Primergy Solar announced that its 100-MWAC solar project in Ashley County, Arkansas, is fully operational. The project, called Amazon Solar Farm Arkansas – Prairie Mist is now delivering solar energy to the grid and marks the second project in Primergy’s portfolio to come online in 2024.
“Prairie Mist represents a step forward in our mission to develop impactful projects that benefit local communities and meet the diverse needs of our customers,” said Primergy CEO Ty Daul. “Reaching commercial operation is a monumental milestone for our team, and we are thankful to our partners for their support and dedication to bringing clean energy to the Arkansas region.”
Prairie Mist connects to Entergy’s transmission system in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s (MISO) operating footprint. It will deliver solar energy under a power purchase agreement with Amazon and capacity attributes will be sold under a 20-year contract to the City of North Little Rock. The solar project can generate enough energy to power the equivalent of approximately 22,000 homes per year and enhances Arkansas’ power generation mix and energy independence by reducing reliance on carbon-emitting resources.
Primergy engaged Primoris Renewable Energy, a premier utility-scale solar contractor, as the engineering, procurement, and construction partner for the project. Prairie Mist created approximately 200 construction jobs and is expected to contribute approximately $10 million in tax benefits for Ashley County over its operating life. Beyond the construction and tax benefits, Primergy is supporting the community by building an ADA accessible playground and a shade structure at the local high school, Hamburg High School.
During the project’s development, Primergy closed on $300 million in debt and tax equity financing in 2023 for construction and development with debt facilities led by SMBC as the transaction agent, Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale, Societe Generale, and Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank. The tax equity investment was led by PNC Bank.
News item from Primergy Solar