CONTACTS:
Sarah Bray
Clean Line Energy
Cell 832.226.2116
Office 832.319.6340
sbray@cleanlineenergy.com
Jason Brown
Communications Group
Cell 501.515.0849
Office 501.376.8722
jbrown@comgroup.com
Houston (February 4, 2016) – Low-cost electricity is a major driver of economic growth in Arkansas and throughout the Mid-South and Southeast regions. Continued investment in infrastructure will allow Arkansas to access low-cost clean energy, create jobs, protect ratepayers, and maintain its competitiveness as a friendly home for businesses. Leidos, a national leader in energy research, conducted an analysis of the impact of 500 megawatts (MW) of wind power delivered by the Plains & Eastern Clean Line to the Arkansas electric grid. The study showed that the Plains & Eastern Clean Line transmission project will significantly decrease the annual cost of electricity production while reducing air pollution in Arkansas.
The Plains & Eastern Clean Line will create a reduction in electricity production costs of $65 million in the first year of the project’s operation in Arkansas. This reduction would result from Arkansas utilities purchasing competitively priced wind energy and avoiding the cost of fuel and maintenance required for more costly generation plants. The study also concluded that pollution reductions in the Natural State include more than one million tons of carbon dioxide, 500 tons of nitrogen oxide, and 800 tons of sulfur dioxide emission reductions each year.
“Moving clean wind energy to load centers requires new transmission lines. It is never an easy task to achieve, but if our nation is going to access more renewable energy resources we have to make this happen. Accomplishing this, preferably in an equitable fashion to landowners, will have a lasting impact on our energy security, the economy, and the environment,” said Alan Mantooth, Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Arkansas.
Many leading companies are turning towards wind power to meet their energy demands because it is a sustainable, low-cost option. Arkansas-based Wal-Mart, for example, is a leader in sustainability and has a goal to be supplied by 100 percent renewable energy globally by the end of 2020. A competitive supply of clean energy can help states like Arkansas attract new business and investment.
“The Arkansas Advanced Energy Association welcomes the Leidos study findings as clear evidence that access to sustainable wind power can reduce electricity costs for Arkansas consumers,” said Steve Patterson, Executive Director. “We now know that not only will this important transmission project create hundreds of manufacturing and construction jobs for Arkansans, it will also result in longer term benefits for the state’s electricity consumers.”
The Plains & Eastern Clean Line represents an approximately half-billion dollar investment in Arkansas and will nearly double the amount of low-cost wind power the Natural State currently purchases. A recent study by the University of Arkansas’ Center for Business and Economic Research found that the project will generate over 800 jobs during the two-to-three year construction period and over $660 million of total economic output in Arkansas. The Plains & Eastern Clean Line includes a converter station located in Pope County, which will provide Arkansas with access to affordable, domestic power for years to come. Wind generation companies have submitted requests to Clean Line adding up to approximately four times the Plains & Eastern Clean Line’s capacity to deliver 500 MW of power to Arkansas—an important indication of the strong demand from generators for access to the Arkansas market.
“As we have seen time and time again, a diverse fuel mix, including wind energy, can help insulate power prices from the volatility of fuel costs and save Arkansas consumers money,” said Michael Skelly, President of Clean Line Energy. “We look forward to delivering low-cost clean energy to Arkansans for years to come.”
Clean Line representatives are available to answer questions and meet with stakeholders in person. For more information regarding the Plains & Eastern Clean Line project, please visit www.PlainsAndEasternCleanLine.com.
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About Clean Line Energy Partners: Clean Line’s mission is to connect abundant, renewable energy resources to areas that have a high demand for clean, reliable energy. Clean Line is developing a series of transmission projects to move renewable energy to market. For more information please visit www.CleanLineEnergy.com.
About Leidos: Leidos is a science and technology solutions leader working to address some of the world’s toughest challenges in national security, health and engineering. The Company’s 19,000 employees support vital missions for government and the commercial sector, develop innovative solutions to drive better outcomes and defend our digital and physical infrastructure from ‘new world’ threats. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $5.06 billion for its fiscal year ended Jan. 30, 2015. For more information, visit www.leidos.com.
About Leidos Engineering: Leidos Engineering is a trusted and future-focused solutions provider known for grid engineering, energy efficiency, systems integration and controls, DesignBuildSM, environmental management and energy asset transaction expertise. Its 3,000 employees integrate technology, data and decades of industry experience to activate meaningful results for utility, manufacturing, general contractor and government agency clients.
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