FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas marked Earth Day on Wednesday by offering tours of new solar panels that are part of the largest commercial solar project in state history.
UA Provost Indrajeet Chaubey said the project demonstrates how thoughtful, long-term planning can benefit the university, the state and the environment. It is expected to save the university millions of dollars over the next 25 years, create opportunities for research and hands-on learning for faculty and students, and move UA closer to its 2040 carbon neutrality goals.
The full project spans the University of Arkansas System and will include more than 20 solar power installations around the state. The arrays unveiled Wednesday in west Fayetteville are designed to serve the university’s Cato Springs Research Center.
Scenic Hill Solar designed, installed and connected the solar systems. The company will continue to maintain and operate them as well, allowing UA System schools to purchase renewable energy at a predetermined rate.
Three more solar projects for the UA’s Fayetteville campus are scheduled to open this fall, all larger than the one celebrated Wednesday, said Scott Turley, the university’s senior advisor and project manager for facilities management.
The first installation will produce 933,000 kilowatt-hours per year, which is enough to power more than 100 households and allow the university to reduce its carbon output by 725 metric tons each year, Turley said.
Multiply that first site by 120 to get a sense of the impact of the systemwide project, said Bill Halter, CEO of Scenic Hill Solar.
There are six installations now online around the state. The rest of the stations should be operational by the end of this year and are expected to generate more than 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours over the next 25 years, Halter said. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, the projects will give campuses more cost certainty and help protect against energy price fluctuations.
This is the fourth-largest solar deployment at a college or university in the United States, Halter said, behind only projects at Stanford University, the University of California System and Penn State University.
“Combining working hard with working smart is (when) you get success,” he said.
The UA System Board of Trustees authorized the Fayetteville campus to begin partnering with a local firm to generate power through solar arrays in 2022. Then, in April 2023, the board approved the agreement with Scenic Hill Solar. The system’s projected cumulative savings from the project are estimated to be nearly $150 million over 25 years.
“This is an example of the UA System leading for all Arkansans,” Chris Thomason, UA System’s vice president for planning and development, said Wednesday.
Ryan Anderson covers higher education across the state. He joined the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in August 2022 after covering education — and other topics — for a decade at four newspapers in three states. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ryan attended DePaul University in Chicago and now resides in Fayetteville.
Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans. Donate today to preserve the quality and integrity of local journalism.
Copyright © 2026, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc.
All rights reserved.
This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc.
Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2026, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. All rights reserved.
