Energy in Arkansas

The Arkansas Public Service Commission oversees all four of the state's natural gas utilities and 24 of its electric utilities. The commission lacks authority over 15 municipal providers.{{Cite web|title=Electric Utilities the Commission Regulates |publisher=Arkansas Public Service Commission |url=http://www.apscservices.info/electric.asp |access-date=March 22, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314192703/http://www.apscservices.info/electric.asp |archive-date=March 14, 2014 }}

Property assessed clean energy (PACE)

Arkansas enacted property assessed clean energy (PACE) legislation in 2013. The law enables bonds to be issued in voluntarily created energy improvement districts that are then used to fund low-interest loans for renewable energy or efficiency upgrades.{{Cite web |title=PACE Arkansas Initiative (SB 640) |publisher=Arkansas Advanced Energy Association |url=http://arkansasadvancedenergy.com/files/dmfile/PACESUMMARY.2.13.pdf |date=February 2013 |type=PDF |access-date=June 1, 2014 |archive-date=June 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605053053/http://arkansasadvancedenergy.com/files/dmfile/PACESUMMARY.2.13.pdf |url-status=dead }} Cities Fayetteville and North Little Rock have since formed local energy improvement districts.{{Cite web |title=NLR Adopts PACE Act, Creates Energy Improvement District |publisher=Innovate Arkansas |url=http://innovation.arkansasbusiness.com/blog/post/10165 |date=March 25, 2014 |access-date=June 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140602043600/http://innovation.arkansasbusiness.com/blog/post/10165 |archive-date=June 2, 2014 |url-status=dead }}

Net metering

Net metering rules in the state were first established by the Arkansas Public Service Commission in 2002 and were expanded in 2007.{{Cite web |title=Energy Policy & Legislation |publisher=Arkansas Economic Development Commission |url=http://www.arkansasenergy.org/energy-in-arkansas/energy-policy-and-legislation.aspx |access-date=June 1, 2014}} Energy generated by renewable systems up to 25 kilowatts for residential customers and up to 300 kilowatts for nonresidential is eligible. Under the law, utilities grant customers credits for excess energy fed to the grid. Unused credits at the end of a billing year are usable in the next billing year up to the customer's four-month average use in the previous year. Any additional credits are forfeited to the utility.{{Cite web |title=Net Metering Rules |date=September 2013 |publisher=Arkansas Public Service Commission |url=http://www.apscservices.info/rules/net_metering_rules.pdf |access-date=June 1, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107030121/http://www.apscservices.info/Rules/net_metering_rules.pdf |archive-date=November 7, 2014 }}

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy ranked Arkansas 31st among the most energy-efficient states in 2017, down from 27th in 2016.{{Cite web |title=2017 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard |publisher=The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy |url=http://aceee.org/sites/default/files/pdf/state-sheet/2017/arkansas.pdf |access-date=November 1, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107022316/http://aceee.org/sites/default/files/pdf/state-sheet/2017/arkansas.pdf |url-status=dead }} Arkansas ranked 17th among fellow states in 2014 for overall per capita energy consumption.{{Cite web |title=Rankings: Total Energy Consumed per Capita, 2014 |publisher=Energy Information Administration|url=https://www.eia.gov/state/rankings/ |access-date=September 30, 2016}}

Arkansas consumed 48,194 million kilowatt hours in 2010.{{Cite web |title=Arkansas Electricity Generation |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |url=http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/states/electricity_generation.cfm/state=AR |access-date=March 22, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323001634/http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/states/electricity_generation.cfm/state%3DAR |archive-date=March 23, 2014 }} In 2012, the state exported 131 trillion more BTUs of electricity than it imported.{{Cite web |title=Quick Facts |publisher=Energy Information Administration|url=http://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=AR |access-date=June 20, 2014}}

The average per-kilowatt-hour electricity rate in Arkansas was $0.08 in 2014, the fourth-lowest in the country.{{Cite web |title=State Electricity Profiles |date=March 24, 2016 |publisher=U.S. Energy Information Administration |url=http://www.eia.gov/electricity/state/ |access-date=October 1, 2016}} Rates by sector in 2014 were $0.10 for residential, $0.06 for industrial, and $0.08 for commercial.{{Cite web |title=Average Price by State by Provider |date=October 21, 2015 |publisher=Energy Information Administration|url=https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/state/avgprice_annual.xls |access-date=September 29, 2016}}

File:Arkansas Electricity Generation Sources Pie Chart.svg, Electric Power Monthly, February]]

In 2014, Arkansas had 14,754 megawatts of net summer generating capacity and generated 62 million megawatt hours.{{Cite web |title=State Electricity Profiles |publisher=Energy Information Administration|url=http://www.eia.gov/electricity/state/ |access-date=October 1, 2016 |date=October 2016}}

Generation facilities providing public power in the state include:

• five coal-fired plants
• 20 hydroelectric installations, including one pumped storage facility
• 10 natural gas-fired plants
• seven dual-fuel natural gas/petroleum-fired plants
• six photovoltaic solar facilities
• two landfill gas facilities
• one nuclear power plant
• one petroleum-fired plant

The state is home to the John W. Turk Jr. Coal Plant, which came online in 2012 as the first sustained ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant in the United States.{{Cite web |title=SWEPCO's John W. Turk, Jr. Power Plant Begins Commercial Operation December 20 in SW Arkansas |publisher=Southwestern Electric Power Company |url=https://www.swepco.com/info/news/viewRelease.aspx?releaseID=1342 |date=December 20, 2012 |access-date=March 7, 2014}}

File:Arkansas-electricitygen-byfuel.svg

Emissions

In 2014, Arkansas' power industry released 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, 66,524 metric tons of sulfur dioxide, and 33,229 metric tons of nitrogen oxides.{{Cite web |title=U.S. Electric Power Industry Estimated Emissions by State |publisher=Energy Information Administration |format=XLS |url=https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/state/emission_annual.xls |access-date=October 1, 2016 |date=October 21, 2015}} In 2013, Arkansas ranked 30th in the most energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and 16th-highest for per capita energy-related carbon dioxide emissions.{{Cite web |title=Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions at the State Level, 2000-2013 |publisher=Energy Information Administration|url=http://www.eia.gov/environment/emissions/state/analysis/ |access-date=October 1, 2016}}

Solar power

{{main|Solar power in Arkansas}}

A 2010 report by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance estimated Arkansas could generate 19 percent of its 2007 energy need solely from rooftop solar photovoltaics.{{Cite web |title=Energy Self-Reliant States |publisher=Institute for Local Self-Reliance |page=12 |type=PDF |url=http://www.ilsr.org/wp-content/uploads/files/ESRS.pdf |date=May 2010 |access-date=May 13, 2014}}

Three utility-scale solar photovoltaic generation facilities began operating in Arkansas in 2016:

• The state's first utility-scale solar facility, a 12-megawatt farm in East Camden serving an Aerojet Rocketdyne manufacturing facility. Excess energy from the farm is sold to the public electrical grid.{{cite web |url=http://siliconranchcorp.com/largest-solar-energy-field-in-arkansas-is-operating |date=March 29, 2016 |title=Largest Solar Energy Field in Arkansas is Operating |publisher=Silicon Ranch |access-date=January 1, 2017 |archive-date=March 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305035804/https://www.siliconranchcorp.com/largest-solar-energy-field-in-arkansas-is-operating/ |url-status=dead }}
• A 1-megawatt farm in Springdale operated by the Ozarks Electric Cooperative{{cite web |url=https://www.ozarksecc.com/press/pr/ozarks-natural-energy/april-22-2016 |date=April 22, 2016 |title=Ozarks Electric Cooperative Solar Generation Facility Fully Operational; Renewable Energy Program Offering for Members Announced |publisher=Ozarks Electric Cooperative |access-date=January 1, 2017}}
• A 0.5-megawatt farm in Van Buren operated by the Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative{{cite web |url=http://www.avecc.com/avecc-launches-solar-facility/ |date=October 4, 2016 |title=AVECC Launches Solar Facility |publisher=Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative |access-date=January 1, 2017}}

In 2017, the 81-megawatt Stuttgart Solar Energy Center began operating in Stuttgart.{{cite web |url=http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/119427/after-stuttgart-entergy-plans-even-bigger-solar-project-near-lake-village |date=October 30, 2017 |title=After Stuttgart, Entergy Plans Even Bigger Solar Project Near Lake Village |publisher=Arkansas Business |access-date=October 31, 2017}}

Two solar photovoltaic facilities are in progress:

• The 100-megawatt Chicot Solar Project will be the state's largest solar facility upon completion.{{cite web |url=http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/oct/31/largest-solar-farm-arkansas-planned/ |date=October 31, 2017 |title=Largest solar farm in Arkansas planned |publisher=ArkansasOnline.com |access-date=October 31, 2017}}
• A 6.5-megawatt facility is planned to open in 2018 in Clarksville.{{cite web |url=http://www.clarksvillelightwater.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=76 |date=June 30, 2017 |title=Clarksville Light & Water Company and Scenic Hill Solar Partner for Arkansas's Largest Solar Power Plant for a Municipal Utility |publisher=Clarksville Light & Water Company |access-date=July 3, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107004951/http://www.clarksvillelightwater.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=76 |url-status=dead }}

A 1.2-megawatt array for a L'Oréal manufacturing facility in North Little Rock is scheduled to be operational in mid-2017.{{cite web |url=http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2016/09/solar-power-news-l-oreal-building-solar-projects-at-arkansas-kentucky-plants.html |date=September 20, 2016 |title=L'Oreal building solar projects at Arkansas, Kentucky plants |access-date=January 2, 2017 |archive-date=January 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103094202/http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2016/09/solar-power-news-l-oreal-building-solar-projects-at-arkansas-kentucky-plants.html |url-status=dead }} Notable small-scale solar power installations include rooftop photovoltaics on the Fayetteville Public Library and the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock.

Wind power

{{main|Wind power in Arkansas}}

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates the state has 9,200 megawatts of potential wind power capacity at 80 meters.{{Cite web |title=Estimates of Windy Land Area and Wind Energy Potential, by State, for areas >= 30% Capacity Factor at 80m |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |format=XLS |url=http://apps2.eere.energy.gov/wind/windexchange/docs/wind_potential_80m_30percent.xlsx |date=April 13, 2011 |access-date=May 12, 2014}} Arkansas is one of 9 U.S. states and the District of Columbia without utility-scale wind power.{{Cite web |title=Q2 2017 Installed Wind Power Capacity (MW) |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |url=https://widgets.nrel.gov/mea/wind-exchange/ |date=2017 |access-date=August 14, 2017}}

Other renewables

Arkansas is 14th among states with the most installed hydroelectric generating capacity and 16th with the most generation from biomass. In 2011, hydroelectric installations generated 2,992 million kilowatt hours, while 1,668 million kilowatt hours were generated from biomass, mostly from wood products.{{Cite web |title=Electricity Generation from Renewable Energy in Arkansas |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |url=http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/states/renewable_energy.cfm/state=AR |date=March 27, 2013 |access-date=March 22, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322211732/http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/states/renewable_energy.cfm/state%3DAR |archive-date=March 22, 2014 }}

{{main|List of public utilities in Arkansas}}

Arkansas' electric providers include four investor-owned utilities and a number of municipal and regional cooperative providers. Generation and transmission cooperative Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation provides wholesale energy to 17 regional member cooperatives in the state.

File:Gas Production from Fayetteville 2000-2013.png, 2000–2013.]]

In 2015, average natural gas rates per thousand cubic feet were $11.58 for residential, $8.43 for commercial, and $6.91 for industrial customers.{{Cite web |title=Natural Gas Prices |date=September 30, 2016 |publisher=U.S. Energy Information Administration |url=https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/ng_pri_sum_dcu_SAR_a.htm |access-date=October 3, 2016}}

The Fayetteville Shale, a narrow Mississippian age geological formation that runs across the center of the state, accounts for nearly all of Arkansas natural gas production. Proven reserves of dry natural gas in the state were estimated at 12,789 billion cubic feet in 2014.{{Cite web |title=Natural Gas Reserves Summary as of Dec. 31 |publisher=U.S. Energy Information Administration |url=http://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/ng_enr_sum_a_EPG0_R11_BCF_a.htm |date=November 19, 2015 |access-date=October 3, 2016}}

Marketed natural gas production in Arkansas more than doubled from 2008 to 2010. In 2014, natural gas production amounted to 1.12 million cubic feet, ranking it eighth-highest among fellow states.{{Cite web |title=Rankings: Natural Gas Marketed Production, 2014 |publisher=U.S. Energy Information Administration |url=http://www.eia.gov/state/rankings/?sid=AR#/series/47 |access-date=October 3, 2016}} Arkansas accounted for 4.1 percent of U.S. production of marketed natural gas in 2014.

Fracking

More than 1,000 minor earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 in Greenbrier led to the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission to close several hydraulic fracturing wells. Scientists at the University of Memphis and the Arkansas Geological Survey determined the quakes were likely caused by underground fracking wastewater disposal. Local residents filed five lawsuits in federal court against Chesapeake Energy and BHP Billiton.{{Cite web |date=August 27, 2013 |title=Insight: Arkansas lawsuits test fracking wastewater link to quakes |publisher=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-energy-quakes-insight-idUSBRE97Q05N20130827 |access-date=June 18, 2014}}

{{main|List of public utilities in Arkansas}}

Oil drilling began in south Arkansas in 1920 with the Hunter No. 1 well installed in Ouachita County. Commercial oil production began in 1921 with the S.T. Busey well in Union County near El Dorado.{{Cite web |title=Crude Oil |publisher=Arkansas Geological Survey |url=http://www.geology.ar.gov/energy/oil.htm |access-date=June 15, 2014 |archive-date=February 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203100239/http://www.geology.ar.gov/energy/oil.htm |url-status=dead }}

Proven petroleum reserves in the state were estimated at 55 million barrels in 2012, revised up from 40 million barrels in 2011.

• Energy in the United States
• List of power stations in Arkansas

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{{Energy in the USA}}

{{Arkansas}}