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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas marked Earth Day by unveiling a new solar farm in west Fayetteville as part of a broader renewable energy buildout described as the largest commercial solar effort in Arkansas history.
The two-and-a-half-acre solar installation will provide 100% of the electricity needed for the Cato Springs Research Center, Eric Boles, director of sustainability at the University of Arkansas, said.
Boles said the Cato Springs site is one of 19 other solar projects the University of Arkansas System has deployed across the state.
“For the next 25 years, this facility behind me will provide electricity for our campuses at a fixed rate,” Boles said, adding the project is expected to reduce utility expenses “now and into the future.”
The Cato Springs installation could generate enough power to supply about 125 homes for a year.
Boles said the solar projects are intended to hedge against rising utility rates and align with the university’s mission of research and education.
Bill Halter, CEO of Scenic Hills Solar, the company behind the panels, said the projects are expected to save more than $100 million across the state.
Halter said solar is “the least expensive form” of new power generation and has “dramatically better environmental consequences” than other forms.
Scott Turley, who retired from utilities operations for the University of Arkansas, said stable electrical prices are expected to benefit the university over the long term.
“It’s the right thing for the environment,” Turley said. “It’s the right thing from a business perspective, and it’s also the right thing from the university’s mission perspective.”
From the Cato Springs Research Center to campuses across Arkansas, solar energy is becoming a key part of how the University of Arkansas plans to power its future.
