By: Jack Roach

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Earth Day to unveil its new solar panel farm project.

This project has been in the works since 2022 and was finally able to be presented to the public. Those cutting the ribbon include: Chris Thomason, the UA system Vice President for planning and development, Deacue Fields, UA System Vice President for agriculture, Scott Turley, senior advisor and project manager for Facilities Management, and Bill Halter, CEO of Scenic Hill Solar.

Bill Halter and Scenic Hill Solar partnered with the University to create the fourth largest solar energy project amongst universities across the country and the largest in state history. Using over 400 acres of land, the 19 solar farms across Arkansas will offset nearly 70% of the campus’s electricity usage. This project only trails the solar farms at Penn State, Stanford, and the University of California.

The solar farms are here to increase sustainability and help reduce carbon emissions, as well as to save the university a lot of money. With this project being a public/private partnership, the university is able to save money by committing to purchase the energy produced by the solar farms for the next 25 years. In return, the partners of the project will set up the farms entirely and will create no upfront costs for the University of Arkansas.

“So on day one of the first year, the University of Arkansas starts saving money on these projects with no upfront cost. And over time, that rate will stay the same. Yet electricity rates are pretty likely going up over time, and that deal will become better and better as time goes on.” – Eric Bowles, Director of Sustainability at the University of Arkansas.