Entergy seeks proposals for major wind, solar project

Entergy Arkansas officials announced late last week they have issued a request for proposals for 1,000 megawatts of solar and wind generation resources and emissions-free renewables. The new project would more than triple Entergy Arkansas’ current alternative energy capacity.

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 anywhere in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) or Southwest Power Pool footprints.

Entergy Arkansas serves 728,000 customers in 63 Arkansas counties.

The move is an effort to expand cost-effective energy supply, capacity, fuel diversity, and other benefits to Entergy’s customers, according to a press release.

“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.”

Entergy Arkansas currently has 281 megawatts of solar power in service, enough to power 45,000 homes. In addition to its 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 utility’s fleet currently uses solar and wind resources as well as hydroelectric, nuclear and power derived from coal and natural gas. Nuclear energy accounts for about 70% of the fuel mix for the company’s customers.