Entergy Arkansas is integrating is transmission grid with a large regional power pool, the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, or MISO.
The Arkansas Public Service Commission has given final approval for the transfer of its control to MISO, subject to continued compliance with the commission’s conditions.
Entergy Arkansas spokesman David Lewis says this will benefit its customers.
“MISO is a much bigger pool. It spans all the way from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. So we’ve got all of the varied resources to draw from and they’ve got a sophisticated thing called the Day 2 Market that does a very good job of capturing the most economical power available within the pool and putting into the pool for the users to draw out of,” said Lewis.
“The question of what will it cost will be saving money actually over a period of 10 years, a projected savings of $263 million to Entergy Arkansas customers. That’s a big number, but spread into 10 years, it’s not going to have a huge impact on customer bills. But it’s still a positive move.”
Lewis said it will also improve reliability and open access to more competitive and diverse generation resources.
Entergy Arkansas, which is marking its 100th birthday this year, provides electricity to approximately 700,000 customers in 63 counties.