Entergy Arkansas partners with NextEra to build solar energy facility
Entergy Arkansas and NextEra Energy Resources have agreed to build a 100-megawatt solar energy facility in White County near Searcy, Ark.
This would be the largest utility-owned solar facility in the state and the first with a battery for storing solar power. It would provide a total of 281 megawatts of solar energy, enough to power about 45,000 homes. The batteries will be capable of storing up to 30 MW hours of electricity.
The project is pending approval by the Arkansas Public Service Commission and is anticipated to be in service by 2021.
The facility will be designed and built by NextEra Energy Resources and purchased by Entergy Arkansas after completion. The emissions-free, renewable energy facility will be built on about 800 acres in Searcy.
“As the largest solar provider and a leader in renewable energy in Arkansas, Entergy is proud to bring a third large-scale solar project to the state that will allow our customers to benefit from the economic and environmental advantages of renewable energy, while at the same time learning about the benefits of battery storage,” Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas, said.
Entergy Arkansas currently buys 81 MW of solar energy from NextEra Energy Resources at a solar facility near Stuttgart. Also, the company is planning to purchase another 100 MW of solar energy from NextEra Energy Resources’ Chicot Solar project at Lake Village.
“Our customers want to see solar in our resource portfolio, and we are listening and responding,” Landreaux said. “We want all of our customers to have the benefit of solar energy, and we also want to help individual customers meet their renewable energy goals. In addition to adding solar to our generation mix, we’ve also received approval of a Solar Energy tariff from the Arkansas Public Service Commission, which will give our customers the option of purchasing solar power to help meet their renewable energy objectives. It’s really an exciting time as we look to meeting the future energy needs of our customers.”
Entergy Arkansas provides electricity to approximately 700,000 customers in 63 counties throughout the state. It is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation.
