Conway Solar
Conway Corp has been a leader in solar power for years, and we’re dedicated to sourcing more renewable energy while looking toward a sustainable future.
We get power from various sources including power we purchased on the wholesale market. Our goal is a balanced and sustainable mix of sources, and we’re always adding to our clean energy sources.
We continue to pioneer solar power in Arkansas. We are partnering with Lightsource bp and other groups to research and evaluate the development of sources in our area that show promise for producing cost-effective and reliable energy. We receive solar energy and renewable energy credits from multiple facilities, which we can use to serve our customers or sell to third parties for the benefit of customers.
We’re committed to making our environment better for our customers and community today and for generations to come. In fact, our resource portfolio includes more than 150 MW of solar generation – that’s enough to power more than 22,000 homes annually.
Happy Solar
Conway Solar at Happy is a 135-megawatt solar power facility located on 700 acres near Happy, Arkansas in White County. Happy Solar became operational in October 2023 and is owned and operated by Lightsource bp. The solar farm delivers home-grown, clean energy to Conway Corp under a long-term fixed-rate power purchase contract. Happy Solar has more than 300,000 solar photovoltaic modules on single-axis trackers to maximize energy collection.
In addition to providing renewable energy, Conway Solar at Happy 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.
Key benefits of the project include:
- Delivering enough clean electricity to power more than 21,000 homes.
- Including a 5-acre pollinator garden providing critical habitat for monarch butterflies.
- Bringing $125 million private capital investment toward energy independence for Arkansas.
- Contributing to Conway Corp’s diversified energy mix, supporting our mission to provide safe, affordable and reliable service to our customers.
- Abating 162,800 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually – the equivalent to taking 35,400 fuel-burning cars off the road.
- Generating 300 jobs during construction, fostering economic growth within the region.
- Supporting domestic manufacturers by using 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.
Blaney Hill Solar
Located on the site of the closed Conway landfill, the facility uses solar panels to capture light from the sun converting it to energy to use for electricity.
Blaney Hill Solar produces an estimated 1.8 million kilowatt hours a year, with 32,964,667 kilowatt hours expected to be produced over 20 years. This is enough to power more than 150 homes annually.
Lifetime power production from Blaney Hill Solar is estimated to reduce the city’s carbon footprint by the equivalent of CO2 emissions from 2,623,045 gallons of gasoline.