Entergy Arkansas has announced the start of commercial operations at the Walnut Bend Solar Energy Center, a new 100-megawatt facility in Lee County, east of Brinkley, Arkansas. The company acquired the solar energy center from Invenergy, a leader in sustainable energy solutions, which oversaw its development, engineering, and construction.

Walnut Bend is equipped with advanced bifacial solar panels and sun-tracking racking systems, maximizing energy production by capturing sunlight from both sides of the panels and adjusting their tilt to follow the sun throughout the day. The facility is expected to generate $700,000 annually in property taxes for Lee County.

This is Entergy Arkansas’ fourth solar project, joining the 81-megawatt Stuttgart Solar, 100-megawatt Chico Solar, and 100-megawatt Searcy Solar. Together, these four facilities generate 381 megawatts of renewable, emission-free power, with a total investment exceeding $300 million and delivering over $170 million in net benefits to customers over their lifespan.

Later this year, Entergy Arkansas will add two more solar facilities: West Memphis (180 MW) and Driver (250 MW). By 2025, two additional solar projects—Flat Fork (200 MW) and Forgeview (200 MW)—will come online, supplying energy to Entergy Arkansas through long-term power purchase agreements.

“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,” said Entergy Arkansas President and CEO Laura Landreaux. “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.”
“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,” said Mick Baird, Chief Development Officer at Invenergy. “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.”

“Walnut Bend Solar is a great addition to my district,” said Mark McElroy, Arkansas District 62 Representative. “The facility will generate economic benefits for Lee County and the surrounding communities. This investment will strengthen our communities and help support economic development that will be good for Arkansas.”

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