Beaumont, Texas – The next time you see a hybrid vehicle on the streets of Beaumont, it might take up as much space as three or four Toyota Priuses.

That’s because Entergy Texas, Inc.’s latest heavy-duty, 2 ½-ton bucket truck includes a lot more than the usual diesel engine. It also features a 1.8 kilowatt, 340-volt DC Lithium Ion battery powerful enough to drive the truck and operate the hydraulic bucket while saving fuel and the environment.

Entergy Texas added two of these cutting-edge vehicles to its fleet today, one in Beaumont and the other in The Woodlands.

“Environmental issues are as important to Entergy as they are to our customers,” said Ronnie Jacob, director, utility operations, Entergy Texas, Inc. “We’ve taken a leading role in dealing with the issues within our industry and we plan to continue to lead in the states where we live and work.”

In-service training sessions were held today in The Woodlands, and in Beaumont. Linemen were first given a safety briefing. “The electric battery for this truck is very high voltage,” said Joe Bowen, a work management supervisor based in The Woodlands. “Safety is always our first concern, both for our employees and our customers.”

Representatives from the trucks’ manufacturers, Altec Inc., a leader in providing vehicles to the utility industry, and Eaton, a leader in the hybrid industry, were on hand to share information about operating the vehicles properly. Fire marshals for the areas where the trucks will be put to work were invited to attend as well, Bowen said. “If there are ever any emergencies where these vehicles may be put to work or involved, we want to make sure local emergency officials know what they are dealing with.”

Like other hybrids, the trucks can be powered by their batteries which are recharged as they are driven. The battery also can operate the hydraulic boom linemen often use for their work. The vehicles are best suited to an urban environment, such as Beaumont or The Woodlands.

The first hybrid bucket truck Entergy put to work was in Little Rock, Ark., three years ago. Those numbers have increased now with two added in Texas, another three in Arkansas, three in Mississippi and two in Louisiana. Glenn Guillory, fleet superintendent in Little Rock, said that, in addition to the hybrid bucket trucks, seven hybrid cars are on order for Entergy. Two compressed natural gas cars were purchased this year for the company’s gas operations in Louisiana.

The reason for Entergy’s foray into environmentally-friendly hybrid vehicles mirrors that of environmentally-conscious consumers. They offer reduced fuel consumption, put less carbon emissions into the air and reduce the noise level normally associated with combustion

engines. For Entergy, the purchase of alternate-fuel vehicles also gives the company the opportunity to evaluate how they may fit into the company’s overall fleet and environmental strategies.

Entergy Texas, Inc. provides electricity to 400,000 customers in 27 counties. It is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation. Entergy 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 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $13 billion and approximately 14,700 employees.

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