Entergy Arkansas has announced plans to supply power for Google’s proposed $4 billion technology investment in Arkansas. The investment will include the establishment of a new data center in West Memphis, marking Google’s first facility in Arkansas. The data center will draw power from Entergy Arkansas’s existing generation and transmission infrastructure.
Entergy Arkansas has submitted the proposal for regulatory approval to the Arkansas Public Service Commission. Google will cover all power-related costs for the new facility. The project is expected to generate more than $1.1 billion in net benefits over the duration of the contract. The agreement will reportedly help reduce electricity tariffs for all Entergy Arkansas customers, as the addition of a major industrial consumer allows fixed grid operation and maintenance costs to be distributed more efficiently across the broader customer base.
Additionally, the company plans to develop a new 600 MW solar plant supported by a 350 MW battery energy storage system in Jefferson County. Google will pay rates that will cover the total cost of this solar-plus-storage project. It will also launch an Energy Impact Fund worth $25 million to promote energy affordability initiatives in Crittenden County and nearby regions. The fund will focus on home weatherisation, the deployment of energy-efficient technologies, and energy workforce development.
