Little Rock-based Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC) plans to build a 900-megawatt natural gas power plant on about 100 acres of land in Morris County, Texas, near Naples.
Construction of the two-turbine, simple cycle gas-fired power plant is scheduled to begin in summer 2026, with commissioning planned for 2029. The new plant is part of AECC’s plans to replace power generation lost due to the closure of two coal-fired power plants, at an estimated cost of $800,000.
The gas-fired power plant will be located in the catchment area of the regional transmission organization Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and will contribute to reliability in the region. According to AECC, the plant will be one of the “highest-performing, lowest-emissions and most efficient natural gas-fired power plants.”
Vernon “Buddy” Hasten, AECC president and CEO, said the company is committed to continuing to fulfill its mission of responsibly providing reliable, affordable electricity to electric cooperative members. The plant will provide on-demand, always-on power to AECC’s 17 distribution cooperatives and their 1.2 million members in Arkansas, parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Louisiana.
“The Morris County, Texas, facility is critical to maintaining reliable energy resources,” Hasten said. “AECC continues to evaluate proven, readily available and controllable power generation technologies to deliver reliable and affordable power to our members,” Hasten said. “AECC continues to evaluate proven, readily available and controllable power generation technologies to deliver reliable and affordable power to our members.”
In a recent Conference of Electricity CooperativesHasten said at least $2 billion in new generating capacity would meet energy demand as power plants are retired and reserve margins increase. To pay for the new capacity, consumers will face a 14% rate increase, split into four smaller increases from 2025 to 2028.
Hasten said AECC reviewed potential sites in Arkansas before deciding on the Texas site. The Morris County site’s proximity to natural gas pipelines and transmission lines were major factors in the site selection. An open house for the project is scheduled to be held in Naples on Wednesday (Aug. 14). AECC staff will meet with the community and present plans.
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas consist of 17 electric distribution cooperatives, AECC, and Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc. (AECI), a Little Rock-based cooperative that provides services to the distribution cooperatives. The cooperatives provide electricity to approximately 600,000 homes, farms, and businesses in Arkansas and surrounding states.
