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 first quarter ended March 31, 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 1st quarter are indicated below:

 

Net Expenditures
(In Thousands)

 

1st Quarter

Year-To-Date

2004 Fuel Supply Program:

   

1. Gas and Oil Development
    and Production

$ 0 

$ 0 

2. Nuclear Fuel Procurement

(7,236)

(7,236)

3. Fuel Oil Program

(1,694)

(1,694)

     

TOTAL EXPENDITURES

(8,930)

(8,930)

     

Less funds derived through

   

  Amortization & depreciation

   

  Charges

   

Amortization of Gas & Oil

   

  Development & Production Costs

Depreciation & Other

  Amortization

 

 

 

TOTAL depreciation & amortization

 

 

 

Net Expenditures

(8,929)

(8,929)

     

(Increase) decrease in:

   

  Outside financing

   

  System Money Pool borrowings

(29,946)

(29,946)

     

TOTAL (increase)decrease

   

  in borrowings

(29,946)

(29,946)

     

Increase (decrease) in working

   

  Capital

$ 38,875 

$ 38,875 

     

1. Gas and Oil Development and

   

   Production

   
 

Net Expenditures
(In Thousands)

 

1st 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)

 

1st 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)

 

1st Quarter

Year-To-Date

 Nuclear Fuel Procurement

 $ (7,236)

 $ (7,236)

     
 

Net Expenditures
(In Thousands)

 

1st Quarter

Year-To-Date

Activities during the period:

   

  Expenditures for nuclear

   

    Materials and processing

   

    Services

   
  General and administrative $26,974  $26,974 
    Expense
    Interest expense 44  44 
     
TOTAL 27,021  27,021 

Sales of nuclear materials and

   

  Processing services to

  System companies 34,257  34,257 
     

Net effect on inventory

$(7,236)

$(7,236)

 

 

3. Fuel Oil Program

   

 
 

Net Expenditures
(In Thousands)

 

1st Quarter

Year-To-Date

Fuel Oil Inventory

$ (1,694)

$ (1,694)

     

a) Fuel Oil Inventory:

   
 

Barrels

Book Value

Inventory as of:

(In Thousands)

     
     

March 31, 2004

1,437

41,546

December 31, 2003

1,622

43,861

September 30, 2003

1,762

49,475

June 30, 2003

1,659

50,172

March 31, 2003

1,464

51,586

     
     
 

During 1st Quarter

 

Barrels

Value

Sales price per barrel

   

to System companies

   

Excluding period cost:

   

#2 Fuel Oil

14,082

38.13

#6 Fuel Oil

1,415,838

27.92

     

 

4. Other Items:

a) As of March 31, 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

29,947

  Banks

0

   

    TOTAL

63,967

   

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 1st quarter of 2004, SFI was billed by Entergy Services for the following amounts:

 

 

January

February

March

Total
1st 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

$ 3,070

$ 7,513

$ 6,547 

$ 17,130

Other direct cost

336

7,564

3,400 

11,300

Indirect Cost

769

2,471

1,891 

5,131

TOTAL

4,175

17,548

11,838 

33,561

         

Cost of services charged

to Service Requests not

       

Related to transfer of

       

SFI personnel:

39,738

55,852

51,126 

146,716

       

Total cost of services

       

performed by Entergy

       

Services

$ 43,913

$ 73,400

$ 62,964 

$ 180,277

         

Amounts billed to

       

Operating Companies for

       

The Fuel Oil Program*

$ 43,781

$ 73,188

$ 63,000 

$ 179,969

         

Charged to Nuclear Fuel

       

Procurement

132

212

(36)

308

         

TOTAL

$ 43,913

$ 73,400

$ 62,964 

$ 180,277

         

* 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 1st quarter of 2004, such Fuel Oil Program period costs were allocated 9.77% to ENTERGY ARKANSAS, INC., 50.43% to ENTERGY LOUISIANA, INC., 28.12% to ENTERGY MISSISSIPPI, INC., and 11.68% 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 30th of April 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