Ozarks Electric Cooperative Planning Solar Power Generation Facility
Ozarks Electric Cooperative president and CEO Mitchell Johnson said Wednesday the company is planning to begin construction of a one-megawatt solar generation facility in Springdale.
It will be the first utility-scale, member-owned solar power generation facility in Arkansas. When complete, it will contain approximately 3,927 panels across five acres of land at 2154 Boulder Drive in east Springdale.
Ozarks Electric acquired the site, about 12 acres in total, in March for $780,000.
Construction is expected to begin in early September and the facility should be complete and fully operational by March 2016.
“We are thrilled to be able to be the first in the state to build and maintain a facility such as this,” Johnson said. “We strongly believe that the groundbreaking facility will create a positive impact, both environmentally and financially, for our members and our community.”
Information regarding use of the facility was not announced
Ozarks Electric is a nonprofit, member-owned cooperative serving more than 70,000 meters across nine counties in Northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma.