Entergy Arkansas has announced the commercial operation of the 100-MW Walnut Bend Solar Energy Center in Lee County, Arkansas.
The project, acquired from clean energy developer Invenergy, is the fourth solar farm for the utility in its home state. Invenergy managed the development, engineering, and construction of the facility, marking its first project in Arkansas.
The solar plant is equipped with bifacial panels mounted on trackers and will generate enough electricity to power approximately 61,000 homes in Arkansas. Laura Landreaux, President and CEO of Entergy Arkansas, emphasized the significance of the new facility, stating, “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.”
Walnut Bend follows three previous solar projects brought online by Entergy Arkansas: the 81-MW Stuttgart Solar, the 100-MW Chico Solar, and the 100-MW Searcy Solar. Together, the utility has invested over $300 million in these four projects.
Looking ahead, Entergy Arkansas plans to further expand its solar capacity with two additional solar farms—West Memphis (180 MW) and Driver (250 MW)—expected to be operational later this year.
The company has also secured long-term power purchase agreements for energy and capacity from two more 200-MW projects, Flat Fork and Forgeview, which are scheduled to come online in 2025.
