by Lance Lloyd
The advanced energy economy in the Natural State has seen a 30 percent increase over the last year, according to The Solar Foundation (TSF), in addition, the agency claims that Arkansas added 85 new solar jobs in 2018, ranking in the top 10 nationwide for growth in this sector of the economy.
TSF is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, that works at advancing the use of solar and solar-compatible technologies globally, according to their website.
Arkansas Advanced Energy Association (AAEA), is an agency that works on promoting advanced energy in Arkansas. The demands for solar energy technologies has grown steadily across the state for homeowners, businesses, cities and with many looking to invest in this type of energy on a daily basis, according to AAEA’s Katie Niebaum.
“More consumers are becoming aware of all the benefits of solar, we’ve seen that demand increase across the state,” said Niebaum, “so, it’s a great economic success story for us to tell.”
AAEA has even worked with state lawmakers to advocate for Senate Bill 145 that is set to go before a Senate committee Thursday, February 21.
The bill would create third-party financing for businesses and cities looking to use solar for energy.
To read the bill at the Arkansas State Legislator, click here.