By Ken Heard, Freelance Writer
For many that glowing yellow orb in the sky some 96 million miles away is either to blame for the blistering Arkansas summers or for the painful burns beachgoers experience when out for too long with little protection.
But the sun is also a source of viable, cheap energy and the state is embracing that as an economical alternative with little chance of running out of the energy. As long as the sun exists there will always be solar energy available.
The state saw the advantages of solar energy in 2020 when NorthStar Clean Energy acquired Newport Solar, a 180-megawatt facility. The solar farm, north of Newport, features 500,000 solar panels on 2,000 acres of farmland. It generates about 410,000 MWh/year. General Motors has purchased electricity generated by the facility.
The Batesville School District converted to solar energy has saved $2.4 million in utility costs a year. That money will be used to increase teacher pay, administrators at the Independence County school have said.
And in Lonoke, plans call for a $600 million, 6,000-acre, 300-megawat energy farm near Keo. The power it creates could serve 70,000 residential homes and create 300 jobs at the height of its construction and three full time positions once the facility is operational.
The economic benefits are easy to see. Energy from the sun is abundant, renewable, cheap and readily available. It also reduces dependency on fossil fuels and polluting emissions from other energy producers such as coal plants and natural gas companies.
There are also tax breaks for consumers. Virginia users are expected to see the largest yearly tax incentives in the country by using solar energy. They could expect average tax breaks of $4,000.
But with the perceived benefits also comes opposition.
Creating a solar farm will render the land useless for other purposes forever. It cuts back in agricultural businesses; Arkansas’ number one industry is agriculture. So far, though, only 4 percent of the state’s land that’s been planted for rice is now used for solar energy farms. The facilities are also on 2.4 percent of farmland in the state that could produce corn. In all, 0.4 percent of Arkansas land is now being used for solar energy production.
There are also concerns that projects placed too close to wetlands, rivers or streams could have an environmental effect. Runoff of top soil and water could increase watershed sedimentation. Removal of trees to install the solar panels could also contribute to runoff contamination.
Opponents say the plants can destroy wildlife habitat and could hinder any rural prehistoric and archeological deposits. Some areas of Arkansas are rife with artifacts of ancient civilizations waiting to be discovered. Placing solar farms atop those lands would eliminate any discovery of any cultures that once lived there.
Finally, recent studies have shown expected declines in property values based on proximity to the farms. Values could be reduced from 5 to 25 percent, depending upon location.
The bottom line in the debate over solar energy is if the economic benefits and the availability of sustainable land for creating facilities outweigh any environmental concerns. The state appears to be on board with using solar power. Since the addition of the 2020 plant in Newport, the state now is ranked 18th in the country for states using solar energy. In 2017, Arkansas was rated 48th in the country for solar energy production.
Neighboring states have fared less well with solar power; Arkansas has apparently seen the light so to speak. Tennessee is ranked 36th in the nation, Missouri is 30th, Louisiana is 28th and Mississippi is 27th. Texas is the second in the country, only behind California.
The Newport solar farm alone produces enough energy to power more than 30,000 homes and with its 15-year renewable purchase contract, the facility is producing enough energy that’s akin to planting five million trees, solar energy officials have said.
So, it boils down to land use and environmental safety versus finances. With proper regulations and close monitoring of the facilities, it seems solar energy is a viable alternative and a trend that will continue growing in the future. Already, Arkansas has seen a 14.9 percent increase in solar energy production between May and June of this year.