Entergy Arkansas asked state regulators on October 29, 2026, to approve two battery-storage facilities totaling 350 megawatts (MW) and 1,400 megawatt-hours (MWh). The proposed Driver and Jones Mill installations would support the utility grid as Google expands its West Memphis data-center campus. Neither facility has received approval or entered service.

The Arkansas Public Service Commission application, Docket 26-073-U, proposes a 250 MW / 1,000 MWh battery beside Driver Solar near Osceola and a 100 MW / 400 MWh facility near Hot Springs. Each is designed for roughly four hours of discharge at rated output.

Why Power and Storage Duration Both Matter

Battery MW measures the maximum rate of discharge; MWh measures the amount of energy available. A four-hour battery can shift power from lower-demand periods toward evening peaks but does not create new electricity. Our MW-versus-MWh guide explains that distinction.

Entergy proposes using existing grid connections: Driver would share an interconnection with its solar plant, while Jones Mill would reuse capacity associated with retiring generation. Both arrangements still depend on transmission-system review.

Who Pays for Google’s Grid Expansion?

Entergy estimates the two batteries will cost about $550.6 million. They are part of a wider package of approximately $600 million in planned infrastructure investment, plus a separate solar power-purchase agreement. Entergy says payments from Google should cover the batteries and protect other customers from added bills. Those are utility projections subject to regulatory review, not demonstrated savings.

KATV Channel 7’s September 16, 2026 report examines Arkansas scrutiny of Google and Entergy’s power costs. It predates, and does not show, the October 29 battery filing.

The wider plan also includes transmission lines, substation expansion and solar procurement. Entergy anticipates both battery projects operating in 2028, pending approval and interconnection studies. Its earlier announcement projects at least $500 million in additional customer savings over 20 years, an estimate rather than a realized benefit.

The dispute echoes questions surrounding Arkansas data-center power development and other Google-linked solar-and-battery proposals. A comparison with already operating storage plants shows why commissioning status matters.

Next steps include Public Service Commission scrutiny of the Google agreement, transmission reviews and an eventual construction decision. Approval is not guaranteed.

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