Environmental notebook

2 counties’ solar arrays set for ’21

Sebastian and Miller counties will bring new solar arrays online by 2021 through the construction and energy company McKinstry, according to a Tuesday news release from the company.

Sebastian County will purchase two solar arrays expected to generate a combined 1.18 megawatts of capacity while Miller County will receive a 600-kilowatt array, plus improvements to county facilities designed to conserve power and water, the company reported.

The projects are expected to cost $2.5 million and $5 million, respectively, though McKinstry said the counties will see six-figure annual cost savings as a result.

Headquartered in Seattle, McKinstry last year opened a permanent office in Little Rock to serve clients with renewable-energy projects and energy-efficient retrofitting of buildings, the company announced in May 2019.

Arkansas Business previously reported the news of the solar development in western Arkansas.

Grants available for water research

The University of Arkansas’ Water Resources Center in a news release last week encouraged faculty and student researchers in the state to apply for federal water research grants.

During fiscal 2021, faculty can receive U.S. Geological Survey grants up to $35,000 and students who partner with a faculty adviser can receive grants up to $10,000. In both categories, grant recipients must find additional non-federal funding sources to match every federal dollar two-to-one.

The grants are funded under the Water Resources Research Act of 1984.

Water centers within the Mississippi River Basin “are prioritizing research that addresses the occurrence of harmful algal blooms and algal toxins in waters,” according to a request for pre-proposals from the Arkansas resources center.

Pre-proposals are due by Sept. 14.