The Midcontinent Independent System Operator filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Sept. 28 a Generator Interconnection Agreement with Stuttgart Solar LLC and interconnecting transmission owner Entergy Arkansas Inc. for an 81-MW solar project.
Under this deal, Stuttgart Solar will install project queue #J348, an 81 MW (ac) project composed of 22 General Electric inverters at 4.0 MVA each. The general design assumption is that transmission owner’s new 115 kV interconnection substation will be constructed adjacent to the project’s collector substation.
The project’s targeted commercial operation date is April 30, 2018.
Project contact information in the GIA is: Stuttgart Solar LLC, 700 Universe Boulevard Juno Beach, FL 33408, voice telephone: 561-691-7441, Jessica.massey@nexteraenergy.com.
The Arkansas Public Service Commission on Sept. 24 approved Entergy Arkansas Inc. (EAI) to enter into a power purchase agreement for for this project. This would be the first major solar facility built in the state of Arkansas.
EAI, which is a subsidiary of Entergy Corp. (NYSE: ETR), noted in its application that with its passage of the Arkansas Clean Energy Development Act of 2012, the state General Assembly found that it is in the public interest to require all electric public utilities subject to the jurisdiction of the Arkansas PSC to consider clean energy and the use of renewable energy resources as part of any resource plan.
On April 3, Entergy Arkansas executed a 20-year PPA with Stuttgart Solar LLC for this project, which will be located near Stuttgart, Arkansas. Stuttgart Solar is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of NextEra Energy Capital Holdings, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE).
The bulk of construction of the project is expected to begin in the spring of 2016, with engineering, procurement, and permitting occurring in 2015. The project is designed to qualify for the 30% federal investment tax credit (ITC) that will be used by the provider to offset its cost of construction.
