Lightsource bp and Conway Corp unveil 135-megawatt pollinator friendly solar farm providing affordable energy for Conway, Arkansas

• Delivers enough clean electricity to power 21,000 homes
• Includes 5-acre pollinator garden providing critical habitat for monarch butterflies
• Brings $125 million private capital investment toward energy independence for Arkansas

Lightsource bp and Conway Corp today celebrated the successful completion of the 135-megawatt Conway Solar at Happy project in White County, Arkansas. The occasion marks a significant milestone in the partnership’s shared vision of advancing Arkansas's energy security and independence, while creating tangible benefits for the local community and environment.

The solar farm will deliver home-grown, clean energy to Conway Corp under a power purchase agreement with Lightsource bp. Conway Solar is projected to generate enough clean energy to power 21,000 homes.

Bret Carroll, chief executive officer at Conway Corp: “Work on this project began in 2019 and it is one of the most significant projects for Conway Corp since our incorporation in 1929. I’m proud of the team that worked on this project and the way it fulfills key parts of our mission by providing reliable and environmentally sound electricity to our community. I also appreciate our partnership with Lightsource bp, they have been great partners from the very beginning.”

Lightsource bp developed, financed, constructed, and will operate the project, a $125 million private capital investment in new energy infrastructure for Arkansas.

Project creates benefits for people and the planet

The Conway Solar project not only generates emissions-free energy for healthier air but has created an opportunity to advance pollinator conservation in the area. Working with the Arkansas Monarch Conservation Partnership, Lightsource bp and Conway Corp have established a five-acre native pollinator garden within the solar farm, featuring 46 varieties of Arkansas native plants. This garden is crucial in providing habitat and nectar for at-risk monarch butterflies and other pollinators that support our food supply.

Emilie Wangerman, interim chief operating officer at Lightsource bp USA: "At Lightsource bp, we believe that a solar farm can be so much more than an energy facility. By sharing in this vision, our partners at Conway Corp are bringing a host of benefits to their community, from affordable energy to ecosystem health, economic development and beyond.”

Additional key benefits of the project include:

• Clean energy generation: The project contributes to Conway Corp’s diversified energy mix, supporting their mission to provide safe, affordable, reliable service to their customers.
• Healthier air: Conway Solar at Happy supports Conway Corp’s further commitment to providing environmentally-sound service to their customers, enabling Conway Corp to abate 162,800 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually¹. That’s equivalent to taking 35,400 fuel-burning cars off the road for healthier air.
• Economic Growth: The solar project generated 300 jobs during construction, fostering economic growth within the region.
• Supporting domestic manufacturers: The project uses of 295,000 solar modules from Arizona-based First Solar, smart solar trackers from New Mexico-based Array Technologies, and steel from Attala Steel in Mississippi.

References

1. Calculation based on EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, which uses the AVoided Emissions and geneRation Tool (AVERT) U.S. national weighted average CO2 marginal emission rate to convert reductions of kilowatt-hours into avoided units of carbon dioxide emissions. See: https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gases-equivalencies-calculator-calculations-and-references.

Resources

Conway solar project website

Case study: Monarch butterfly habitat at Conway Solar

Image library (Conway Solar at Happy)

(Images are for use in media coverage only and must be clearly credited to “Lightsource bp.”)

About Conway Corp

Conway Corp operates the city-owned utility system in Conway, Ark. The company provides electric, water, wastewater, video, internet, telephone and security services within the Conway city limits. Conway Corp was created in 1929 when city leaders organized the corporation to operate the city's electric light plant to raise revenue to help keep Hendrix College and Central Baptist College in Conway. The company’s mission is to exceed customers’ expectations and to produce and deliver safe, affordable, reliable, innovative and environmentally-sound utility and telecommunication services while enhancing the quality of life in the community. More information is available at conwaycorp.com.

About Lightsource bp

Lightsource bp is a global leader in the development and management of solar energy and energy storage projects and a 50:50 joint venture with bp. For more than a decade, Lightsource bp has delivered affordable, safe and sustainable energy to businesses and communities around the world. Their team includes more than 1,000 industry experts, working in 19 countries, providing full scope development for projects, from initial site selection, financing and permitting to long-term management of solar projects and energy sales to their customers. Lightsource bp in the U.S. is headquartered in San Francisco with development offices in Denver, Austin and Philadelphia. Since 2019, the team has brought into operation or initiated construction on 3.2 gigawatts of U.S solar projects with capital costs of nearly $4 billion across 11 states in America. For more information visit www.lightsourcebp.com/us.

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