Overview
- A federal judge denied Entergy’s request for a temporary restraining order on Wednesday, allowing the Arkansas Democrat‑Gazette to keep its reporting based on Public Service Commission records online.
- Documents obtained by reporters show Google made a $526 million upfront payment tied to the Cypress Solar project and that the deal also includes roughly $190 million in transmission commitments.
- Entergy says the $526 million reflects only part of the deal and that when accelerated and minimum demand payments are counted the 20‑year stream could total about $2.1 billion, and both Entergy and Google say Google will cover its power needs.
- Key pages of the PSC order and the contract remain sealed or redacted, and a local woman, Jessica Kivell, who obtained the records via a public‑records request was named in Entergy’s court filings.
- A preliminary injunction request by Entergy is still pending and regulators must decide how the payments are treated for ratemaking, a choice that will determine whether Arkansas ratepayers could face leftover costs or benefits.