Senate Bill 145, which passed in March, now allows third-party leasing of solar equipment under the Arkansas net-metering program. The change is expected to make solar projects more attractive to non-taxed organizations like nonprofits, cities and counties and government agencies and schools, allowing them to cut energy costs by partnering with solar companies.
The new policy changes aren’t just opening doors for consumers. The Business Innovations Legal Clinic of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s William H. Bowen School of Law published a report this year noting that the solar economy created 85 new jobs in Arkansas in 2018. The law school also predicted the new law might double or even triple the number of solar installation jobs in the state. Arkansas currently has seven solar manufacturing companies, 18 installers/developers and nine other related businesses. Read the article.
