Entergy Arkansas announced Thursday that it is commercially generating power at a new 100-megawatt solar array east of Brinkley.
Walnut Bend Solar, in Lee County, adds to Entergy’s “growing fleet of utility-scale solar generating facilities,” the utility said.
Entergy Arkansas bought the 900-acre array from Invenergy of Chicago, which developed, engineered and built it.
Walnut Bend is Entergy Arkansas’ fourth solar resource, joining 81-megawatt Stuttgart Solar, and two 100-megawatt arrays. Those are Searcy Solar and Chicot Solar in Lake Village.
“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,” Entergy Arkansas CEO Laura Landreaux said in a statement. “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.”
Low Rates
Entergy Arkansas’ rates are 22% below the national average, company spokesperson Heather Kendrick told Arkansas Business. “We are proud to have been able to maintain that benefit for our customers over many years.”
Mick Baird, Invenergy’s chief development officer, called Walnut Bend another example of the company’s record in clean energy.
“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,” Baird stated in a release.
The new array should generate $700,000 a year in property taxes for the county, the release said. Its “innovative technologies” include bifacial solar panels and racking equipment that tracks the sun. The modules capture sunlight on both sides of the panel, taking advantage of light reflecting off the ground. The racking systems adjust their tilt to follow the sun throughout the day, maximizing power production.
More Arrays Coming
Arkansas state Sen. Ron Caldwell welcomed the project to his constituency, District 10.
“This facility represents a significant investment in Lee County that will provide economic benefits locally and throughout Arkansas,” Caldwell said in the release.
Walnut Bend is part of 530 solar megawatts of capacity coming online for Entergy Arkansas by year’s end. The other projects, Kendrick said, will be 250-megawatt Driver Solar in Mississippi, designed to power the Big River 2 steel mill in Osceola, and 180-megawatt West Memphis Solar, nearing completion in Crittenden County.
“Two more facilities will be coming online in 2025,” Kendrick said. “Flat Fork, 200 megawatts, located in St. Francis and Lee counties, and Forge View, 200 megawatts located in Mississippi County.”
Rep. Mark McElroy, who represents the Walnut Bend area, expects the array to generate great economic benefits. “This investment will strengthen our communities and help support economic development and be good for Arkansas,” he said in the release.
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