Numerous Groups Dispute Entergy's Plan to Upgrade White Bluff Facility
Last March Entergy Arkansas sought a Declaratory Order from the Arkansas Public Service Commisson approving the installation of various environmental controls at its White Bluff facility made necessary by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality's implementation of the EPA's Regional Haze Rule. Without the environmental controls, the facility will have to close in 2013.
Entergy and the co-owner's of the White Bluff facility contend that implementation of the environmental controls is the lowest cost reasonable alternative to meet their customers' long-term power supply needs.
However, a number of groups, including Entegra Power Group, LLC, GDF SUEZ, The Wind Coalition, Audobon Arkansas and the Sierra Club, dispute that Entergy properly considered a broad range of alternatives.
Why is this Important? This PSC docket, unlike the docket approving construction of the Turk Plant, will focus attention on existing generating facilities and force the Commission to decide whether to allow utilities to build new generating capacity, expand their owned existing capacity, or make them utilize capacity already in existence, even if owned by a third party.
