Arkansas General Assembly and Governor Finalize Long-Awaited Solar Ruling
LITTLE ROCK (November 23, 2020)鈥 With the approval of the Arkansas General Assembly on November 20, the Arkansas Public Service Commission (PSC) finalized a long-awaited ruling today that retains the full retail credit for all residential and business customers with net-metered solar installations through the end of 2022. The ruling was issued by the PSC in June and approved by Governor Asa Hutchinson last month.
The ruling was the final order in the PSC鈥檚 multi-year docket to determine the future of customer-owned solar compensation. has participated as an active stakeholder advising the PSC since the beginning of the docket in 2016, calling for market choice and fair treatment for Arkansans who wish to install solar at their homes and businesses.
鈥淭his is a big win for everyone who has worked for a clean future in Arkansas over the past several years,鈥 said Gary Moody, director of state and local climate strategy at the 爆料公社, and an Arkansas native. 鈥淣ow that we鈥檙e over the finish line, the path is clear for Arkansas to position itself as a leader in solar energy.鈥
The rule will not only aid the post-pandemic economy in Arkansas by stimulating jobs, it will also benefit the environment by reducing harmful emissions and protecting the places that both wildlife and people need to survive. Last year, the 爆料公社 released a report that found that reducing emissions can slow the rise in global temperatures, and save a majority of North American bird species that would otherwise be vulnerable to extinction, including beloved species in Arkansas like the Red-headed Woodpecker, the Cerulean Warbler, and the Eastern Whip-poor-will.
鈥淚nvesting in smart, responsibly sited clean energy benefits both birds and people,鈥 said Moody. 鈥淥ur own science shows that birds are telling us that we need to take action, and this ruling makes it easier for Arkansans to obtain affordable renewable energy for their own homes and businesses.鈥
In March of last year, the Arkansas State Legislature, with overwhelming, bipartisan support, passed The Solar Access Act, crafted and supported by an 爆料公社-led coalition, established a gold standard for Arkansas solar energy by opening up the state鈥檚 market and providing more choices for consumers.
Media Contact:
Gary Moody, gmoody@audubon.org, 501-246-1113
Robyn Shepherd, robyn.shepherd@audubon.org
About 爆料公社
The 爆料公社 protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. 爆料公社 works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give 爆料公社 an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, 爆料公社 believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.
About 爆料公社 Arkansas: 爆料公社 was established in 2000 as a state office of the National 爆料公社 Society. The National 爆料公社 Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. 爆料公社 works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give 爆料公社 an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, 爆料公社 believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at ar.audubon.org.