The C&L Electric Cooperative has reached an agreement with Today’s Power, Inc. to build a 1-megawatt solar array near the co-op headquarters in Star City.
The project is one of the country’s most advanced systems and will include a single-axis tracking array of more than 3,800 panels covering about eight acres. The system has been designed to mitigate a portion of C&L’s peak demand and will produce a maximum peak power of 1 megawatt. Today’s Power, Inc. will install 1.4 megawatt of DC power to convert it to 1 megawatt of AC.
“At C&L Electric Cooperative, our mission is to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electricity to our members to enhance their quality of life,” said Greg Smith, CEO/General Manager of C&L Electric Cooperative. “We are happy to partner with Today’s Power with this solar project and take a step into the renewable energy space.”
The solar facility will provide local generation for C&L members. The distribution co-op serves more than 22,192 members and owns and maintains over 4,385 miles of distribution power lines and 20 substations and metering points.
This is the 12th of 17 electric cooperatives in Arkansas that TPI has developed a solar or storage project with most of them within the scope of 1 MW as a result of a utility partnership in Arkansas.
“We are extremely excited to partner with C&L on this solar power project. It will provide significant savings for C&L members over the next 25-30 years and will help to stimulate the economy of Lincoln County and the city of Star City,” said TPI President Michael Henderson. “This project demonstrates how progressive the C&L board of directors and management are in meeting membership needs and enhancing their quality of life.”
The project will provide an investment in the C&L service territory and the Star City school system.
Today’s Power, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), a Little Rock-based utility service cooperative owned by 17 Arkansas distribution cooperatives. Today’s Power, Inc. offers turn-key solar photovoltaic systems, energy storage systems, electric vehicles and charging stations for all sizes and applications.
