Energy Incentive Programs, Arkansas
Updated November 2009
Below you will find questions and answers regarding Arkansas's utility energy efficiency programs, including options for load management, demand response, and distributed energy resources, and information about state-sponsored energy efficiency programs.
What public-purpose-funded energy efficiency programs are available in my state?
Arkansas has no public-purpose-funded energy efficiency programs.
What utility energy efficiency programs are available to me?
Entergy Arkansas offers several commercial and industrial programs that may be of interest to Federal customers:
The Small Commercial and Industrial Energy Solutions Quick Start program provides a free energy consultation, typically including a walk-through audit, to customers with peak loads below 100 kW. Participants who then implement the recommended measures within 45 days using one of the program's pre-qualified contractors receive an incentive of $115 per kW of resulting summer peak electricity savings.
The Large Commercial and Industrial Energy Solutions Quick Start program provides free consultative services, including an energy audit, to customers with peak loads above 100 kW. Participants who implement the recommended measures using in-house staff, a contractor of their choice, or one of the program's pre-qualified contractors receive an incentive of $159 per kW of the summer peak electricity savings. Measurement and verification of savings is required but streamlined in this program.
The Large Commercial and Industrial Standard Offer Quick Start program offers $230 per kW of verified summer peak electricity savings to customers with peak loads of 100 kW or more. Simpler measures eligible for "deemed savings" receive 100% of their incentive upon satisfactory installation, while more complex measures receive 60% at installation and the remaining 40% based on the measured results one year after installation.
Southwestern Electric Power Company (a unit of American Electric Power) offers its Commercial and Industrial Standard Offer Program to customers with a peak load over 100 kW. Providers, such as energy service companies (ESCOs) and mechanical contractors, are remunerated at $175 per peak kW and 6.5¢ per kWh, some of which can be deemed and others of which must receive more thorough measurement and verification.
What load management/demand response options are available to me?
Entergy offers two demand response programs:
- The Experimental Market Valued Energy Reduction (MVER) Service Rider provides credits to customers for providing load curtailments of at least 1 MW. The rider has two options:
- The Market Valued Call Option provides customers with both a monthly reservation payment, which they receive regardless of whether any curtailments are required, and a performance payment based on actual load curtailments. In exchange, Entergy can make curtailment requests either the same day or one day in advance. Participants who do not curtail are assessed a penalty.
- The Market Valued Energy Service offering is a bidding program in which customers can make day-ahead bids to the utility indicating their curtailable load and price. Customers can make their bids via the Internet.
- The Experimental Energy Reduction (EER) Rider is open to customers that can curtail at least 150 kW. Entergy will notify participants on a day-ahead basis if they are accepting offers to curtail and at what price per kWh. Interested participants may respond indicating the amount they are willing to curtail.
SWEPCO offers an Experimental Curtailable Service Rider for customers with loads larger than 1 MW. As little as 10 minutes notice is provided for curtailments. This rider is available only in conjunction with the company's Lighting and Power or Large Lighting and Power rate schedules.
Arkansas Electric Cooperative, a generation and transmission utility providing power to 17 distribution cooperatives in Arkansas, offers its distribution cooperative customers an interruptible rider. Check your local cooperative to see if this option or others are available.
What distributed energy resource options are available to me?
The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) provides information on programs that offer incentives for renewable distributed generation. Arkansas currently has no programs of this type open to Federal customers.
Are there energy efficiency programs sponsored by the state government?
No state energy efficiency programs are currently available to Federal customers. For information about opportunities, contact the Energy Office within the Department of Economic Development.
What additional opportunities are available to me?
Federal customers whose utilities have areawide supply contracts through the General Services Administration (GSA) (e.g., Entergy and OGE) may be able to take advantage of third-party financed energy efficiency projects called utility energy service contracts (UESCs). Information is available through the GSAs Energy Center of Expertise Library. Federal facilities should contact their account executive to determine the level of each utility's participation.
NOTE: Energy efficiency funds and demand response programs are updated at least annually. Please contact the FEMP webmaster if changes are needed between updates.