New Orleans, La. – The nation’s leading chains and multisite businesses today named Entergy Corporation a winner of Edison Electric Institute 2009 National Key Accounts Customer Service Awards program. Entergy was recognized for outstanding service in two of the three areas chains believe to be critical - Overall Excellence and Communication During Emergencies.

The awards were presented during the National Key Accounts Fall Workshop in Desert Springs, Calif.

The Overall Excellence award was presented to Entergy for the 11th time. The award recognizes electric utilities that demonstrate up and down the chain of command that all customers are a priority.

Entergy also received the Communication During Emergencies award. This is the first year for the award. The award recognizes electric utilities that provide critical information vital to store management when making business and life safety decisions during an emergency.

“These awards are extra special because they come directly from our customers,” said Ed Melendreras, vice president, sales and marketing. “Our customers place a premium on services that help their business needs, including providing them information during emergencies. Our employees work hard and are committed to providing services that fit our customers’ needs, and these awards recognize that fact.”

The companies voting in the awards program included national brands such as Walgreens, Target, Staples, McDonalds, HealthSouth and Wal-Mart.

Since its inception in 1988, EEI’s National Key Accounts Program has addressed the unique and growing needs of those commercial customers with multiple sites or outlets, including chains and franchise operations.

Through Entergy’s National Key Accounts Program, businesses gain a single point of contact within the company. “Our national accounts managers provide a variety of valuable services including coordinating new service connections, providing business information and suggesting ways to better manage their energy usage,” Melendreras said.

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 2.7 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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