Bank OZK solar plant begins operating in Stuttgart

Little Rock-based Bank OZK has completed construction of a 4.8-megawatt solar array in Stuttgart that will produce enough electricity to power its new corporate headquarters and up to 40 bank locations in central Arkansas, according to a Thursday (May 12) news release.

The 11,265-panel array is among the largest in the state dedicated to a private sector customer, the release shows.

“After several months of construction, Bank OZK is pleased to announce that our solar power plant is fully operational,” said Tim Hicks, chief credit and administrative officer.

“By shrinking our carbon footprint and offsetting our electricity usage, Bank OZK continues its commitment to the environment with this new source of clean and sustainable energy. The solar plant is another great example of how Bank OZK is a leader in the financial services sector,” Hicks added.

The array is expected to reduce the bank’s carbon footprint by nearly 160,000 tons of carbon dioxide over the next 30 years. This is equivalent to more than 390 million passenger car miles.

Scenic Hill Solar LLC of Little Rock managed construction of the array for the bank.

Shares of Bank OZK (NASDAQ: OZK) closed Thursday at $37.93, down 11 cents or 0.29%. In the past 52 weeks, the stock has ranged between $37.10 and $51.39.