NEW Report: Arkansas Utilities Failing to Deliver Affordable Energy for Customers

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - As the country faces a rapid and significant shift in its energy landscape due to the data center boom, the Sierra Club's annual Dirty Truth report is exposing just how much cost and pollution utilities are passing onto customers. This year's Dirty Truth, released today, shows that Arkansas utilities are failingto deliver clean, affordable energy, despite electricity bills increasing faster than inflation.

According to this Sierra Club analysis, developed using utility-reported data, the 75 utilities nationwide scored a collective F - the lowest score since the first year of this report in 2021. Arkansas utilities scored as follows:

• SWEPCO scored an Fand is falling far behind on investing in renewables while focusing on expensive gas plants and investing in its expensive, old, and dirty Flint Creek coal plant near Gentry. This is SWEPCO's worst score in the history of the Dirty Truthreport as the utility seeks a dramatic 27% average increase in rates.
  
• Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC) scored an Fand had one of the lowest renewables scores in the entire United States, earning 0% because it has no planned solar or wind while facing future load growth. AEC also co-owns the Flint Creek coal plant,which has no retirement commitment. This is AEC's worst score in the history of the Dirty Truthreport.
  
• Entergy Arkansas scored a Clargely due to its commitments to retire the costly White Bluff and Independence coal plants, which will remove hundreds of tons of toxic chemicals from the air every year. It is also planning for some solar generation, and if it'd focus on renewables more than expensive gas generation to address future load growth, it could score better for customers.
  

Statement from Peter Nierengarten, Environmental Director of Sustainability for the City of Fayetteville:

"The people of Fayetteville, many of whom are SWEPCO customers, want relief from high electricity bills as well as a cleaner environment in which to spend time outdoors and raise their families. SWEPCO wants a massive rate hike to sink over $30 million into the old Flint Creek coal plant - it's not a surprise that they earned an 'F' from the Sierra Club for clinging to dirty energy. It's not too late for SWEPCO to change course for the benefit of its customers and Arkansans who deserve clean air and water."

Statement from Kaylee Woodruff, a Rogers Resident and Sierra Club Arkansas Volunteer:

"If Arkansans want to understand why their bills are so high, look no further than this report: SWEPCO, AECC, and Entergy are investing almost nothing in the most affordable forms of energy. As Northwest Arkansas grows and so many communities feel the pressure of increasing electricity demand, this future requires common-sense planning so that people will be able to afford their bills and live in a state with clean air and water. This is especially important considering our increasing extreme weather and how much these gas plants will contribute to climate change. Our Arkansas utilities are largely failing, but this report should send a clear message to them to do better."

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To produce each utility's grade, Dirty Truthfocuses on three metrics that gauge impacts on affordability and public health due to fossil fuel pollution:

1. Utility efforts to retire coal plants by 2030. Burning coal for energy is outdated, extremely expensive, and it releases toxins into the air that are detrimental to health.
2. Utility efforts to not build new gas plants through 2035.Gas prices are volatile, and gas power plants are much more expensivethan solar, wind, and battery storage - and are a significant contributor to climate change.
3. Utility efforts to build clean energy through 2035.Clean, renewable energy is the most affordable energy available today and uses little water resources.

In an interactive webpage, users can see their utility's score and what progress - if any - the utility has made toward transitioning to cleaner, more affordable energy.

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.