LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Adding to its growing fleet of utility-scale solar generating facilities, Entergy Arkansas has announced the start of commercial operations at Walnut Bend Solar ���ϳԹ��� Center. The 100-megawatt solar energy center is located in Lee County to the east of Brinkley, Arkansas. Entergy Arkansas acquired Walnut Bend from Invenergy, a leading privately held developer, owner, and operator of sustainable energy solutions. Invenergy led the development, engineering, and construction of the facility.

“Walnut Bend will be a valuable addition to our generation fleet, which, in turn, complements our diverse mix of generation sources that have been powering life in Arkansas for more than 100 years,” said Entergy Arkansas President and CEO Laura Landreaux. “Our investments in these generation resources are a key part of keeping the rates our customers pay below the regional and national averages and enables us to provide reliable, affordable, and sustainable service to our customers throughout the state.”

“Walnut Bend is another example of Invenergy’s successful track record of building clean energy solutions, and we are proud to support Entergy’s growing solar power portfolio,” said Mick Baird, Chief Development Officer at Invenergy. “We are grateful to the Lee County community for their partnership, and we look forward to continuing to develop projects in Arkansas to meet the state’s energy needs and invest in local communities.”

The Walnut Bend facility will generate an estimated $700,000 in annual property taxes for Lee County. It utilizes innovative technologies, including bifacial solar panels and racking equipment that tracks the sun. Bifacial panels capture sunlight on both sides of the panel, taking advantage of light reflecting off the ground, while the racking systems adjusts their tilt so that they follow the sun throughout the day, maximizing their energy production.

“I am pleased to welcome Walnut Bend Solar to my district,” said Arkansas Senator Ron Caldwell, District 10. “This facility represents a significant investment in Lee County that will provide economic benefits locally and throughout Arkansas.”

Walnut Bend is the fourth solar resource Entergy Arkansas has placed into service – all generating renewable, emission-free solar power for all Entergy Arkansas’ customers. The others are the 81-megawatt Stuttgart Solar, the 100-megawatt Chico Solar at Lake Village and the 100-megawatt Searcy Solar. The four facilities combined will generate 381 megawatts of power for Entergy Arkansas customers. Total investment is more than $300 million, with net customer benefits of more than $170 million over the life of the facilities.

Later this year, Entergy Arkansas will bring 430 additional MW of solar power facilities online: West Memphis (180MW) and Driver (250 MW), which it will own and operate. Two additional solar facilities are planned to come online in 2025: Flat Fork (200 MW) and Forgeview (200 MW), which will provide energy and capacity to Entergy Arkansas via long-term power purchase agreements.

“Walnut Bend Solar is a great addition to my district,” said Mark McElroy, Arkansas District 62 Representative. “The facility will generate economic benefits for Lee County and the surrounding communities.¬† This investment will strengthen our communities and help support economic development that will be good for Arkansas.”

About Entergy Arkansas

Entergy Arkansas, LLC provides electricity to approximately 730,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Arkansas is a subsidiary of ���ϳԹ���, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. For the latest news from Entergy Arkansas, visit the and connect with @EntergyArk on social media.

About Invenergy

Invenergy is accelerating cleaner, more reliable, affordable energy. Invenergy and its affiliated companies develop, build, own, and operate large-scale renewable and other clean energy generation, transmission and storage facilities in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Headquartered in Chicago, Invenergy has regional development offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Japan, Poland, and Scotland. 

Invenergy and its affiliated companies have successfully developed more than 31,000 megawatts of projects that are in operation, construction or contracted, including wind, solar, transmission infrastructure and natural gas power generation and advanced energy storage projects. Learn about Invenergy at

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Public Service Commission recently approved Go ZERO, a new offering that gives commercial and industrial customers customizable options for clean energy.

Go ZERO, which stands for Zero Emissions Resource Options, allows customers to acquire clean energy attributes associated with the output of Entergy Arkansas’ existing emissions free resources, as well as additional renewable energy resources as they come online.

“We are thrilled to be able to provide our customers with these clean energy options,” said Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas. “Go ZERO will help customers meet their sustainability goals 24/7 by using our nuclear and hydroelectric plants and our growing portfolio of renewable energy resources. It was designed with input from our customers, who need sustainability solutions to reduce their emissions.”

Companies that have already expressed interest in subscribing, including Arkansas Steel Associates, Big River Steel and newly announced Hybar LLC. But Go ZERO may benefit all varieties of commercial and industrial customers of Entergy Arkansas.

In fact, the federal government also is participating. via a memorandum of understanding, the General Services Administration worked with Entergy Arkansas in the development of Go ZERO as a means to meet their goal of sourcing 100% of the federal government’s electricity from carbon pollution-free electricity sources by 2030, including 50 percent on a 24/7 basis. GSA said such an offering could be a model for the rest of the country.

Go ZERO’s clean energy options can also be a critical economic development tool to help the state recruit new businesses and support expansion of existing businesses in Arkansas.

“In addition to price and reliability, companies are looking for clean energy sources, which Entergy Arkansas can offer to prospective customers seeking to locate in Arkansas. We believe Go ZERO helps set Arkansas apart as the place to do business,” Landreaux said.

Go ZERO will provide three options for customers to meet their sustainability goals:

1. A subscription to Asset-Backed Renewable ���ϳԹ��� Credits (RECs) from renewable resources, with the RECs retired on behalf of the subscribing customer
2. A vehicle for providing customers with Asset-Backed Zero-Emission Alternative ���ϳԹ��� Certificates (AECs) for the customer’s share of existing nuclear and hydro resources, with the AECs retired on behalf of the subscribing customer
3. 24/7 Time-Match Reporting of the customer’s Scope 2 emissions associated with the customer’s retail purchases of electricity

To subscribe to Go ZERO or get more information, visit . You may also contact the Entergy Business Center at 1-800-766-1648 or email GoZEROArkansas@entergy.com.

WASHINGTON –¬†Today at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the federal government’s first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a utility to work toward achieving 100 percent carbon pollution-free electricity (CFE), at least 50 percent of which would be provided on a 24/7 basis, in line with the requirements of Executive Order 14057.

The MOU between the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and Entergy Arkansas will help federal agencies in Arkansas meet the goals of President Biden’s Executive Order, which sets the goal of sourcing 100% of the federal government’s electricity from carbon pollution-free sources by 2030, including 50 percent 24/7 CFE, meaning delivered to the same grid region as the consuming facilities.

“This MOU marks a historic step forward and demonstrates how the federal government is partnering in initiatives to spur demand for carbon pollution-free electricity – when and where people need it,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “GSA looks forward to working with our agency partners and utilities across the country to replicate this MOU model – helping to promote local, clean energy sources and catalyze utility-scale energy storage, and create a more resilient grid.”

Under the MOU, Entergy Arkansas, one of the top 10 suppliers of electricity to the federal government, will allow its public and private sector customers to utilize regionally-sourced nuclear and renewables, including solar, hydro, or wind. The new program is one of the world’s first electricity utility tariffs that supports 24/7 hourly matching of CFE with consumers’ electricity needs, blending both existing and new CFE power generation. Once fully developed and approved, it is anticipated that Entergy Arkansas customers in both the public and private sector will have a cost-competitive and reliable option for CFE that matches their electricity consumption for all hours of the day.

Andrew Mayock, the federal government’s chief sustainability officer at the White House, added, “Today’s MOU shows how innovative, customer-centric clean energy can help Federal agencies in Arkansas cost-effectively meet the clean energy goals of President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan. By building upon existing nuclear power generation with new carbon-free renewable resources, this approach helps reach net-zero emissions while keeping costs low for consumers. We hope this partnership between GSA and Entergy Arkansas will serve as a model for other Federal agencies and suppliers to accelerate the transition to clean energy.”

As a primary agency that procures electricity for the federal government, GSA is working with partner agencies to identify energy procurement options and develop strategies for reaching 100% CFE.

Entergy Arkansas provides electricity to approximately 728,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Arkansas is a subsidiary of ���ϳԹ��� (NYSE: ETR), an integrated energy company engaged in electric power production, transmission and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers through its operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with approximately 24,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 5,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,000 employees.

GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit¬†¬†and follow us at¬†.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Public Service Commission has approved the Entergy Arkansas Driver Solar Project, a new 250-megawatt AC (or 312 MW DC) renewable energy plant developed by Lightsource bp, which will be located on approximately 2,100 acres near Osceola in Mississippi County. Driver Solar will be the utility’s largest solar facility, capable of generating enough energy to power more than 40,000 homes.

“Driver Solar adds highly economic, renewable generation to our portfolio, further diversifying our energy mix in a way that meets our customers’ evolving expectations,” said Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas. “It is a key contribution toward business expansion in northeast Arkansas, and we are excited to be a part of it.”

She said, “We are listening to our customers as we develop and execute our generation strategy for the future. We are privileged to be able to work closely with U. S. Steel Corporation to develop sustainable solutions to help them meet their objective of producing steel using renewable electricity while simultaneously lowering rates over the long term for all 728,000-plus Entergy Arkansas customers.”

The Driver Solar site is located along Arkansas Highway 61 near Carson Lake Road and Arkansas Highway 198, just south of Osceola, and will be situated adjacent to both the U. S. Steel’s Big River Steel facility and the recently announced $3 billion expansion. Lightsource bp has completed development and permitting of the solar field and will build the facility under a build-transfer agreement with Entergy Arkansas. Driver Solar has an expected completion date in late 2024.

U. S. Steel Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer Richard Fruehauf said, “This project with Entergy Arkansas and Lightsource bp illustrates the importance of partnerships. Driver Solar not only helps us meet our robust sustainability goals, but it will also help us deliver sustainable steel solutions for our customers. The renewable energy generated will power the production of verdeX^TM, our advanced sustainable steel product, which is composed of up to 90% recycled steel content, as well as other products produced at our Big River Works facility.”

Together with their joint venture partner bp, Lightsource bp has been delivering competitively priced, safe, and dependable, clean energy for businesses and communities in the United States and around the world since 2010. Lightsource bp was recently named world’s largest solar developer by Mercom Capital Partners.

In November 2021, Lightsource bp and bp announced a landmark procurement deal with U.S.-based First Solar Inc. for 5.4 gigawatts of First Solar modules. First Solar produces American-made solar modules at its fully vertically integrated manufacturing complex in Ohio. All 250 megawatts of the Driver Solar project will be generated using advanced, ultra-low carbon thin-film modules manufactured by First Solar. In addition to modules supplied by Tempe-based First Solar, the facility will be built with solar trackers manufactured by Albuquerque-based Array Technologies.

“The Driver Solar project is another demonstration of how solar can power our country’s industry with cost-competitive, clean, dependable electricity,” said Kevin Smith, Lightsource bp’s CEO of the Americas. “Arkansas’ largest solar project will help build American-made sustainable steel, as well as create hundreds of U.S. jobs for construction and across the supply chain.”

Landreaux said, “With their solar industry leadership and commitment to supporting domestic manufacturing, we couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to work with Lightsource bp.”

Driver Solar is expected to provide between 350 and 400 jobs during the construction phase, utilizing the local workforce and subcontractors.

Upon completion, Entergy Arkansas plans to employ outside services for site maintenance, such as land management and vegetation control, operations, office rent, team payroll and other items likely to have a local impact. Local businesses such as restaurants and stores may also benefit indirectly from the infusion of construction workers and activity during this time, company officials said.

In addition, the property taxes associated with Entergy Arkansas’ ownership of the project are conservatively estimated to be an approximate average of $1.2 million for Mississippi County annually over the life of the project, or roughly $36 million in 30 years.

Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston said, “Driver Solar enables U. S. Steel to grow its business in Arkansas, meet their sustainability goals, and further demonstrates how the State of Arkansas and Entergy Arkansas support companies that provide high-paying jobs grow in the state.”

Entergy Arkansas already operates one of the cleanest electric generation portfolios in the country. That generation is predominately emission-free due to significant amounts of nuclear, hydro, and solar generation in the portfolio. In addition to its solar-sourced power, Entergy Arkansas currently owns or operates two carbon-free nuclear generating units, which supply 60% of the company’s generating needs.

And its generation will be getting even cleaner over time. To meet customer demands and as described in the Integrated Resource Plan, Entergy Arkansas anticipates replacing a portion of our older natural-gas fired resources in coming years and all our coal-fired resources by 2030 with mainly renewable resources that will deliver needed emission-free electric generation to meet the load and energy requirements of our customers.

The Driver Solar project is another milestone in the modernization of the Entergy Arkansas power generation portfolio, helping meet customers’ needs for cleaner, more efficient, and diverse energy solutions. Beyond providing the benefits of emissions-free generation, the project will promote biological diversity and sustainability by hosting two Monarch butterfly habitat areas to exceed 70 acres.

Entergy Arkansas is adding other renewable generation facilities to serve its customers and communities with more clean energy in the coming years. Earlier this year, the company issued a request for proposals for 1,000 MW of wind and solar resources. In June 2022, ���ϳԹ��� discussed plans for up to 7 gigawatts of renewable resources by the end of 2025, and as much as 14 to 17 gigawatts of renewable resources by the end of 2031. Learn more about our renewable energy generation growth at entergy.com/renewable energy.

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Driver Solar Facility near Osceola, Ark., in Mississippi County will be the largest in the Entergy Arkansas portfolio at 250 megawatts. Built by Lightsource bp with panels like those in the photo and a butterfly habitat, the renewable energy source will also help U. S. Steel reach its sustainability goals as it grows its business. (photo courtesy of Lightsource bp)

Entergy Arkansas provides electricity to approximately 730,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Arkansas is a subsidiary of ���ϳԹ��� (NYSE: ETR), an integrated energy company engaged in electric power production, transmission and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers through its operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with approximately 24,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 5,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,000 employees.

Founded in 1901, United States Steel Corporation is a leading steel producer. With an unwavering focus on safety, the company’s customer-centric Best for All® strategy is advancing a more secure, sustainable future for U. S. Steel and its stakeholders. With a renewed emphasis on innovation, U. S. Steel serves the automotive, construction, appliance, energy, containers, and packaging industries with high value-added steel products such as U. S. Steel’s proprietary XG3™ advanced high-strength steel. The company also maintains competitively advantaged iron ore production and has an annual raw steelmaking capability of 22.4 million net tons. U. S. Steel is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with world-class operations across the United States and in Central Europe. For more information, please visit .

Lightsource bp is a global leader in the development and management of solar energy and energy storage projects and a 50:50 joint venture with bp. Our purpose is to deliver affordable, safe and sustainable energy to businesses and communities around the world. Our team includes more than 900 industry experts, working in 18 countries. We provide full scope development for our projects, from initial site selection, financing and permitting to long-term management of solar projects and energy sales to our customers. Lightsource bp in the U.S. is headquartered in San Francisco with development offices in Denver, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Austin. We have over 2,200 megawatts of solar projects in operation or construction in the U.S., represented by 22 projects in 10 different states. For more information visit , follow us on Twitter and Instagram or view our page.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Entergy Arkansas officials announced Thursday it has issued a request for proposals for 1,000 megawatts of solar and wind generation resources, emissions-free renewables that can provide cost-effective energy supply, capacity, fuel diversity, and other benefits to its customers.

“Entergy Arkansas has a commitment to providing our customers with low-cost, reliable energy as well as more renewable generation,” said 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.”

Resources would be procured through a combination of one or more build-own-transfer agreements, self-build alternatives, and/or one or more power purchase agreements that would be in operation between May 2025 and December 2026.

Solar facilities would be required to be within the Entergy Arkansas service territory, while wind resources could be located in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) or Southwest Power Pool footprints.

Entergy Arkansas currently has 281 megawatts of solar power providing clean, emission-free renewable energy to customers – enough to power 45,000 homes. In addition to the Stuttgart and Chicot solar facilities, the company’s largest solar farm – Searcy Solar Facility – came online in late 2021, with generation capacity of 100 MWs and batteries that can store 30 MWs.

The company is the largest energy provider in Arkansas and has a diverse 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 would complement the diverse and carbon-free generation Entergy Arkansas fleet, which includes hydroelectric facilities at Carpenter and Remmel dams, three solar 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.

For more information, visit the Entergy Arkansas resource planning page on its website, .

Entergy Arkansas provides electricity to approximately 728,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Arkansas is a subsidiary of ���ϳԹ��� (NYSE:ETR), an integrated energy company engaged in electric power production, transmission and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,500 employees.

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas – The newest solar generation source in the Entergy Arkansas portfolio of renewable resources is online and pumping power onto the electric grid, officials recently announced. The Searcy Solar ���ϳԹ��� Center is among the first in the state to include battery storage and can store 30 megawatts to provide power rain or shine.

Searcy Solar is one of three plants producing solar power for Entergy Arkansas customers, adding 100 MW to the previous 181 MW already online. It joins Stuttgart Solar, an 81 MW facility, and Chicot Solar at Lake Village, a 100 MW facility, both of which are under long term contracts between Entergy Arkansas and subsidiaries of NextEra ���ϳԹ��� Resources. These solar energy resources are projected to save customers more than $190 million and will help protect the environment for many years to come.

“Solar energy is clean, renewable, abundant and cost-effective,” said Entergy Arkansas President and CEO Laura Landreaux. “It is a smart way to increase our electricity supply, and the battery storage at this facility will keep power flowing even when the sun isn’t shining.”

Solar generation provides a large amount of power over the course of the year with no added fuel costs, helping to provide lower cost energy – especially during peak, summer afternoon hours when there is a large demand for power.

As part of its ongoing dedication to economic development and renewable resources, Entergy Arkansas has another 280 MW under development and recently issued a request for proposals for up to 500 MW of solar and wind capacity to add to its electricity generating portfolio by 2026.

“Adding renewable energy to our diverse mix of power generation sources is part of our strategy for keeping rates low for existing customers and remaining more competitive for businesses looking to expand or locate their next operation in Arkansas,” said Landreaux. “We have a rich tradition of working with our community, government and business partners, and we are excited to be able to continue providing economic renewable energy to new and existing customers.”

Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce Director Buck Layne said, “Not only did this solar project provide local jobs, we believe it will also help us retain and recruit businesses that will help all of White County continue to grow with a focus on low rates and renewable energy. Additionally, we expect local annual tax revenue to be approximately $900,000.”

Entergy’s Portfolio Transformation

���ϳԹ��� owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets across four service territories, with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power. In 2021, Entergy announced plans to triple its renewable energy portfolio over a three-year period, as well as achieve 11 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030. The Searcy Solar facility in Arkansas is another important milestone in ���ϳԹ���’s continued transformation of its power generation portfolio, meeting customers’ needs with clean, efficient sources of electricity while maintaining some of the lowest retail rates in the country. The three solar plants in the state will comprise 5% of Entergy Arkansas’ available generating capacity by 2023.

ABOUT ENTERGY ARKANSAS

Entergy Arkansas provides electricity to approximately 722,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Arkansas is a subsidiary of ���ϳԹ��� (NYSE: ETR), an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to three million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,500 employees.

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The Searcy Solar ���ϳԹ��� Center is located on 800 acres near Eastline Road in Searcy. It has 350,000 photovoltaic panels and lithium-ion batteries that can store up to 30 megawatt hours of power.

���ϳԹ��� owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 7,000 megawatts of nuclear power. The company has made a commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 across all its service territories. Entergy Arkansas currently has about 73 megawatts of hydroelectricity capacity among its green sources, and 581 MWs of solar generation currently and proposed to the APSC.

The additional renewable energy resources Entergy Arkansas is seeking will likely be a combination of build-own-transfer agreements, self-build alternatives and power purchase agreements, which would range from 10 to 20 years. Only solar photovoltaic and wind turbine resources will be eligible for the proposal and must include a minimum electricity generation capacity of 50 megawatts.

The RFP will likely be issued in the third quarter of this year on the Entergy Arkansas website and can be viewed .

Pending regulatory approval, the project is part of the Entergy Arkansas pledge to continue to develop and promote reliable, cost-effective, renewable energy for Arkansans, while maintaining affordable electric rates for all customers. This latest project would bring the amount of solar energy in production, under construction or pending approval by the Arkansas Public Service Commission to 561 MWs – enough to power 90,000 homes!

The economic impact of the West Memphis solar facility would be the largest the state and region have seen, bringing 300 construction and vendor jobs to eastern Arkansas. In the longer term, the West Memphis solar farm helps to maximize the state’s renewable resources and would deliver a valuable cost-effective, utility-scale renewable resource for customers. It is expected to generate $17 million in annual taxes over the life of the project, including $880,000 in local taxes in year one.

“There is a lot of work ahead in securing the West Memphis solar facilities for our customers, but we are confident that this is the best and most economical path for growing renewable energy in Arkansas,” said Entergy Arkansas President and CEO Laura Landreaux.

A little more than 10 years later, Mr. Couch’s Sterlington natural gas-powered plant in north Louisiana was placed online in November 1925. As the demand for electricity grew, so did the company’s fleet of power generation resources. Couch built Remmel Dam, the first hydroelectric dam on the Ouachita River, near Hot Springs in 1924. Just upstream in 1931 came Carpenter Dam, and both dams still generate emission-free power today.

Interesting bit of company trivia: Carpenter Dam is named for Flavius (Flave) Josephus Carpenter, a lawman and former riverboat captain who knew the terrain and river well and helped Couch choose the sites for the dams. Carpenter’s great grandson, Flave Carpenter, shown here holding an original model of the dam, is a customer service manager for Entergy Arkansas in Searcy.

As technology improved and demand grew, Entergy continued to diversify fuel sources, adding several oil-burning generating stations. Today, oil is obsolete as a power generating fuel, but natural gas is still very much a part of the mix. About 17% of power for Entergy Arkansas customers is generated with natural gas including plants near El Dorado, Malvern, and Redfield.

By the early 1970s, Arkansas Power & Light made a bold move toward a cleaner future with the construction of Arkansas Nuclear One. Unit 1 went online in 1974, and Unit 2 in 1978. ANO has been generating electricity virtually emission-free for nearly 50 years now.

Between ANO and power sourced from the Grand Gulf nuclear facility in Mississippi, approximately 72% of the power delivered to Entergy Arkansas customers is from nuclear sources.

The White Bluff and Newark coal plants were brought online in the 1980s, though they are scheduled to be decommissioned by 2028 and 2030.

More recently, the Stuttgart Solar ���ϳԹ��� Center has been producing 81 megawatts of solar energy since 2018, and the Chicot Solar ���ϳԹ��� Center has been producing 100 megawatts of power since it came online in the fall of 2020. Construction of the Searcy Solar power generating plant is underway, so when the facility comes online by the end of this year, 100 megawatts of emission-free power will begin flowing onto the Entergy Arkansas electric grid.

Though company founder Harvey Couch died in 1941, his legacy lives on – providing Arkansans with reliable electricity at an affordable price. 

Searcy Solar will have a feature new to the Entergy Arkansas solar energy fleet: an array of lithium-ion batteries on site to store up to 30 megawatt hours of electricity to be used when the sun isn’t shining.

Searcy Solar, located on 800 acres, east of Eastline Road in Searcy, will be the third project generating solar energy for Entergy Arkansas’ customers, bringing the total of solar power to 281 megawatts generated from panels covering more than 2,000 acres – enough to power about 45,000 homes.

The Stuttgart Solar ���ϳԹ��� Center has been producing 81 megawatts of solar energy since 2018, and the Chicot Solar ���ϳԹ��� Center has been providing 100 megawatts of power since it came online in the fall of 2020.

The Searcy Solar facility has brought 200 temporary construction jobs to the area, as well as two or three permanent jobs, along with periodic maintenance workers. It also will provide about $700,000 in annual property taxes, as well as environmental benefits through emissions-free energy.

Unlike the other two solar projects, which are owned and operated by a subsidiary of NextEra ���ϳԹ��� Resources, LLC with energy produced sold to Entergy Arkansas for 20 years, Searcy will be built by NextEra ���ϳԹ��� Resources and owned by Entergy Arkansas.