Entergy is currently evaluating the amount of the covered losses for each of the affected domestic utility companies, working with insurance adjusters, and preparing proofs of loss for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Entergy currently estimates that its net insurance recoveries for the losses caused by the hurricanes, including the effect of the OIL aggregation limit being exceeded, will be approximately $382 million.

In December 2005, the U.S. Congress passed and the President signed the Katrina Relief Bill, a hurricane aid package that includes $11.5 billion in Community Development Block Grants (for the states affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma) that allows state and local leaders to fund individual recovery priorities. The bill includes language that permits funding for infrastructure restoration. It is uncertain how much funding, if any, will be designated for utility reconstruction, and the timing of such decisions is also uncertain. Entergy is currently preparing applications to seek Community Development Block Grant funding.

Because of the effects of Hurricane Katrina, on September 23, 2005, Entergy New Orleans filed a voluntary petition in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana seeking reorganization relief under the provisions of Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Case No. 05-17697). Entergy Corporation owns 100 percent of the common stock of Entergy New Orleans, has continued to supply general and administrative services, and has provided debtor-in-possession financing to Entergy New Orleans. Uncertainties surrounding the nature, timing, and specifics of the bankruptcy proceedings, however, have caused Entergy to deconsolidate Entergy New Orleans and reflect Entergy New Orleans' financial results under the equity method of accounting retroactive to January 1, 2005. Because Entergy owns all of the common stock of Entergy New Orleans, this change did not affect the amount of net income Entergy records resulting from Entergy New Orleans' operations for any current or prior period, but did result in Entergy New Orleans' net income for 2005 being presented as "Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated equity affiliates" rather than its results being included in each individual income statement line item, as is the case for periods prior to 2005. Entergy reviewed the carrying value of its equity investment in Entergy New Orleans ($149.9 million as of December 31, 2005) to determine if an impairment had occurred as a result of the storm, the flood, the power outages, restoration costs, and changes in customer load. Entergy determined that as of December 31, 2005, no impairment had occurred because, as discussed above, management believes that recovery is probable.  In addition to Entergy's equity investment in Entergy New Orleans, as of December 31, 2005 Entergy New Orleans owed Entergy and its subsidiaries a total of approximately $47 million in prepetition accounts payable. Entergy will continue to assess the carrying value of its investment in Entergy New Orleans as developments occur in Entergy New Orleans' recovery efforts.

Entergy continues to work with the federal, state, and local authorities to resolve the bankruptcy in a manner that allows Entergy New Orleans' customers to be served by a financially viable entity as required by law. Key factors that will influence the timing and outcome of the Entergy New Orleans bankruptcy include:

The exclusivity period for filing a final plan of reorganization by Entergy New Orleans is currently scheduled to end on April 21, 2006, with solicitation of acceptances of the plan scheduled to be complete by June 20, 2006. If a party to the bankruptcy proceeding, including Entergy New Orleans, requests it, the bankruptcy court has the authority to extend these deadlines. In addition, the bankruptcy judge has set a date of April 19, 2006 by which creditors with prepetition claims against Entergy New Orleans must, with certain exceptions, file their proofs of claim in the bankruptcy case.

The deconsolidation of Entergy New Orleans is retroactive to January 1, 2005, and its 2005 results of operations are presented as a component of "Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated equity affiliates." Transactions in 2005 between Entergy New Orleans and other Entergy subsidiaries are not eliminated in consolidation as they were in periods prior to 2005. The variance explanations for 2005 compared to 2004 in "Results of Operations" below reflect the 2004 results of operations of Entergy New Orleans as if it were deconsolidated in 2004, consistent with the 2005 presentation as "Equity in earnings (loss) of unconsolidated equity affiliates." The variance explanations for 2004 compared to 2003 are based on as reported amounts. Entergy's as reported consolidated results for 2004 and the amounts included in those consolidated results for Entergy New Orleans, which exclude inter-company items, are set forth in the table below.

Earnings applicable to common stock for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2004, and 2003 by operating segment are as follows:

Following is a discussion of Entergy's income before taxes according to the business segments listed above. Earnings for 2005 were negatively affected by $44.8 million net-of-tax of discontinued operations due to the planned sale of the retail electric portion of Entergy's Competitive Retail Services business operating in the ERCOT region of Texas. This amount includes a net charge of $25.8 million, net-of-tax, related to the impairment reserve for the remaining net book value of the Competitive Retail Services business' information technology systems.

Earnings for 2004 include a $97 million tax benefit that resulted from the sale of preferred stock and less than 1% of the common stock in a subsidiary in the non-nuclear wholesale assets business; and a $36 million net-of-tax impairment charge in the non-nuclear wholesale assets business, both of which are discussed below.

Earnings for 2003 include the $137.1 million net-of-tax cumulative effect of changes in accounting principle that increased earnings in the first quarter of 2003, almost entirely resulting from the implementation of SFAS 143. Earnings were negatively affected in the fourth quarter of 2003 by voluntary severance program expenses of $122.8 million net-of-tax. As part of an initiative to achieve productivity improvements with a goal of reducing costs, primarily in the Non-Utility Nuclear and U.S. Utility businesses, in the second half of 2003 Entergy offered a voluntary severance program to employees in various departments. Approximately 1,100 employees, including 650 employees in nuclear operations from the Non-Utility Nuclear and U.S. Utility businesses, accepted the offers.

Refer to "SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA - FIVE-YEAR COMPARISON OF ENTERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES" which accompanies Entergy Corporation's consolidated financial statements in this report for further information with respect to operating statistics.

The increase in earnings for the U.S. Utility from $643 million in 2004 to $660 million in 2005 was primarily due to higher net revenue and lower depreciation and amortization expenses, partially offset by lower other income, including equity in earnings of unconsolidated equity affiliates related to Entergy New Orleans, and higher taxes other than income taxes.

The increase in earnings for the U.S. Utility from $469 million in 2003 to $643 million in 2004 was primarily due to the following:

The price applied to unbilled sales variance resulted primarily from an increase in the fuel cost component included in the price applied to unbilled sales. The increase in the fuel cost component is attributable to an increase in the market prices of natural gas and purchased power. See "Critical Accounting Estimates - Unbilled Revenue" and Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion of the accounting for unbilled revenues.

The rate refund provisions variance is due primarily to accruals recorded in 2004 for potential rate action at Entergy Gulf States and Entergy Louisiana.

The volume/weather variance includes the effect of more favorable weather in 2005 compared to 2004 substantially offset by a decrease in weather-adjusted usage due to the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and a decrease in usage during the unbilled sales period. See "Critical Accounting Estimates - Unbilled Revenue" and Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion of the accounting for unbilled revenues.

The 2004 deferrals variance is due to the deferrals related to Entergy's voluntary severance program, in accordance with a stipulation with the LPSC staff. The deferrals are being amortized over a four-year period effective January 2004.

Gross operating revenues include an increase in fuel cost recovery revenues of $586.3 million resulting from increases in the market prices of purchased power and natural gas. As such, this revenue increase is offset by increased fuel and purchased power expenses. The price applied to unbilled sales and the rate refund provisions variances, discussed above, and an increase in gross wholesale revenue also contributed to the increase in gross operating revenues. Gross wholesale revenues increased $84.2 million primarily due to an increase in the average price of energy available for resale.

Other regulatory charges (credits) have no material effect on net income due to recovery and/or refund of such expenses. Other regulatory credits decreased primarily due to the following:

The decrease is partially offset by $24.8 million of higher deferrals of capacity charges that are not currently recovered through base rates but are expected to be recovered in the future. See Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements for a discussion of the formula rate plan filings that will be effective in 2006 for the 2005 test year for Entergy Louisiana and the Louisiana jurisdiction of Entergy Gulf States.

Net revenue, which is Entergy's measure of gross margin, consists of operating revenues net of: 1) fuel, fuel-related expenses and gas purchased for resale, 2) purchased power expenses, and 3) other regulatory credits. Following is an analysis of the change in net revenue comparing 2004 to 2003.

The volume/weather variance resulted primarily from increased usage, partially offset by the effect of milder weather on sales during 2004 compared to 2003. Billed usage increased a total of 2,261 GWh in the industrial and commercial sectors.

The summer capacity charges variance was due to the amortization in 2003 at Entergy Gulf States and Entergy Louisiana of deferred capacity charges for the summer of 2001. Entergy Gulf States' amortization began in June 2002 and ended in May 2003. Entergy Louisiana's amortization began in August 2002 and ended in July 2003.

Base rates increased net revenue due to a base rate increase at Entergy New Orleans that became effective in June 2003.

The deferred fuel cost revisions variance resulted primarily from a revision in 2003 to an unbilled sales pricing estimate to more closely align the fuel component of that pricing with expected recoverable fuel costs at Entergy Louisiana. Deferred fuel cost revisions also decreased net revenue due to a revision in 2004 to the estimate of fuel costs filed for recovery at Entergy Arkansas in the March 2004 energy cost recovery rider.

The price applied to unbilled sales variance resulted from a decrease in fuel price in 2004 caused primarily by the effect of nuclear plant outages in 2003 on average fuel costs. See "Critical Accounting Estimates - Unbilled Revenue" and Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion of the accounting for unbilled revenues.

Gross operating revenues include an increase in fuel cost recovery revenues of $475 million and $18 million in electric and gas sales, respectively, primarily due to higher fuel rates in 2004 resulting from increases in the market prices of purchased power and natural gas. As such, this revenue increase is offset by increased fuel and purchased power expenses.

Other regulatory charges (credits) have no material effect on net income due to recovery and/or refund of such expenses. Other regulatory credits increased primarily due to the following:

Other operation and maintenance expenses increased slightly from $1.467 billion in 2004 to $1.471 billion in 2005. The variance includes the following:

Taxes other than income taxes increased from $300.7 million in 2004 to $321.9 million in 2005 primarily due to higher employment taxes and higher assessed values for ad valorem tax purposes in 2005.

Other income decreased from $134 million in 2004 to $111.2 million in 2005 primarily due to:

The decrease was partially offset by an increase of $35.3 million in interest and dividend income due to both the proceeds from the radwaste settlement, which is discussed further in "Significant Factors and Known Trends - Central States Compact Claim," and increased interest on temporary cash investments.

Other operation and maintenance expenses decreased from $1.613 billion in 2003 to $1.569 billion in 2004 primarily due to voluntary severance program accruals of $99.8 million in 2003 partially offset by an increase of $30.5 million as a result of higher customer service support costs in 2004 and an increase of approximately $33 million as a result of higher benefits costs in 2004. See "Critical Accounting Estimates - Pension and Other Retirement Benefits" and Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion of benefit costs.

Depreciation and amortization expenses increased from $797.6 million in 2003 to $823.7 million in 2004 primarily due to higher depreciation of Grand Gulf due to a higher scheduled sale-leaseback principal payment in addition to an increase in plant in service.

Other income (deductions) changed from ($36.0 million) in 2003 to $108.9 million in 2004 primarily due to the following:

Interest on long-term debt decreased from $433.5 million in 2003 to $390.7 million in 2004 primarily due to the net retirement and refinancing of long-term debt in 2003 and the first six months of 2004. See Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements for details on long-term debt.

Following are key performance measures for Non-Utility Nuclear:

The increase in earnings for Non-Utility Nuclear from $245 million in 2004 to $282.6 million in 2005 was primarily due to the following:

The increase in earnings was partially offset by the following:

The decrease in earnings for Non-Utility Nuclear from $300.8 million in 2003 to $245 million in 2004 was primarily due to the $154.5 million net-of-tax cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle that increased earnings in the first quarter of 2003 upon implementation of SFAS 143. See "Critical Accounting Estimates - Nuclear Decommissioning Costs" below for discussion of the implementation of SFAS 143. Earnings before the cumulative effect of accounting change increased by $98.7 million primarily due to the following:

Partially offsetting this increase were the following:

In the fourth quarter of 2004, Entergy-Koch sold its energy trading and pipeline businesses to third parties. Entergy-Koch will continue in existence pending final receipt of the purchase price. In 2004, Entergy received $862 million of the sales proceeds in the form of a cash distribution by Entergy-Koch. Entergy ultimately expects to receive total net cash distributions exceeding $1 billion. Entergy expects to record an approximate $60 million net-of-tax gain when the remainder of the proceeds are received in 2006.

Entergy Corporation has guaranteed up to 50% of Entergy-Koch's indemnification obligations to the purchasers. However, Entergy does not expect any material claims under these indemnification obligations.

The decrease in earnings for Parent Company & Other Business Segments from $21.1 million in earnings to a $44.1 million loss was primarily due to the following:

These decreases were partially offset by the following:

The decrease in earnings for Parent Company & Other Business Segments from $157.1 million to $21.1 million was primarily due to:

Partially offsetting the decrease in earnings was the following:

The effective income tax rates for 2005, 2004, and 2003 were 36.7%, 28.2%, and 37.9%, respectively. See Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for a reconciliation of the federal statutory rate of 35.0% to the effective income tax rates. The lower effective income tax rate in 2004 is primarily due to the tax benefits resulting from the Entergy Asset Management stock sale discussed above.

This section discusses Entergy's capital structure, capital spending plans and other uses of capital, sources of capital, and the cash flow activity presented in the cash flow statement.

As discussed above, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita impacted Entergy's service territory. In addition to the direct costs caused by the storms, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have had other impacts that have affected the U.S. Utility's liquidity position. The Entergy New Orleans bankruptcy caused fuel and power suppliers to increase their scrutiny of the remaining domestic utility companies with the concern that one of them could suffer similar impacts, particularly after Hurricane Rita. As a result, some suppliers began requiring accelerated payments and decreased credit lines. In addition, the hurricanes damaged certain gas supply lines, thereby decreasing the number of potential suppliers. The hurricanes also exacerbated a market run-up in natural gas and power prices, thereby increasing the U.S. Utility's ongoing costs, which consumed available credit lines more quickly and in some instances required the posting of additional collateral. The U.S. Utility managed through these events thus far, adequately supplied the Entergy System with fuel and power, and as a result of steps taken by it regarding its storm costs expects to have adequate liquidity and credit to continue supplying the Entergy System with fuel and power. The Non-Utility Nuclear business also has had to post increased collateral (principally in the form of Entergy Corporation guarantees) due to rising fuel and power prices, and it has had adequate liquidity to meet that demand.

On September 26, 2005, Entergy New Orleans, as borrower, and Entergy Corporation, as lender, entered into the Debtor-in-Possession (DIP) credit agreement, a debtor-in-possession credit facility to provide funding to Entergy New Orleans during its business restoration efforts. On December 9, 2005, the bankruptcy court issued its final order approving the DIP Credit Agreement. The indenture trustee of Entergy New Orleans' first mortgage bonds appealed the final order, and that appeal is pending. Subsequent to the indenture trustee filing its notice of appeal, Entergy New Orleans, Entergy Corporation, and the indenture trustee filed with the bankruptcy court a motion to approve a settlement among the parties. The settlement would result in the dismissal of the indenture trustee's appeal. The settlement is set for hearing in the bankruptcy court on March 22, 2006.

The credit facility provides for up to $200 million in loans. These funds were requested to enable Entergy New Orleans to meet its liquidity needs, including employee wages and benefits and payments under power purchase and gas supply agreements, and to continue its efforts to repair and restore the facilities needed to serve its electric and gas customers. The facility enables Entergy New Orleans to request funding from Entergy Corporation, but the decision to lend money is at the sole discretion of Entergy Corporation. As of December 31, 2005, Entergy New Orleans had $90 million of outstanding borrowings under the DIP credit agreement. Management currently expects the bankruptcy court-authorized funding level to be sufficient to fund Entergy New Orleans' expected level of operations through 2006.

Borrowings under the DIP credit agreement are due in full, and the agreement will terminate, at the earliest of (i) August 23, 2006, or such later date as Entergy Corporation shall agree to in its sole discretion, (ii) the acceleration of the loans and the termination of the DIP credit agreement in accordance with its terms, (iii) the date of the closing of a sale of all or substantially all of Entergy New Orleans' assets pursuant to section 363 of the United States Bankruptcy Code or a confirmed plan of reorganization, or (iv) the effective date of a plan of reorganization in Entergy New Orleans' bankruptcy case.

As security for Entergy Corporation as the lender, the terms of the December 9, 2005 bankruptcy court order provide that all borrowings by Entergy New Orleans under the DIP Credit Agreement are: (i) entitled to superpriority administrative claim status pursuant to section 364(c)(1) of the Bankruptcy Code; (ii) secured by a perfected first priority lien on all property of Entergy New Orleans pursuant to sections 364(c)(2) and 364(d) of the Bankruptcy Code, except on any property of Entergy New Orleans subject to valid, perfected, and non-avoidable liens of the lender on Entergy New Orleans' $15 million credit facility; and (iii) secured by a perfected junior lien pursuant to section 364(c)(3) of the Bankruptcy Code on all property of Entergy New Orleans subject to valid, perfected, and non-avoidable liens in favor of the lender on Entergy New Orleans' $15 million credit facility that existed as of the date Entergy New Orleans filed its bankruptcy petition.

The interest rate on borrowings under the DIP credit agreement will be the average interest rate of borrowings outstanding under Entergy Corporation's $2 billion revolving credit facility, which was approximately 4.7% per annum at December 31, 2005.

Entergy's capitalization is balanced between equity and debt, as shown in the following table. The increase in the debt to capital percentage from 2004 to 2005 is the result of increased debt outstanding due to additional borrowings on Entergy Corporation's $2 billion revolving credit facility, additional debt issuances, including Entergy Corporation's equity units issuance, along with a decrease in shareholders' equity, primarily due to repurchases of common stock.

Net debt consists of debt less cash and cash equivalents. Debt consists of notes payable, capital lease obligations, preferred stock with sinking fund, and long-term debt, including the currently maturing portion. Capital consists of debt, shareholders' equity, and preferred stock without sinking fund. Net capital consists of capital less cash and cash equivalents. Entergy uses the net debt to net capital ratio in analyzing its financial condition and believes it provides useful information to its investors and creditors in evaluating Entergy's financial condition.

Long-term debt, including the currently maturing portion, makes up substantially all of Entergy's total debt outstanding. Following are Entergy's long-term debt principal maturities as of December 31, 2005 by operating segment. The figures below include principal payments on the Entergy Louisiana and System Energy sale-leaseback transactions, which are included in long-term debt on the balance sheet.

Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements provides more detail concerning long-term debt.

In May 2005, Entergy Corporation terminated its two separate, revolving credit facilities, a $500 million five-year credit facility and a $965 million three-year credit facility. At that time, Entergy Corporation entered into a $2 billion five-year revolving credit facility, which expires in May 2010. As of December 31, 2005, $785 million in borrowings were outstanding on this facility.

In December 2005, Entergy Corporation entered into a $1.5 billion three-year revolving credit facility, which expires in December 2008. As of December 31, 2005, no borrowings were outstanding on this facility.

Entergy also has the ability to issue letters of credit against the total borrowing capacity of both the three-year and the five-year credit facilities, and $239.5 million of letters of credit had been issued against the five-year facility at December 31, 2005.

Following is a summary of the borrowings outstanding and capacity available under these facilities as of December 31, 2005.

Entergy Corporation's credit facilities require it to maintain a consolidated debt ratio of 65% or less of its total capitalization. If Entergy fails to meet this debt ratio, or if Entergy or the domestic utility companies (other than Entergy New Orleans) default on other indebtedness or are in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, an acceleration of the credit facilities' maturity dates may occur.

Capital lease obligations, including nuclear fuel leases, are a minimal part of Entergy's overall capital structure, and are discussed further in Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements. Following are Entergy's payment obligations under those leases:

Notes payable includes borrowings outstanding on credit facilities with original maturities of less than one year. Entergy Arkansas, Entergy Louisiana, and Entergy Mississippi each have 364-day credit facilities available as follows:

Entergy has a minimal amount of operating lease obligations and guarantees in support of unconsolidated obligations. Entergy's guarantees in support of unconsolidated obligations are not likely to have a material effect on Entergy's financial condition or results of operations. Following are Entergy's payment obligations as of December 31, 2005 on non-cancelable operating leases with a term over one year:

The operating leases are discussed more thoroughly in Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements.