A massive solar project that will generate enough electricity to power more than 21,400 homes in Conway has secured financing and will begin construction in March.
The solar farm, located in Happy, Arkansas, is set to be operational by mid-2023, according to the company overseeing the construction and operation of the facility.
Lightsource BP, the owner and operator of the facility, announced the update on the Conway facility – dubbed Conway Solar at Happy – on Jan. 12 as part of a 480-megawatt, $533 million financing package encapsulating several projects around the country. Lightsource BP is a joint-venture involving BP, the oil and gas behemoth headquartered in London. BP acquired a large stake in Lightsource in 2017 and rebranded the company Lightsource BP.
Conway Corporation and Lightsource BP announced a long-term, power purchase agreement to develop a 135-megawatt solar farm in Happy, Arkansas, in April 2020. Lightsource BP will own and operate the facility and deliver the solar-generated power to Conway Corp customers.
“Our mission is to provide safe, affordable, reliable, innovative and environmentally sound service to our customers,” said Conway Corp CEO Bret Carroll. “This solar project checks all those boxes. It is a project that will have lasting impact on our community. We look forward to working with Lightsource BP to get the project under construction and delivering service to our customers.”
Lightsource BP said construction of the solar farm will create approximately 200 jobs. The majority of the construction jobs will come from local workers, the company said in a news release.
Conway Solar at Happy will feature more than 300,000 solar panels across nearly 700 acres. It will lower Conway’s annual carbon footprint by 162,800 metric tons, the equivalent of about 35,000 cars.
“As the owner and operator of the Conway solar farm at Happy, we look forward to bringing economic benefits to the region, along with fostering long-term community partnerships,” said Lightsource BP CEO of the Americas Kevin Smith.
Read more in the January edition of Pulse of Conway here.