Beaver Water District Activates 7.22 Megawatt Solar Park on Primrose Road

Residents of Northwest Arkansas will soon see a shift in how their water utility powers its operations. The Beaver Water District has begun drawing electricity from a newly completed solar array located adjacent to its administrative center at 301 N. Primrose Road in Lowell. The facility is designed to lower the district's long-term energy bills and reduce its carbon footprint, with the utility estimating lifetime savings between $7 million and $11 million.

The project was originated, developed, and financed by Madison Energy Infrastructure, a New York City-based firm. Verogy, a distributed generation developer and construction company based in West Hartford, Conn., served as the general contractor. The two companies collaborated to build the infrastructure on approximately 32 acres of land directly across the street from the district's water treatment plant.

Construction concluded recently, and the array is now operational. The system utilizes a single-axis tracker design that allows the panels to follow the sun's path throughout the day. This configuration enables the installation to generate approximately 12,300 megawatt-hours of renewable energy each year. That output is sufficient to power nearly 1,140 homes annually, according to project documentation.

The environmental impact of the facility is quantified in metric tons of carbon dioxide offset. The solar park is expected to remove about 8,264 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually. This reduction is equivalent to taking nearly 2,000 passenger vehicles off the road or eliminating more than 21 million miles driven by an average gasoline-powered vehicle in a single year.

M. Lane Crider, CEO of Beaver Water District, stated that the installation strengthens the utility's ability to provide safe and affordable water. Crider noted that the project supports regional growth and reinforces the district's commitment to sustainability. The district supplies drinking water to Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville, serving a customer base of more than 425,000 people.

Ryan Coakley, chief development officer of Madison Energy Infrastructure, emphasized the partnership aspect of the project. He described the collaboration with Verogy as a model for community infrastructure, noting that the array delivers resilience and savings directly to the location where it is most needed. The facility will continue to operate as a permanent part of the district's energy portfolio.

The solar park represents a shift in the district's energy mix. Previously reliant on grid power, the utility now generates a portion of its electricity on-site. The 5-megawatt AC capacity of the system is expected to meet 15% to 20% of the district's total electricity needs. This change is part of a broader effort to manage operating costs while maintaining service reliability for its customers across the region.