September 2026

For even more valuable content and support from the team at Arkansas Advanced Energy Association, please consider joining as a member.

Next Month: emPOWER Arkansas Conference

emPOWER Arkansas Conference & Expo Oct. 12-13 in Little Rock

Arkansas Advanced Energy's annual emPOWER Arkansas Conference & Expo will be held October 12 and October 13, 2026, at the Central Arkansas Library System's Main Branch in downtown Little Rock.

Who Should Attend?

emPOWER Arkansas is for anyone who works in energy or has a vested interest in Arkansas's energy future. Attendees include but are not limited to municipal leaders, legislators, energy developers, training institutions, nonprofit organizations, job seekers, students, Arkansas residents interested in learning more about energy, higher education, large energy consumers, and everything in between.

Why You Should Be There:

Themed "Generating Solutions to Meet Demand," this year's conference will have a collaborative atmosphere designed to bring stakeholders together around the most pressing energy challenges facing Arkansas.

Sessions will cover:

Preparing Arkansas's grid for unprecedented growth through generation, transmission, reliability, and smarter energy solutions.
Building public trust, protecting property rights, and creating the conditions for responsible energy development and long-term economic growth.
The opportunities, challenges, and policy debates that could define the 2027 legislative session and beyond.
Insights into factors affecting energy affordability as well as sharing resources and financing tools.
Collaborative discussions to motivate, reflect, and map next steps for Arkansas's energy future.

We are actively seeking sponsors for individual sessions as well as overall conference sponsors. If you have questions or would like to discuss a customized sponsorship, reach out to Stephanie Slagle.

Sponsor

Speakers

More speaker announcements coming soon!

The conference will also include a hands-on industry expo for students and job seekers through Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation’s SkillStream program.

Be an Exhibitor

Sign Up to Attend Expo Only

Regulatory

Rates, Risk and Return: Emerging Themes in the Entergy Arkansas Rate Case

26-001-U Entergy Arkansas Rate Case

Entergy Arkansas has requested a rate increase. Consider the rate case is only one of three increase requests this year: a 4.54% Formula Rate Plan increase went into effect in January 2026 and the Generating Arkansas Jobs Act (4%) Rider also went in effect in June 2026. If this rate increase were approved and implemented, by 2027 Arkansans will have seen an almost 12% rate hike since December 2025. For more information, visit https://www.arkansasadvancedenergy.com/arkansas-regulatory-updates.

What Arkansas residents need to know:

Entergy Arkansas is requesting an increase in its revenue. The utility’s approved return on equity (ROE) is currently 9.65%; they’ve asked for their ROE to be increased to 9.85%(volume 1, page 2).
Entergy Arkansas claims the percentage increase in rates for Arkansas residents is 0.0%(volume 1, page 2). However, after our team at Arkansas Advanced Energy Association ran the numbers of their proposed changes (volume 7, page 4), we arrived at a 4.9% increase for Arkansas residents.
The proposal also raises rates by more than seven percent for many small businesses under the Small General Service rate class, and our review of the agricultural irrigation rate indicates farmers could see increases approaching 12 percent.
EAL is proposing a new Low-Income Qualified Discount Rider (“LQDR”) that provides eligible residential customers a 50 percent reduction in the monthly customer charge. On page 43 of the Direct Testimony of Matthew Klucher, Entergy’s Director of Utility Rates & Pricing, Regulatory Compliance , Klucher explains the math: “To incorporate the LQDR into the residential rate design the Company first estimated the number of customers that would potentially be eligible for the LQDR. I then applied the discounted rate to the estimated number of customers. This resulted in a decrease in revenues for the residential class. To maintain revenue neutrality, I increased all rate components in the residential class by the same percentage that resulted in revenues equal to the proposed revenues recommended above. All non-eligible LQDR customers, regardless of usage, will have an increase in their total bill of approximately 0.84 percent.” TL,DR: Non-eligible customers are subsidizing the LQDR. You can see the low-income customer charge on this spreadsheet (volume 7, page 4).

The next dates in the procedural schedule:

September 2: Rebuttal Testimony (EAL)
October 2: Surrebuttal Testimony (staff and intervenors)
October 13: Sur-Surrebuttal Testimony (EAL)
October 20: Public Comment Hearing in Batesville
October 23: Issues List or Settlement
October 27: Public Comment Hearing in El Dorado
October 29: Opposition to Settlement
November 4-5: Evidentiary Hearing at the Commission Hearing Room of the Arkansas Public Service Commission building at 9:30am.

26-042-U Affordability

The PSC has opened a new docket to address affordability and cost containment for customers specifically seeking comment and testimony on large load tariffs, time of use programs, and performance-based ratemaking.

More Regulatory Updates

What is a Rate Case?

(Powering Arkansas)

One of the most important functions of the Public Service Commission is how the commissioners navigate rate cases. As SREA’s Regulatory Director Whit Cox would say, “Anytime a utility wants something they don’t have, typically they need to get it approved from the Public Service Commission.”

One of those things you can count on a utility wanting is a rate increase.

Arkansas Energy Headlines

Google to pay Entergy Arkansas $526 million for solar facility to feed West Memphis data center (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
Small Businesses Would Be Hit Hardest by Entergy Arkansas' Rate Plan (Arkansas Business)
Arkansas businesses raise concerns over Entergy's rate increase (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
State agencies: Entergy needs to trim its profits (Arkansas Times)
Entergy Arkansas files $301.3 million plan to convert White Bluff coal plant to natural gas (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)
Arkansas County Sets Public Hearing on Proposed 600 Million Solar and Battery Project Bonds (Deltaplex News)
Giga-What?! AVAIO comes clean about big plans in Wrightsville (Arkansas Times)
Entergy Arkansas Says Its Rate Plan is Affordable. Critics Aren't Convinced. (Arkansas Business)
$2 billion wind farm project planned for Lonoke County (Arkansas Leader)
Ozarks Electric, AECC Approve New Agreement for Power Supply (Arkansas Money & Politics)
LG Energy Signs $1.5B Offtake Deal for Arkansas Lithium (Arkansas Business)
What Entergy Wants: A Summary (Arkansas Business)
City Water and Light of Jonesboro Board Approves Rate Increases, Bonds to Fund New Plant Construction (Jonesboro Right Now)
Arkansas' Data Center Opportunity Comes with a Public Relations Problem (Arkansas Business)
Arkansas Research Propelling Tomorrow's Electric-driven Economy (Arkansas Money & Politics)
Powers sells HVAC divisions to Albireo Energy (Talk Business & Politics)
Rep. Ladyman plans to sponsor nuclear power bill (Talk Business & Politics)
A Look at Lithium (Arkansas Money & Politics)
Jefferson Power Station on course for 2030 launch, Entergy official says (The Pine Bluff Commercial)
Little Rock Board of Directors approves sustainable energy district including Robinson Center, City Hall (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

Arkansas Power Players tour Arkansas-based Hybar

Workforce Development

Join Arkansas Advanced Energy Association for More Workforce Development Benefits

Arkansas-based Wade Company celebrates graduation of six registered instrumentation and controls apprentices

Call for Employers: Join Us in Building Arkansas’s Energy Workforce

The challenge of finding skilled, reliable talent is real. For the past three years, Arkansas Advanced Energy has been working to address this challenge through collaboration with industry leaders, strategic funding partnerships, and pilot workforce efforts. With funding secured and partners in place, we are now selecting a core group of employer partners in energy auditing, HVAC and building controls, and solar installation for SkillStream's initial rollout.

Central Arkansas Employer Interest Form

Fort Smith Employer Interest Form