Entergy Arkansas offers customers cash for electric technology purchases

Entergy Arkansas is offering cash rebates to customers who purchase one or more electric technologies, including forklifts, cranes, golf carts and electric vehicle chargers, according to a Monday (March 21) news release. The rebates will be available through the utility’s new eTech initiative.

“We’re taking our commitment to providing safe, reliable service at affordable rates to all Entergy Arkansas customers to a higher level with the greatest efficiencies, while managing greenhouse gas emissions and providing options that customers desire with our new eTech program,” said Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas. “It will help manage greenhouse gas emissions while supporting the technology-forward options our customers desire.”

The eTech initiative, which is known as a beneficial electrification program in the industry, will be available to any eligible Entergy Arkansas customer, from residential to commercial, the release shows. More than 40 utilities across North America provide similar programs, including other companies of New Orleans-based Entergy Corp., the parent company of Entergy Arkansas.

Last week, the Arkansas Public Service Commission approved the program that will allow Entergy Arkansas to provide cash rebates for 14 qualified technologies, such as refrigeration trucks, school and transit buses, drayage trucks, digital billboards, scissor lifts, scrubbers and sweepers, tug and tow tractors and belt loaders.

“Cash incentives are a great benefit, but customers will also save net costs over the lifetime of their machinery in fuel, operations and maintenance which would be less with the electric option than they would have been with the fossil-fuel alternative,” Landreaux said.

According to the release, an electric single class-one forklift is expected to reduce the total amount of resources used by about $8,046 when using electric power compared to other resources, such as gasoline, diesel and propane. The cash rebate for purchasing and electric forklift ranges from $250 to $500.

According to the eTech website, the cash rebate for digital billboards ranges from $1,500 to $5,000. The rebate for a golf cart is $150, while it’s $250 for a level 2 electric vehicle charger and up to $1,500 for a fast charger. The rebate amounts are determined case by case for truck stop and fleet electrification, marine and port equipment, rail or mining equipment, and industrial equipment. Applications for a rebate must be made within 90 days of purchase.

The news release also highlighted the benefits of owning an electric vehicle, including reduced maintenance, lower fuel cost, less noise and lower emissions. The cost to recharge a fully depleted battery of an electric vehicle with a 200-mile range would be $7, based on the Entergy Arkansas rate of 11 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Brandi Hinkle, communications specialist for Entergy Arkansas, said an electric vehicle is expected to save 60% in fuel and maintenance costs over the lifetime of the vehicle. She noted that electric vehicle purchases don’t qualify for the eTech rebates, but the electric vehicle chargers do.

Entergy Arkansas doesn’t have a limit to the number of rebates per customer annually, as long as the purchases qualify, she said. However, she added that the rebate limit per project is $25,000. Entergy Arkansas will review the program annually to determine whether to continue to offer it.