JACKSON, Miss.–Built to hold up in an EF-5 tornado, a new facility being built by Entergy in Jackson may mean you don’t lose your power in a really bad storm. The power company announced a brand new, state-of-the-art transmission operation center (TOP) Tuesday.
Transmission operations centers are where Entergy employees monitor power outages, coordinate people so they can fix them and remotely operate breakers and switches at substations.
There were five TOPs in Entergy’s four-state service area. With Tuesday’s announcement, there will soon be only two, with the other facility in Little Rock. It’s a consolidation that Entergy says will be more efficient.
The new center, a $23 million investment, is set to open in 2016.
“We’re consolidating these operations into two locations in Jackson and Little Rock, Ark., to improve operations and mitigate weather risks,” said Rick Riley, Entergy vice president of transmission. “These two buildings, which are almost identical, are the result of a long-term plan to provide more reliable and efficient transmission service for our customers.”
One of the five TOPs is currently operating near the coast, and that makes it vulnerable to hurricanes. The new centers would reduce that risk.
Jackson was chosen as a location for several important reasons, including that one of the company’s data centers and the transmission headquarters building are located nearby. Jackson serves as Entergy’s transmission center, and the northern portion of Entergy’s four-state territory is becoming a regional center for transmission operations.
“I’m very proud of the investment that Entergy is making in Jackson and the state of Mississippi,” said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. “We have our nuclear headquarters, transmission headquarters, state-of-the-art data center, corporate training facility and now, with this announcement, our Transmission Operations Center located here. This is all part of our plan to position ourselves to meet the demands, challenges and success of the future.”
