Entergy seeks public input on proposed new power plant in Jefferson County

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Entergy Arkansas is asking for public input for a proposed power plant in Jefferson County.

The Jefferson County Power Station will be built near the existing White Bluff coal-fired power station on Entergy-owned property. White Bluff is scheduled to be shut down in 2030 as part of a 2021 settlement agreement reached in a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club.

Entergy is currently holding what officials are calling a virtual open house, providing information on the project and an online comment form. The website states that Entergy will decide on the power plant after the consideration of public input.

The website states that Entergy is currently planning to file for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need with the Arkansas Public Service Commission in August.

The tentative timeline on the website indicates that construction on the plant, if approved, is scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2026, with the plant expected to go operational in late 2029.

The proposed plant will be a combined cycle combustion turbine plant, with one natural gas and one steam turbine. It will include modern emissions control systems and operate within the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality standards, per the website.

The Generating Arkansas Jobs Act of 2025 was signed into law on March 25 by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Supporters of the bill highlighted the growing need for electric power in Arkansas, particularly with the anticipated shutdown of the White Bluff plant.

Additionally, at least three technology-supporting power-hungry data centers are proposed for the state, with two in central Arkansas.

The Generating Arkansas Jobs Act would allow for Entergy to bill customers, with limits, for the plant as it is being built, as opposed to the former model, where billing would only increase after a new plant was online. Supporters of the act point out that this would lead to an incremental increase in customer bills, rather than a sudden, large increase.