Update 12/3/07
The Arkansas Public Service Commission has granted a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need (CECPN) to AEP Southwestern Electric Company to construct the John W. Turk, Jr. 600-megawatt coal-fueled power plant in Hempstead County in southwest Arkansas.
Site preparation and equipment delivery is likely to begin soon. Construction of the power generation facilities will not begin until the company receives an air permit from the ADEQ. Completion date is projected to be 2011.
Additional approvals for the plant are currently pending before the Louisiana Public Service Commission and Public Utility Commission of Texas. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality is considering the air permit for the Turk Plant. A draft air permit has been issued and made available for public comment. The ADEQ is currently considering the comments.
- See News Release |
SWEPCO is proposing a power plant to be built on a 2,800-acre tract north of Fulton, Arkansas, in Hempstead County, about 15 miles northeast of Texarkana. See the map (PDF : 539 KB : get viewer).
The plant brings much needed generation to southwest Arkansas and, along with it, upgrades to the transmission system. It is expected to boost regional economic development efforts in southwest Arkansas and northeast Texas. See News Release
