Press Release: Southeastern Wind Coalition Supports SREA Recommendations to Improve Arkansas Wind Energy Development Rules
Coalition encourages balanced, practical updates to proposed rules to ensure clear, legally sound, and economically beneficial wind development across Arkansas.
For Immediate Release: November 17, 2025
Media Contact: Holly Elliott, hollye@sewind.org
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. — The Southeastern Wind Coalition (SEWC) announced its support today for comments submitted by the Southern Renewable Energy Association (SREA) recommending revisions to Arkansas’ proposed Wind Energy Development Rules. On October 8, the Arkansas Public Service Commission’s (PSC) published draft rules to implement Act 945, the state’s wind energy development framework enacted in April 2025.
As drafted, the PSC’s proposed rules contain ambiguities and additional restrictions that create uncertainty for developers and slow the state’s progress toward meeting future energy needs. SREA is urging the PSC to improve the rules to better support fair and efficient permitting.
Act 945 exempts wind projects “under development” as of April 9, 2025, but the proposed rules do not clearly define what qualifies. SREA recommends establishing a specific criteria and a straightforward process for project developers to request exemption status. Clear guidance helps avoid confusion and ensures a level playing field.
“Arkansas has an opportunity to attract new investment, expand its energy portfolio, and support rural communities through thoughtful wind development,” said Madelyn Smith, Louisiana Program Manager at Southeastern Wind Coalition. “Regulations should be clear, consistent, and grounded in evidence so they work for everyone—landowners, developers, utilities, and communities alike.”
Read SREA’s full comments here.
SEWC will continue engaging in the process to ensure that Arkansas’s wind energy framework is workable, resilient, and supports long-term economic growth.
About SEWC
The Southeastern Wind Coalition is a 501(c)(3), nonpartisan organization that works to advance the land-based and offshore wind industry in the Southeast. We focus on providing fact-based information on the economic and environmental opportunities of wind energy, and encourage solutions that result in net economic benefits to residents and ratepayers. For more information about the Southeastern Wind Coalition, visit www.sewind.org