Entergy files suit over March death
Entergy Arkansas has sued some of the subcontractors involved in an accident at Arkansas Nuclear One near Russellville that led to the death of a worker.
The lawsuit was filed July 12 in Pope County Circuit Court.
Entergy Arkansas and Entergy Operations Inc. of Jackson, Miss., sued Bigge Crane and Rigging Co. of San Leandro, Calif.; Claus Frederiksen, an engineer who works for Bigge; DP Engineering of Fort Worth;
John Scroggins, a Faulkner County resident; and VEI General Contractors Inc. of Pope County.
The lawsuit was filed to “recover damages from the defendants due to breach of contract, negligence and gross negligence.”
The accident occurred March 31 when a 525-ton main turbine generator stator was being replaced at the plant. A crane lifting the stator to move it to a train bay collapsed, causing the death of Wade Walters, 24.
Siemens Energy Inc. of Orlando, which had been hired to oversee the project, was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
A representative for Bigge did not return a phone call seeking comment.
- David Smith
State electric co-op to buy wind energy
Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. said Friday that it had reached an agreement to purchase 150 megawatts of wind energy, quadrupling the amount of wind power it utilizes.
The power will come from the Origin Wind Energy project, located in Murray and Carter counties in southeast Oklahoma.
Colorado-based Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. developed and will build the 75-turbine project, which is scheduled to begin operation by Dec. 31, 2014.
“The additional 150 megawatts of low-cost wind energy provides AECC with a hedge against fluctuating natural gas energy prices,” said Duane Highley, president of Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp.
The move follows last year’s purchase of 51 megawatts from a wind farm in Kansas.
Arkansas Electric Cooperative provides electricity to more than 500,000 customers in Arkansas and surrounding states.
- Brian Fanney
Arkansas Index climbs to 290.41
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, rose 0.47 to 290.41 on Friday.
Murphy Oil Corp. shares rose 1.8 percent to close at $66.90.
Arkansas Best Corp. shares fell 2.1 percent to finish at $22.50. First Federal Bancshares of Arkansas Inc. shares decreased 1.8 percent to close at $9.54.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.
Business, Pages 27 on 07/20/2013