Lightsource bp completes 135 MW Arkansas solar project

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Lightsource bp and Conway Corp announced the completion of a 135 MW solar project in White County, Arkansas. The project is expected to generate enough electricity to power 21,000 homes.

The project was developed, financed, and constructed by Lightsource bp, which will remain as operator of the asset. The project represents a $125 million private capital investment in new energy infrastructure for Arkansas. Over 300 construction jobs were generated by the project.

The Arkansas project is comprised of 295,000 First Solar modules, smart trackers from Array Technology, and steel from Attala Steel in Mississippi.

Conway Corp is the city-owned utility system in Conway, Arkansas. It was created in 1929 when city leaders organized the corporation to operate the city’s electric light plant to raise revenue to help maintain Hendrix College and Central Baptist College in Conway.

“Work on this project began in 2019 and it is one of the most significant projects for Conway Corp since our incorporation in 1929. I’m proud of the team that worked on this project and the way it fulfills key parts of our mission by providing reliable and environmentally sound electricity to our community,” said Bret Carroll, chief executive officer, Conway Corp.

The project includes a five-acre pollinator garden, providing a critical habitat for monarch butterflies and over 46 species of native plants. Read a case study about the pollinator habitat here.

Conway Corp is expected to abate 162,800 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually as a result of the project, equivalent to taking 35,400 fuel-burning cars off the road for healthier air.

“Our partners at Conway Corp are bringing a host of benefits to their community, from affordable energy to ecosystem health, economic development and beyond,” said Emilie Wangerman, interim chief executive officer, Lightsource bp USA.

Since 2019, the Lightsource bp team has brought into operation or initiated construction on 3.2 GW of U.S solar projects with capital costs of nearly $4 billion across 11 states in the U.S.

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