ARKANSAS, USA — Arkansas has the capacity to be a leader in solar energy production but there are hurdles on the horizon, Arkansas Public Service Commission Chairman Ted Thomas told legislators on the Joint Energy Committee Wednesday (Feb. 3).
During the previous session in 2019, the body passed the Solar Access Act, which has helped to expand solar energy production in the state.
The state has some of the lowest electricity rates in the country, and it has several key advantages specifically in the solar sector, Thomas said.
Arkansas has vast swaths of flat, cheap land and has a high number of sunny days each year.
Those factors have led companies such as General Motors to invest in solar energy in the state.
Solar energy production could directly impact some of the most economically challenged parts of Arkansas especially in southern and eastern parts of the state.
Thomas said he has heard rumors that President Joe Biden and his administration will favor shovel-ready, renewable energy projects, and the state is in a prime position for projects of that type.
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