Little Rock Reaches Solar Project Milestone

LITTLE ROCK - The City of Little Rock has completed the necessary interconnection agreements with Entergy for a 4.9 megawatt AC solar project. With interconnection secured, Little Rock will move forward with Scenic Hill Solar to the construction phase of the solar array, which is expected to save approximately $1 million annually in electricity costs.

The Little Rock Board of Directors in April approved funding for the project, and City officials had been working to complete the interconnection agreement ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline. By meeting the deadline, the City can take advantage of net-metering rules that credit the amount of electricity the City produces at the same rate of electricity that it uses.

"We prioritize both financial and environmental stewardship as we work to create a more sustainable Little Rock," said Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. "Our ambitious and achievable sustainability goals include powering city operations with 100 percent clean energy by 2030. This huge step towards completion of the solar facility marks significant progress in pursuit of our goal."

The $12 million project will be constructed on City-owned property at the Port of Little Rock. When completed, approximately 70 percent of the electricity used in City operations will be generated from clean, renewable power.

Little Rock is using short-term financing to pay for construction and installation of the array. The City will receive a 40 percent rebate to offset a substantial portion of project costs following the first year of its operation. The rebate is a component of the Biden-Harris Administration's Inflation Reduction Act.

"This important milestone in advancing our solar project to the finish line is thanks to our City Hall team, the Little Rock Sustainability Commission, our economic development partners and Scenic Hill Solar," Mayor Scott said. "We all look forward to cleaner energy and a healthier environment."

The solar array is just one of the City's environmental goals, which include having electric vehicles make up 50 percent of the City's fleet by 2030. As part of the Results For The Rock penny investment proposal, at least $1 million is dedicated to sustainable infrastructure, which would include additional EV charging stations at City-owned locations throughout Little Rock.