Scenic Hill Solar Breaking Ground on First Solar Power Plant for Forrest City

Three solar power plants will be going up in Forrest City. The first of the solar sites will have its groundbreaking on Monday, June 22.

The City of Forrest City has partnered with Scenic Hill Solar to build three solar power plants. These three power plants are expected to supply 3.46 megawatts of electrical capacity and provide 100 percent renewable energy for Forrest City’s municipal operations.

These solar plants will incorporate three ground-mounted single-axis tracking solar systems and will have more than 7,000 solar modules.

The solar power plant site will be located on Eldridge Road, adjacent to a Belleville Shoe Company facility, in Forrest City.

“We are excited about our partnership with Forrest City to build solar power plants to provide 100 percent solar electricity for Forrest City’s governmental operations,” Scenic Hill Solar CEO Bill Halter said in a statement. “We commend Mayor Cedric Williams and the City Council of Forrest City for their vision for a cleaner and brighter future especially after being hit hard by the current pandemic. These solar power plants will provide an over $5 million capital boost for Forrest City during a time of great economic challenge. This groundbreaking is further evidence that for communities across Arkansas, a commitment to renewable energy pays major dividends. With the approval of the Arkansas Public Service Commission, we’re certain that Forrest City will be remembered as an early adopter in a long line of communities making the switch to clean energy.”

All three power plants are expected to produce more than 5,882,000 kilowatt hours of electricity in the first year of operation and more than 162,244,037 kilowatt hours over the course of 30 years.

This will not be the only solar array in Forrest City. Today’s Power built a 1 megawatt solar array for Woodruff Electric Cooperative near its Forrest City headquarters, approximately half-a-mile from the planned site for the city’s solar plants.

The Woodruff Electric solar array occupies approximately eight acres behind the company’s headquarters and consists of 3,876 panels.