Electricity

Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas
First Electric Cooperative

A generation and transmission cooperative and statewide cooperative association headquartered in Little Rock serves more than 490,000 homes, businesses and industries across the state, including the two largest electric loads in Arkansas. The electric cooperatives’ service territory encompasses more than 62 percent of the state’s land area and includes portions of all 75 counties. The cooperatives own more than 2,900 megawatts of generation capacity – a diverse mix of hydroelectric stations on the Arkansas River to oil/gas fired plants, low-sulfur coal-fired plants and a combustion turbine generating facility. First Electric Cooperative Corp. is the distribution cooperative that serves the outlying area surrounding Greater Little Rock.

While the primary mission of the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas is to deliver low-cost electricity to its member/owners, the cooperatives also promote economic development. The cooperatives are very active in local communities, having been instrumental in the development and enhancement of rural infrastructure programs involving fire protection, water systems and highways. For information on the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, call 501.570.2274.

Entergy Arkansas

Entergy Arkansas is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.6 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $10 billion and approximately 14,500 employees.

Entergy Arkansas has 5,000 megawatts of generating capability, most of which comes from coal-fired and nuclear power plants. Entergy’s Office of Economic Development (Teamwork Arkansas) works with the Little Rock region to expand the business and industrial base and improve quality of life by recruiting industry and managing community development projects.

For economic development information or assistance, call 888.301.5861 or 501.377.4434 or visit www.TeamworkArkansas.com. For Entergy customer service or new service, call 800.ENTERGY.

North Little Rock Electric Department (NLRED)

The North Little Rock Electric Department utilizes a variety of fuel sources for electricity generation. NLRED will begin purchasing wholesale power from NRG after march 31, 2010. This power is primarily from coal and natural gas powered generating plants.

In 1988, the city constructed a hydro-electric plant on the Arkansas River. Murry Hydro electric Generating plant’s low head water turbines were at the time of construction the largest in operation anywhere in the world. The plant’s two generators are capable of generating 39 megawatts of power at peak capacity, enabling the city to furnish 12 percent of its electricity requirements.

For more information, Joey Dean (Vice President, Economic Development; Executive Director, Metro Little Rock Alliance), 501.377.6006.