Entergy Arkansas reaches agreement to transition away from coal plants

Entergy Arkansas recently announced that it reached an agreement with organizations opposed to the use of coal and other fossil fuels for electricity generation to transition from using coal at several of its plants.

Under the agreement, Entergy will cease operations at the White Bluff, Independence and Lake Catherine 4 plants within 9-12 years. The agreement allows the company to continue with plans to replace the plants, establishes a transition timeline for employees and ends lawsuits related to the use of coal at the plants.

“These generating units in Arkansas, and our employees who work there, have been an important part of Entergy Arkansas for approximately four decades,” Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas, said. “This agreement allows for a reasonable transition to new energy resources by extending the life of the plants and associated jobs for another nine to 12 years while preparing for the future.”

If approved, the agreement will also avoid a requirement under the Clean Air Act’s regional haze program to install emissions control technologies by 2021 or cease the use of coal at the plants.

Under the agreement, Entergy Arkansas and the plant’s co-owners will start using only low-sulfur coal at the White Bluff and Independence coal plants no later than June 30, 2021. They will stop using coal entirely at White Bluff no later than the end of 2028 and no later than the end of 2030 at Independence. The parties will also continue to use only natural gas at the Lake Catherine 4 plant and stop operation of the plant by the end of 2027.

Entergy Arkansas and the plant’s co-owners maintain the option to develop new generating sources at the plant sites. They will also pursue approval of 800 megawatts of renewable generating sources. At least 400 megawatts will be proposed to regulators no later than the end of 2022, and the remainder will be proposed no later than the end of 2027. This includes the 181 megawatts of solar in Arkansas that regulators have already approved.