Arkansas electric co-op to begin natural-gas generation facility construction in East Texas

MORRIS COUNTY, Texas (KETK) — An out-of-state corporation recently broke ground in Naples as the start of a large-scale natural gas-based generation facility that encompasses over 100 acres of Morris County.

The Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation (AECC) is set to begin construction of its 850-megawatt facility in the summer as a two-turbine plant, with full operation expected by 2029.

According to the corporation, it evaluated potential sites in Arkansas before selecting the Morris County location. The AECC’s President and CEO Vernon Hasten said Morris County’s proximity to natural gas pipelines and transmission is its “primary factor” in location selection.

“The facility in Morris County, Texas, is crucial to maintaining reliable energy resources,” Hasten said. “AECC continues to develop proven, readily dispatchable power generation technologies to provide our members with reliable, affordable electricity.”

The facility is part of the AECC’s plan to address the company’s wholesale generation needs.

The plant’s location within the Southwest Power Pool regional transmission organization’s footprint accordingly supports reliability, according to the AECC.

“This new state-of-the-art asset will be one of the lowest-emitting and most efficient simple cycle natural gas generation stations in AECC’s fleet,” the AECC said.

The AECC provides services to more than 1 million members, including those in upper East Texas counties such as Bowie County.