Little Rock-based Entergy Arkansas announced Thursday (Sept. 18) it has begun operating its 100-megawatt (MW) Walnut Bend Solar Energy Center located near Brinkley, Ark.

According to Entergy, Walnut Bend is the fourth solar facility the company has in its portfolio of energy production. The others are the 81-megawatt Stuttgart Solar, the 100-megawatt Chico Solar at Lake Village and the 100-megawatt Searcy Solar.

The four facilities combined will generate 381 megawatts of power. Total investment is more than $300 million, with net customer benefits of more than $170 million over the life of the facilities, according to Entergy.

“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 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.”

Entergy Arkansas said the Walnut Bend facility will generate an estimated $700,000 in annual property taxes for Lee County. The facility uses technology that allows sunlight to reach both sides of each solar panel, and the panels are able to tilt to follow the sun during the day.

The power company said later this year it will bring 430 additional MW of solar power facilities online. The sites include the West Memphis (180MW) and Driver (250 MW), which Entergy Arkansas will own and operate.

Two additional solar facilities are planned to come online in 2025: Flat Fork (200 MW) and Forgeview (200 MW), which will provide energy and capacity to Entergy Arkansas via long-term power purchase agreements.

According to the Solar Energy Institutes Association( SEIA), 2.9% of Arkansas’ energy production in 2023 came from solar power. The solar power generated in Arkansas in 2023 was enough to power 153,193 homes. The solar power industry in Arkansas during 2023 was valued at $1.8 billion, according to SEIA.

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