Item 8.01. Other Items
As of September 22, 2020, total restoration costs for the repair and/or replacement of the electrical facilities damaged by Hurricane Laura are estimated to be in the range of $1.5 billion to $1.7 billion. The majority of the costs were incurred by Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Texas. The preliminary estimate for Entergy Louisiana is $1.25 billion to $1.4 billion and the preliminary estimate for Texas is $0.23 billion to $0.26 billion. Hurricane Laura restoration was the first large-scale disaster response that required Entergy to implement COVID-19 safety protocols. Increased costs associated with those safety measures, including lodging and personal protection equipment, are included in our preliminary estimate.
Entergy also expects utility revenues in 2020 to be adversely affected, primarily due to power outages resulting from the hurricane. The company’s initial estimate of lost revenue is approximately $35 million to $40 million, with the majority of this impact occurring in Louisiana. The financial impact of the lost revenue will be partly offset by lower operation and maintenance expenses resulting from redeployment of resources to storm work.
Entergy believes its liquidity is sufficient to meet its current obligations. As of August 31, 2020, Entergy’s liquidity includes cash and cash equivalents, available revolver capacity and storm escrows, less available revolver capacity for a total of $4.0 billion.
Storms are an unfortunate but not unexpected part of living on the Gulf Coast, and Entergy has a long history of working collaboratively with its regulators to recover storm costs. Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Texas are considering all available avenues to recover storm-related costs from Hurricane Laura in a way that will minimize the effects on customers, including accessing funded storm escrows and securitization. There are well-established mechanisms and precedent for addressing these catastrophic events and providing for recovery of prudently incurred storm costs in accordance with applicable regulatory and legal principles. Due to the national importance of the refineries, petrochemical and other essential industries that the utility companies serve on the Gulf Coast, Entergy also is exploring opportunities for federal assistance in the restoration and potential hardening of the infrastructure in this area.
Forward-Looking Statements
In this Item 8.01, and from time to time, Entergy Corporation makes certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding Entergy’s expectations around loss of revenues; restoration timing, costs and recovery; and other statements of Entergy’s plans, beliefs, or expectations included in this presentation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this Item 8.01. Except to the extent required by the federal securities laws, Entergy undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements, including (a) those factors discussed elsewhere in this presentation and in Entergy’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Entergy’s other reports and filings made under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; (b) uncertainties associated with rate proceedings, formula rate plans, and other cost recovery mechanisms, including the risk that costs may not be recoverable to the extent anticipated by the utilities; (c) uncertainties associated with efforts to remediate the effects of major storms and recover related restoration costs; (d) legislative and regulatory actions and risks and uncertainties associated with claims or litigation by or against Entergy and its subsidiaries; (e) effects of changes in federal, state, or local laws and regulations and other governmental actions or policies, including changes in monetary, fiscal, tax, environmental, or energy policies; and (f) the direct and indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Entergy and its customers.