To meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s Regional Haze Rule, Arkansas state officials have called for the White Bluff plant in Redfield to cease coal-powered operations within the next ten years.
Entergy Arkansas operates the White Bluff plant and has stated that coal operations have become a minimal part of operations due to market pressures. About 10 percent of Entergy Arkansas’s power comes from just two of their coal-powered plants.
Arkansas has four coal powered plants in total. Arkansas currently has the third lowest energy costs in the nation. The EPA will review Arkansas’s plan in early 2019.
This article says a lot, while also posting a direct contradiction…
The latter first: “Entergy Arkansas … has stated that coal operations have become a minimal part of operations due to market pressures. About 10 percent of Entergy Arkansas’s power comes from just two of their coal-powered plants.”
10% of the total power needed by Entergy comes from two plants – 10% is not insignificant. Also – coal has become a bit more cost effective the last couple of years with the direct war on coal easing under Trump.
The former: “Arkansas currently has the third lowest energy costs in the nation. The EPA will review Arkansas’s plan in early 2019.”
So – we have among the lowest energy costs in the nation – so let us screw that up via the EPA who can’t stand for people to have lower energy costs (not that our electric bills reflect such a relatively low cost).
Do we need to keep all 4? If so, I say keep them so no one looses their job