100 MW Solar Plus Storage Project Approved by Arkansas Commission

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The Arkansas Public Service Commission has approved a new 100 MW utility-scale solar project along with a 10 megawatts of battery storage system

The Arkansas Public Service Commission has approved a new utility-scale solar project that will provide Entergy Arkansas customers with 100 megawatts (MW) of solar power and 10 megawatts of battery storage.

The Searcy Solar project in White County will be the largest utility-owned solar project in the state and the first to feature battery storage. When completed in 2021, it will be the third project generating solar energy for Entergy Arkansas’ customers, bringing the total of solar energy to 281 megawatts covering more than 2,000 acres – enough to power about 45,000 homes. The Stuttgart Solar Energy Center has been producing 81 MW of solar energy since 2018, and Chicot Solar, under construction near Lake Village, will provide 100 MW of solar power when it comes online later this year.

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“Entergy Arkansas is proud to be leading the charge in expanding solar power in our state, and we are committed to meeting our customers’ energy needs reliably, affordably and safely as we have done for over 100 years,” said Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas. “Large-scale solar facilities provide the most cost-effective solar power for all customers, keeping rates low while delivering the best value for renewables in Arkansas.”

The Searcy Solar project will be built on approximately 800 acres east of Eastline Road in Searcy and will include a 10-megawatt array of lithium-ion batteries capable of storing up to 30 MW hours of electricity, which is expected to be charged and discharged daily to maximise the value of the solar energy for the benefit of customers.

“This large solar facility will be a very effective economic development tool as we work to attract new employers and retain our existing businesses. Many corporations have renewable energy and sustainability objectives,” said Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston. “This facility, combined with Entergy’s other large solar facilities in Arkansas, will help us strengthen and grow the state’s economy.”

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Entergy Arkansas provides electricity to approximately 700,000 customers in 63 counties and is a subsidiary of the Entergy Corporation which owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 9,000 megawatts of nuclear power.