Dive Summary:

• Five Entergy utilities - Entergy Mississippi, Inc., Entergy Texas, Inc., Entergy Louisiana, LLC, Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C, and Entergy New Orleans, Inc. - have submitted a contract to the Midwest Independent Transmission System (MISO).
• The agreement is filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and its execution is a major requirement for any transmission owner to join; Entergy Arkansas, Inc. had previously submitted a contract.
• The measure is an important step in Entergy's efforts to transfer functional control of their transmission facilities to MISO in December of next year.

From the article:

Friday's action is an important step in the Entergy operating companies' efforts to transfer functional control of their transmission facilities to MISO in December 2013, a step that the utilities' retail regulators have ruled is in the public interest, subject to conditions. The Louisiana Public Service Commission made its ruling in May, followed by Arkansas and Texas regulators in October. In mid-November regulators in Mississippi and New Orleans made their rulings that joining MISO is in the public interest.

Joining MISO is expected to result in savings to the customers of the Entergy operating companies of a projected $1.4 billion in the first decade of MISO membership. Independent studies also forecast significant economic value for electric co-operatives, independent power producers, municipalities and other industry participants, resulting from the move to MISO. ...