UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
BEFORE THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D. C.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                                                    .
        In the Matter of                            .
                                                    .
ENTERGY ARKANSAS, INC.                              .
ENTERGY LOUISIANA, INC.                             .
ENTERGY MISSISSIPPI, INC.                           .
ENTERGY NEW ORLEANS, INC.                           .
                                                    .
        File No. 70-5015                            .
        ________________                             CERTIFICATE
                                                     PURSUANT TO
        In the Matter of                             RULE 24
                                                    .
SYSTEM FUELS, INC.                                  .
SYSTEM ENERGY RESOURCES, INC.                       .
ENTERGY ARKANSAS, INC.                              .
ENTERGY LOUISIANA, INC.                             .
ENTERGY MISSISSIPPI, INC.                           .
ENTERGY NEW ORLEANS, INC.                           .
                                                    .
        File No. 70-5889                            .
        ________________                            .
                                                    .
                                                    .
        (Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935).
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pursuant to Rule 24 promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, modified by request in the application(s) - declaration(s) referenced above, this is to certify that the following transactions were carried out and borrowings made, during the third quarter ended September 30, 2004 pursuant to System Fuels, Inc.'s (SFI) function as a supplier of fuel for the Entergy Corporation Operating Companies (System) in accordance with the terms and conditions of and for the purposes represented in the application(s) - declaration(s), as amended, and pursuant to the Orders of the SEC, dated December 17, 1971 in File No. 70-5015 and April 28, 1978 in File No. 70-5889.

Expenditures for SFI's fuel program for 2004 during the 3rd quarter are indicated below:

 

Net Expenditures
(In Thousands)

 

3rd Quarter

Year-To-Date

2004 Fuel Supply Program:

   

1. Gas and Oil Development
    and Production


$ 0 


$ 0 

2. Nuclear Fuel Procurement

3,322 

11,265 

3. Fuel Oil Program

(4,152)

17,762 

     

TOTAL EXPENDITURES

(830)

29,027 

     

Less funds derived through

   

  Amortization & depreciation

   

  Charges

Amortization of Gas & Oil

   

  Development & Production Costs

Depreciation & Other

  Amortization

     

TOTAL depreciation & amortization

0  

     

Net Expenditures

(830)

29,029 

     

(Increase) decrease in:

   

  Outside financing

   

  System Money Pool borrowings

(10,191)

(71,651)

     

TOTAL (increase)decrease

   

 in borrowings

(10,191)

(71,651)

     

Increase (decrease) in working

   

 Capital

$11,021 

$ 42,622 

     

1. Gas and Oil Development and

   

    Production

   
 

Net Expenditures
(In Thousands)

 

3rd Quarter

Year-To-Date

Gas and Oil Development

  and Production

$ 0  

$ 0 

     

Effective July 1, 1996, SFI sold its interest in the properties associated with its Gas and Oil Development and Production Program (the program).

As of September 30, 2003, there are no remaining proceeds at SFI for the continuing shutdown activities.

 

Calculation of the net expenditures (proceeds) from the continuing shutdown activities of the Program, is:

 

Net Expenditures
(In Thousands)

 

3rd Quarter

Year-To-Date

Sales to non-System parties:

   

  Natural gas

$ 0

$ 0

  Condensate

0

0

  Crude oil

0

0

     

TOTAL

0

0

Miscellaneous income (including

   

  sale of assets)

0

0

TOTAL

0

0

     

General and administrative

   

  Expense

0

0

Operating expense

0

0

Interest expense

0

0

Amortization adjustment

0

0

     

Net proceeds

$ 0

$ 0

     
     

2. Nuclear Fuel Procurement

   

 
 

Net Expenditures
(In Thousands)

 

3rd Quarter

Year-To-Date

Nuclear Fuel Procurement

$3,322

$11,265

     
     
 

Net Expenditures
(In Thousands)

 

3rd Quarter

Year-To-Date

Activities during the period:

   

  Expenditures for nuclear

   

    Materials and processing

   

    Services

$3,137 

$ 45,156 

  General and administrative

   

    Expense

117 

205 

    Interest expense

136 

229 

     

TOTAL

3,390 

45,590 

Sales of nuclear materials and

   

  Processing services to

  System companies

68 

34,325 

     

Net effect on inventory

$3,322 

$ 11,265 

 

 

3. Fuel Oil Program

   

 
 

Net Expenditures
(In Thousands)

 

3rd Quarter

Year-To-Date

Fuel Oil Inventory

$(4,152)

$ 17,762

     

a) Fuel Oil Inventory:

   
 

Barrels

Book Value

Inventory as of:

(In Thousands)

     
     

  September 30, 2004

2,015

61,002

  June 30, 2004

2,177

65,154

  March 31, 2004

1,437

41,546

  December 31, 2003

1,622

43,861

  September 30, 2003

1,762

49,475

     
     
 

During 3rd Quarter

 
 

Barrels

Value

Sales price per barrel

   

  to System companies

   

  Excluding period cost:

   

    #2 Fuel Oil

26,434

36.91

    #6 Fuel Oil

2,428,817

29.94

     
     
     
     
     

 

4. Other Items:

a) As of September 30, 2004, SFI's outstanding debt and Parent Companies investment consisted of:

Parent Companies:

In Thousands

  Common Stock

$ 20

  Notes payable

34,000

    TOTAL

34,020

System Money Pool

71,651

Banks

0

   

TOTAL

$105,671

   

b) As of January 1, 1987, SFI's employees were transferred to Entergy Services, Inc. (Entergy Services). Entergy Services bills SFI for labor associated with the operation of continuing activities for SFI and other services provided to SFI (financial, legal, administrative, and other activities). For the 3rd quarter of 2004, SFI was billed by Entergy Services for the following amounts:

 

 


July


August


September

Total
3rd Qtr

Cost of service charged

       

to Service Requests

       

established to track

       

cost of functions

       

previously performed by

       

SFI personnel:

       
         

Direct Cost:

       

  Labor and related

       

    Cost

$ 6,977 

$ 6,235

$5,987

$ 19,199

  Other direct cost

(459)

6,506

1,988

8,035

Indirect Cost

1,575 

1,754

1,352

4,681

    TOTAL

8,093 

14,495

9,327

31,915

         

Cost of services charged

to Service Requests not

       

Related to transfer of

       

SFI personnel:

55,542 

48,486

45,568

149,596

       

Total cost of services

       

performed by Entergy

       

Services

$63,635 

$ 62,981

$ 54,895

$181,511

         

Amounts billed to

       

Operating Companies for

       

The Fuel Oil Program*

$23,592 

$23,510

$20,080

$67,182

         

Charged to Nuclear Fuel

       

Procurement

40,043 

39,471

34,815

114,329

         

TOTAL

$63,635 

$ 62,981

$ 54,895

$181,511

         

* Charged to the Fuel Oil Program as a component of period costs. Effective January 1, 1998, Fuel Oil Program period costs are recorded by plant, to the extent possible, and direct billed to the operating company that owns the facility where incurred. Costs which cannot be directly associated with a facility or an operating company, continue to be allocated as before. For the 3rd quarter of 2004, such Fuel Oil Program period costs were allocated 9.73% to ENTERGY ARKANSAS, INC., 50.88% to ENTERGY LOUISIANA, INC., 28.90% to ENTERGY MISSISSIPPI, INC., and 10.49% to ENTERGY NEW ORLEANS, INC.

 

c) As previously reported, the System's fuels planning and procurement administration was reorganized during 1988, redefining the fuels management roles and placing the responsibility for most fuel procurement decisions with Entergy Corporation System Executives.

SFI, utilizing Entergy Services personnel, continues to be responsible for gas and oil production shut down, financing nuclear fuel inventory and fuel oil inventory and facilities, and accounting functions related to these continuing activities.

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, SFI has caused this certificate to be executed as of the 29th of October 2004.

 

ENTERGY ARKANSAS, INC.
ENTERGY LOUISIANA, INC.
ENTERGY MISSISSIPPI, INC.
ENTERGY NEW ORLEANS, INC.
SYSTEM ENERGY RESOURCES, INC.

BY: /s/ Nathan E. Langston
Nathan E. Langston
Senior Vice President and
Chief Accounting Officer

 

SYSTEM FUELS, INC.

 

BY: /s/ Steven C. McNeal
Steven C. McNeal
Vice President
and Treasurer