LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — As the summer heat kicks into gear, the last thing anyone wants to deal with is a power outage.
Rob Roedel with Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas said year-round maintenance is critical when preparing for the winter cold and summer heat.
“We make sure our power plants are running as efficiently and as well as possible,” Roedel said. “24/7, 365, we're doing maintenance on the plants and our transmission infrastructure.”
With neighboring states, like Texas, already concerned and bracing their power grids for the heat, Roedel said Arkansas is in good shape.
“Based on the information we've received from our regional transmission organizations, which include Southwest Power Pool and MISO," Roedel said. "We have adequate capacity throughout the region for the summer of 23."
MISO is a company that helps manage Arkansas’s electrical grid. MISO and Entergy agree and are prepared to meet the region's demand. Both companies are also closely monitoring the weather.
“We have concerns as always," Roedel said. "If a power plant happens to trip or go out of service, that can cause some strain on the system, and there's always a possibility of that."
Roedel said they evaluate all power sources to ensure reliable options.
“Some are good for peaking times," Roedel said. "Some are good for that steady flow of energy you must have to maintain it... Here in Arkansas, we're at about 20% non-fossil emitting power generation because that made sense and was affordable.”
While Arkansas shouldn't have issues this summer, Roedel said there is a concern for the future.
“We're looking at some baseload gas plants that will need to be constructed to replace the energy that will come offline when some of our coal-based assets close in the 2028-2030 timeframe,” Roedel said.
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas said they're working to get ahead of that situation.
“We're doing our best to navigate the available resources,” Roedel said.
The summer heat usually produces higher energy bills. If anyone needs help, LIHEAP will begin next month for those who qualify.
You can find the information on how to apply here.