Today’s Power to Build 1-MW Solar Array Near NAEC Office in Salem

Today’s Power Inc. of Little Rock continued its string of successes with small utility-scale solar projects Monday, breaking ground Monday on a 1-megawatt solar array for North Arkansas Electric Cooperative near the co-op’s headquarters in Salem (Fulton County).

The project is an advanced single-axis tracking array of 4,000-plus panels, generating enough electricity at peak production to power some 125 homes.

NAEC Chief Executive Officer Mel Coleman said the project will give NAEC its first owned generation source. The distribution co-op serves about 37,000 member accounts in eight counties, and, along with its Salem headquarters, it has full-service offices in Mountain Home (Baxter County) and Ash Flat (Fulton and Sharp counties).

“Harnessing the sun’s energy has become an economically viable and environmentally responsible means of creating electricity,” Coleman said in a statement. “This project shows NAEC’s commitment not only to providing our members with reliable affordable power, but also to listening to their feedback. Many members have asked in recent years for additional renewable generation sources.”

It is the 19th project developed by Today’s Power, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc., the Little Rock utility service cooperative owned by the 17 Arkansas electric distribution co-ops. Most of the solar plants are in the 1-megawatt range. The company has completed commercial projects for Tyson Foods, Husqvarna and others.