NORTH LITTLE ROCK—On Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment (E&E) is hosting a public planning workshop to introduce and explore innovations and opportunities in the power sector, and a follow-up community meeting to get feedback from the public on the Arkansas Energy and Environment Innovation (EEI) plan.
E&E and its partners (Metroplan, City of Fort Smith, and Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission) are developing an Arkansas EEI plan that will enable state and local government agencies and municipalities in Arkansas to compete for $4.6 billion in federal implementation grants provided under the Section 60114 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Currently, the planning development process for EEI is funded through a $3 million grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency authorized under IRA.
Nov. 14’s electricity-focused public workshop will be held at Gov. Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center in Pine Bluff from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. This event will include expert panel presentations and breakout discussions with attendees. The community feedback meeting will follow the workshop, beginning with dinner at 5 p.m. After an introduction to EEI planning goals and a progress report, E&E staff and partners will have open discussion with attendees to get feedback on which measures are most important to the local community. There will be a children’s activity area set up at the event, and children are welcome with adult supervision.
Registration to this event is free, but you must register in advance to attend as seating is limited. To register for either or both sessions and reserve your seat for dinner, please visit the event registration page here (https://tinyurl.com/EEI-Plan-Elect). To participate virtually, please follow this EEI webinar link (https://tinyurl.com/EEI-Plan-Elect-Zoom) beginning at noon on Nov. 14. Those unable to attend may watch the recorded presentations on E&E’s YouTube channel about one week after the event.
The EEI Power Sector meeting is the second in a series of public education and outreach events related to different sectors to be held across the state. Feedback from the meeting will inform the EEI partners about opportunities, challenges, and priorities for investment in transportation infrastructure and practices that reduce emissions in Arkansas.
