Entergy Arkansas Outlines Next Generation Arkansas Plan Focused on Reliability, Capacity, Economic Development and Affordability

Entergy Arkansas announced Next Generation Arkansas, a comprehensive plan aimed at strengthening electric system reliability, expanding energy supply, supporting economic development and maintaining affordable rates for customers across the state.

The plan is designed to address several factors affecting Arkansas’s electric system, including recent population and economic growth, increasing demand for electricity, the impact of more extreme weather on reliability, competitiveness for job-creating projects, and cost pressures affecting customer rates. Entergy Arkansas developed the plan with input from state and local leaders and customers to support transparency and accountability.

Next Generation Arkansas is organized around four priorities:

Improving reliability and outage response
Entergy Arkansas plans to implement a reliability improvement initiative intended to reduce power outages by at least 30% over the coming years. The effort includes increased vegetation management, system upgrades across the state, and deployment of advanced technologies to identify issues more quickly and improve long-term power quality. The addition of new large customers to the system is expected to help offset costs associated with these improvements.

Expanding power supply to meet growing demand
Arkansas is projected to experience significant growth in electricity demand over the next five years. To address this, Entergy Arkansas plans to invest in approximately 2,600 megawatts (MW) of new generation and repower about 1,600 MW of existing generation, subject to approval by the Arkansas Public Service Commission.

Planned investments include:

• A 450 MW natural gas facility at the Ironwood Power Station in Hot Spring County, expected in 2028.

• A 750 MW natural gas facility at the Jefferson Power Station in Jefferson County, expected in 2029.

• Approximately 600 MW of solar generation and 350 MW of battery storage at the Arkansas Cypress facility in Jefferson County, expected in 2028.

• Retrofits of coal-fired units to enable natural gas operation.

• Upgrades to existing natural gas facilities to increase output by more than 150 MW.

• License renewal and equipment upgrades at the Arkansas Nuclear One facility, which produces approximately 1,800 MW of electricity.

According to the company, these investments are intended to support a balanced energy mix while meeting future demand.

Supporting job creation and economic development
Over the past five years, Entergy Arkansas has partnered with state and community leaders to support more than 7,500 jobs and over $13 billion in capital investment. As part of Next Generation Arkansas, the company plans to align with the Generating Arkansas Jobs Act of 2025, use local contractors when possible, and support site development needed to attract new industrial and technology projects.

Construction of the Ironwood, Jefferson Power Station and Arkansas Cypress facilities is expected to create approximately 1,860 direct construction jobs, additional indirect jobs, and 46 permanent operational positions. These projects are projected to generate more than $105 million in state and local tax revenue by 2030.

Maintaining affordable and predictable rates
Entergy Arkansas reports that its rates are currently 22% below the national average. The company plans to continue pursuing cost-control and efficiency measures while investing in system upgrades. Planned actions include use of new grid technologies, offering customers energy efficiency programs and alternative rate options, and continuing to attract large industrial customers to spread infrastructure costs across a broader customer base. The company also plans to collaborate with large customers on energy affordability initiatives.

Entergy Arkansas stated that implementation of the plan will include oversight from the Arkansas Public Service Commission and ongoing communication with customers.