Entergy Arkansas issued a request to submit proposals for 1,000 MW of wind and solar generation resources. The resources would be obtained through a combination one or more build-own transfer agreements, self-build options, and/or one (or more) power purchase agreements. These agreements would be in effect between May 2025 to December 2026.
“Entergy Arkansas has a commitment to providing our customers with low-cost, reliable energy as well as more renewable generation,” says Kurt Castleberry, director of resource planning and marketing operations. “We continue to grow green energy within our diverse portfolio of power resources to better serve our existing and growing customer base and look forward to some exciting proposals.”
Entergy Arkansas would require solar facilities to be within its service territory. However, wind resources could be found in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator footprints (MISO) and Southwest Power Pool footprints.
Entergy Arkansas currently provides clean, emission-free solar power to its customers with 281 MW. In addition to the Stuttgart and Chicot solar facilities, the company’s largest solar farm – Searcy Solar Facility – came online in late 2021, with a 100 MW generation capacity and batteries that can store 30 MWs.
The company is the largest energy provider in Arkansas and has a mix of energy sources to ensure reliability, safe and cost-effective power to its 728,000 customers that are spread out among 63 of the state’s 75 counties, covering more than 40,880 square miles.
Additional solar and wind resources could be added to the Entergy Arkansas fleet of diverse, carbon-free generation, which includes hydroelectric facilities at Carpenter dam and Remmel dams, three sun facilities, and Arkansas Nuclear One. Nuclear energy accounts for about 70% of the fuel mix for the company’s customers, followed by hydropower at 16%, with the remaining power sourced from coal, natural gas and solar.