Pulaski County officials are planning to hold a groundbreaking on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. for a new solar array in the Little Rock Port Authority Industrial Park. The array is expected to bring the county’s renewable energy usage to 90%.
The site is expected to produce 4.7 megawatts of electricity, which in conjunction with the 250 kilowatts provided by an existing solar array near the Pulaski County Detention Center, will be enough to replace 90% of the energy that Pulaski County currently buys from Entergy, and at a significantly cheaper rate.
Both sites are the result of an agreement between the county and Today’s Power, a North Little Rock-based solar energy company that is a subsidiary of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. Under this deal, the transition to solar power will be entirely free for taxpayers, with Today’s Power shouldering the initial costs in exchange for Pulaski County purchasing all power generated by the two sites. This is similar to a recent agreement between the University of Arkansas and Entegrity Energy Partners for the U of A’s own new solar array. Pulaski County is expected to save $250,000 a year compared to current electrical costs.
“At the County, we strive to spend County taxpayer money efficiently, foster investment in the County and act as responsible stewards to our environment,” said Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde. “Our transition to solar checks all the boxes.”
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. The location of the groundbreaking will be at 6899 Zeuber Road, Little Rock, AR 72206. The event is free and open to the public.
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