Power
Power and the grid
Getting on the grid
- The Entergy Arkansas contracts in the news belong to other campuses: AVAIO's separate Little Rock campus (150 MW) and Google's West Memphis campus. News report · Dec. 2025
- The city also reduced utility franchise fees as part of the incentive package (press). News report · April 2025
Permits
Permits checklist
2 granted · 1 checked, nothing on file
City approvals on record, and what we could not find.
- ✓Memorandum of understanding GrantedLittle Rock Board of Directors · April 2025: authorized the mayor to sign; the end user was not disclosed News report · April 2025
- ✓Bond and tax-break resolution of intent GrantedLittle Rock Board of Directors · April 29, 2025: industrial revenue bonds with payments in lieu of taxes Local government · April 2025
- –Checked, nothing on file: Large-load power contract
Risks
What could slow it down
- MediumEnd user not announcedGoogle has not confirmed the project; the reports rest on unnamed industry sources. News report · Jan. 2026
- MediumNo power arrangement on recordNo utility contract, regulator docket or load figure for the campus is public. see Permits
Money
Money on record
65%
property tax abatement for about 30 years
payments equal 35% of normal taxes Local government · April 2025
$60B
bond cap printed in the city resolution
a not-to-exceed ceiling, not the project cost Local government · April 2025
$300,000 a year
city enrichment payment the developer agreed to (press)
part of the incentive package News report · April 2025
~$23M
price for about 380 acres (press, county records)
another report cites $11M News report · Jan. 2026
Timeline
What happened, and what is due
SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
- June 26, 2024Paper trail Willowbend Capital LLC registered in Delaware and Arkansas
- April 2025Permits City board authorizes the mayor to sign a memorandum with Willowbend for a $1B data center News report · April 2025
- April 29, 2025Money Board adopts a resolution of intent for revenue bonds and a 30-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes deal Local government · April 2025
- Aug. 2025Site Willowbend buys a parcel at the port (press; reports differ on its size and price) News report · Jan. 2026
- Jan. 2026Site Press sources say Google is the company behind the project and talks with the city are ongoing News report · Jan. 2026
The buildings
Specs
- City-owned, leased: the project is to be owned by the city and leased to the company for up to 30 years Local government · April 2025
Who is involved
Owners, partners and builders
Developer
- Willowbend Capital LLC: applicant and landholder
- Michael J. Montfort: organizer and manager of Willowbend; also organized the company behind a separate Conway project (press)
Reported end user
- Google (press; not announced)
Government
- City of Little Rock Board of Directors: approvals and bond resolution
- Mayor Frank Scott: authorized to sign the memorandum
Site
- Port of Little Rock: host site
Still unknown
Open questions
- Whether Google is the end user.
- Campus power in MW and any utility contract.
- Exact acreage and price of the land (reports differ).
Where this comes from
34 records from 9 documents
Drawn from news reports, local government records and business registries, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.
News report 8Local government 1
Evidence
Every quote behind this page
Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.
Power (1)
- That contract and those MW belong to AVAIO Leo, not to Project Boar; the Entergy-Google special rate contract approved by the APSC in Dec 2025 (Docket 25-055-P) serves Google's West Memphis campus, also not Boar.“Avaio is currently contracted with Entergy Arkansas for 150MW of power, but the company anticipates power demand of up to 1GW as the 760-acre campus grows.”News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
Money and contracts (13)
- industrial development revenue bond inducement (Amendment 65): bond authorization 60000000000 USD not-to-exceed (as printed in the resolution)“the issuance of the City's not to exceed $60,000,000,000 Taxable Industrial Development Revenue Bonds, Series 2025 or Series 2026”Local government · April 2025 · grade B
- industrial development revenue bond inducement (Amendment 65): payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) 35 percent of ad valorem taxes otherwise due“annual payments by the Company in lieu of ad valorem taxes in an amount equal to thirty-five percent (35%) of the aggregate amount of ad valorem taxes that would otherwise be due”Local government · April 2025 · grade B
- industrial development revenue bond inducement (Amendment 65): city ownership and lease structure“the Project will be owned by the City and leased to the Company pursuant to a lease agreement having a lease term of approximately, but not in excess of thirty (30) years”Local government · April 2025 · grade B
- Project identity: Data center campus (Project Boar) at the Port of Little Rock, AR: $1 billion investment, 300,000 sq ft facility on roughly 383 acres of heavy industrial land; applicant of record Willowbend Capital LLC;“Plans for the data center first emerged in April 2025, when it was approved by the city's board of directors. The facility is expected to see $1bn in investment”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- County code: 05119“Google is reportedly the company behind a $1 billion data center project in the Port of Little Rock, Arkansas.”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- AVAIO Digital's $6 billion Pulaski County data center (announced early 2026) is a different project in the same county; do not merge its figures into this campus“AVAIO Digital announced a $6 billion data center in Pulaski County in early 2026.”News report · Jan. 2026 · grade C
- Google's confirmed first Arkansas campus is Project Pyramid in West Memphis (Crittenden County), announced October 2025 as part of a $4 billion Arkansas investment; not this Pulaski County site“Google in October announced plans to build its first data center in Arkansas in West Memphis as part of a $4 billion investment through 2027.”News report · Jan. 2026 · grade C
- Willowbend Capital acquired approximately 380 acres at the Port of Little Rock for around $23 million, according to Pulaski County property records as reported in January 2026 coverage“Willowbend Capital has already acquired approximately 380 acres at the Port of Little Rock for around $23 million, according to pulaski County property records.”News report · Jan. 2026 · grade C
- Willowbend reportedly acquired approximately 380 acres at the Port of Little Rock for around $23 million per Pulaski County property records“Willowbend Capital has already acquired approximately 380 acres at the Port of Little Rock for around $23 million, according to pulaski County property records.”News report · Jan. 2026 · grade C
- Google is reported (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette sources via DCD) to be the end user behind Project Boar; Google has not announced it. The applicant is Willowbend Capital LLC (incorporator Michael Montfort, linked to other“Google is reportedly the company behind a $1 billion data center project in the Port of Little Rock, Arkansas.”News report · Jan. 2026 · grade C
- Project status: approved mou april 2025 land acquired operator reported google unconfirmed“the Little Rock City Board of Directors approved a resolution allowing Mayor Frank Scott to sign a memorandum of understanding with Willowbend Capital LLC for a $1 billion data center”News report · April 2025 · grade C
- $1bn investment and 300,000 sq ft expected per DCD's account of the April 2025 approval; ~50 jobs per local reporting“Plans for the data center first emerged in April 2025, when it was approved by the city's board of directors. The facility is expected to see $1bn in investment and will span 300,000 sq ft (27,870 sqm).”News report · April 2025 · grade C
- Incentive package (reported terms): property tax abatement (PILOT) 65 % property tax abatement“the city granted a 65% property tax abatement for 30 years and reduced utility franchise fees, while the developer agreed to a $300,000 annual "city enrichment" payment.”News report · April 2025 · grade C
Permits and government (2)
- Project status: APPROVED by the Little Rock Board of Directors in April 2025; not under construction in public reporting as of Oct 2026; in January 2026 the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported, via two industry sources, t“According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, two sources told the publication that negotiations regarding the project were ongoing between Google and the city.”News report · Jan. 2026 · grade C
- Little Rock Board of Directors:“Plans for the data center first emerged in April 2025, when it was approved by the city's board of directors.”News report · April 2025 · grade C
Site and other (2)
- Source record“There are noticeable similarities between the data center project and another in nearby Conway, north of Little Rock.”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
- same sponsor family, different campus and county“The Conway project is being promoted by Forgelight Ventures LLC, a company incorporated by Michael Montfort, who is additionally listed as the incorporator of Willowbend Capital.”News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C