Petit Jean Electric CEO Discusses Data Center Energy Demands at Fairfield Bay Rotary Meeting
Petit Jean Electric CEO Michael Kirkland discussed rising electricity demand, infrastructure costs and the potential impact of future data centers at a Fairfield Bay Rotary Club meeting. He said three data center projects are planned for Clarksville, Little Rock and West Memphis, but none are currently planned in Petit Jean Electric’s service area.
Michael Kirkland, CEO of Petit Jean Electric, told the Fairfield Bay Rotary Club that the cooperative is facing record electricity demand, rising equipment and fuel costs, and the impending closure of two Arkansas coal plants. He also discussed a natural gas generating plant under construction in Texarkana that will be owned by Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation.
Kirkland said data centers planned for Clarksville, Little Rock and West Memphis could require far more electricity than the cooperative typically serves, potentially requiring dedicated natural gas generation. He emphasized that Petit Jean Electric has no current plans for data centers in its service area and also reviewed the cooperative’s fiber expansion and utility-assistance programs.