Keep open for solar

As the weather gets warmer and we move into the sunny days of spring, we should all appreciate the potential that sunshine has to offer our state, which has jumped from 43rd to 25th in the nation in solar generation since 2018. As the saying goes, let’s make hay (or energy) while the sun shines. Solar technology is providing jobs, improving communities, and saving Arkansans money on utilities.

However, access to solar in Arkansas is seriously threatened by House Bill 1787. This bill would kill millions of dollars in economic development and construction in Arkansas’ rural communities and eliminate hundreds of jobs.

The Solar Access Act of 2019 has spurred Arkansas’ solar growth, which continues through large-scale solar projects that are in the works for communities, businesses, and schools across the state. HB1787 puts these projects at risk, and would make the adoption of solar economically unfeasible for many businesses and nonprofits. We cannot afford legislative overreach that harms business development in our state. Arkansas needs to ensure regulatory stability to allow the market to thrive.

While the utilities claim that solar increases costs for customers, the evidence shows the opposite is true: Solar customers save utilities and their other customers money, and altering the Solar Access Act would raise electricity rates for all ratepayers. As Governor Hutchinson put it, let’s keep Arkansas “open for solar business.”

LILLI STOREMSKI

Fayetteville