Entergy Arkansas, Invenergy announce fourth commercial solar operation

On Thursday, Entergy Arkansas announced it had acquired its fourth utility-scale solar operation by buying the Walnut Bend Solar Energy Center from Invenergy.

The 100 MW solar energy center is expected to generate an estimate $700,000 in annual property taxes for Lee County, Arkansas. The facility uses innovative technologies, including bifacial solar panels that capture sunlight on both sides of the panel, and racking equipment that allows panels to tils so they follow the sun, maximizing energy production.

“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 President and CEO Laura Landreaux said. “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.”

The Walnut Bend facility is the fourth solar resource Entergy Arkansas has placed into service following the 81 MW Stuttgart Solar, the 100 MW Chico Solar at Lake Village and the 100 MW Searcy Solar. Combined the four facilities will generate nearly 400 MW of power for Entergy Arkansas customers. The company said the total investment of more than $300 million will provide customers with more than $170 million in benefits over the life of the facility.

The company said it plans on bringing on an additional 430 MW of solar facilities – 180 MW at the West Memphis facility and 250 MW at the Driver facility. Two more solar facilities are planned for 2025 – the 200 MW Flat Fork facility and the 200 MW Forgeview facility.

“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,” Mick Baird, Chief Development Officer at Invenergy, said. “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.”

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