EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA), a US renewable energy developer, has launched its 175 MW Crooked Lake Solar Park near Blytheville in Mississippi County, Arkansas.
The project, built on land leased from local landowners, will not only generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 30,000 Arkansas homes each year but also directly support Arkansas’ electric grid. It will support more than 330 construction jobs and six permanent jobs for the ongoing operations and routine maintenance of the project.
“We’re proud to continue our expansion in the South with a focus on serving the clean energy needs of Arkansas,” stated Sandhya Ganapathy, CEO of EDP Renewables North America. “By providing sustainable energy to Mississippi County and the surrounding area, we are generating economic growth and grid stability for generations to come in the region.”
The project will disburse an estimated $106.2 million to local landowners, pay an estimated $12.4 million in taxes to local governments throughout the project’s life, and invest in the local economy over the next several decades. It will also save more than 222 million gallons of water each year, which would have been consumed by conventional generation sources for equivalent energy capacity.
The construction of the project helped educate K-12 students at Armorel School District and Blytheville School District on the benefits of wind and solar through school visits and science-related challenges organized in partnership with KidWind.
Moreover, the project team, with groups like 4H and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, volunteered and donated to several organizations revitalizing Blytheville and broader Mississippi County, including the Adopt a Block Initiative and Mississippi County Union Mission.
