EDP Renewables North America is bringing a 175-megawatt solar project to Mississippi County, Arkansas called Crooked Lake Solar Park.
Located near Blytheville, Crooked Lake Solar Park will directly support Arkansas’ electric grid. It will be built on land leased by local landowners who “recognize the benefits of hosting a solar project and believe in the economic impact the project will provide the city and greater county,” says EDP in a release.
Crooked Lake will support more than 330 construction jobs and six permanent jobs dedicated to the ongoing operations and routine maintenance of the project, per the company. It 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 millions of dollars in the local economy over the next several decades. It will also save more than 222 million gallons of water each year that would have otherwise been consumed by conventional generation sources for equivalent energy capacity, EDP estimates.
Including Arkansas, EDP Renewables North America has utility-scale operations in 19 states. Most recently, the company expanded into North Carolina and Mississippi.
“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.”
A special focus was placed on STEM education and local community impact, per EDP, by utilizing the construction of the project to 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. In addition, the project team – alongside groups like 4H and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated – volunteered and donated to several organizations revitalizing Blytheville and broader Mississippi County, including the Adopt a Block Initiative and Mississippi County Union Mission.
“We’re grateful for EDPR NA working alongside The City of Blytheville’s Quality of Life Division to take an active role in helping to beautify our city and to unite our community together to do something positive. EDPR NA’s sponsorship in the Adopt a Block Initiative provided much-needed logistical support and supplies,” stated Mayor Melisa Logan. “The team through their support helped us highlight heroes that took the courageous step to adopt blocks in our community, which truly made an impact.”
