Since 2015, Arkansas has received $21.0 million from the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and $5.8 million from the State Energy Program (SEP), resulting in the following benefits:

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2,428 Homes Weatherized

Arkansas reduced energy costs and improved health and safety in 2,428 homes.*

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463 Jobs Created or Retained

The State Energy Program creates or retains one job for every $12,500 invested.*

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Connected with 488,294 People About Energy Efficiency Installations

Arkansas held 266 workshops, webinars, trainings, or outreach events since 2015.*

* Findings from a National Evaluation of the State Energy Program and a National Evaluation of the Weatherization Assistance Program

States report outcomes of State Energy Program and Weatherization Assistance Program formula (annual) fund activities to DOE on a quarterly basis. The metrics above are outcomes of formula-funded activities since 2015.

The SCEP Project Map highlights the annual formula and competitive funding for WAP and SEP.

Arkansas' State Energy Program At Work

The AEPC Program: Guiding Public Entities Towards Energy Efficiency

The AEPC Program has consistently advocated energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness for public entities within the MUSH market (Municipalities, Universities, School Districts, and Publicly Owned Hospitals). By employing the innovative budget-neutral mechanism of guaranteed energy savings performance contracts, the program empowers public entities to access and implement energy upgrades. The program's comprehensive approach encompasses the entire journey, from guiding entities through the Request for Proposal (RFP) process and Energy Service Company (ESCO) selection to executing the Investment Grade Audit (IGA) and the Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) agreement.

One of the hallmarks of the AEPC Program is its commitment to ensuring excellence in service delivery. The program maintains a list of pre-qualified energy service companies carefully selected to meet the unique needs of public clients. Since its inception in 2013, the AEPC Program has achieved remarkable milestones, delivering over $550 million in savings to the public sector.

Solar Power Propelling Arkansas Towards a Sustainable Future

Solar energy adoption has gained significant momentum within the AEPC Program, contributing to substantial energy savings and a greener future for Arkansas. With 19 public entities incorporating solar arrays into their energy cost-savings projects, the program has witnessed the deployment of nearly 38 megawatts of photovoltaics across the state. Additionally, through the combined contribution of other energy conservation measures: the AEPC Program annually saves Arkansas public entities an impressive 161 million kWh in energy consumption, 608 thousand therms in natural gas, and 250 thousand kGal of water. Interest in renewable energy solutions remains robust, and the AEO team continues to collaborate closely with public clients to develop economically and environmentally sustainable projects.

Success Story: Madison County's Resounding Achievement

A prime illustration of the AEPC Program's effectiveness is the recent success story of Madison County, AR. Through the program, Madison County undertook a comprehensive array of energy conservation measures, including HVAC replacements, LED retrofits, air leakage remediation, window film installation, water fixture upgrades, computer power management, and the installation of a 300kW photovoltaic array. This multifaceted project is estimated to save the county $41,000 annually in electricity, natural gas, and water consumption costs. County Judge Larry Garrett aptly encapsulates the sentiment: "We're glad to see it online and making us some money."

Learn more about SEP competitively awarded projects.

Arkansas' Weatherization Assistance Program at Work

The Arkansas Energy Office, an entity of the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, is the managing agency for Arkansas' Weatherization Assistance Program. The Arkansas WAP contracts with five (5) local community action agencies and nonprofits to install energy efficiency and health and safety improvements in housing occupied by low-income households throughout the state.

Success Story

Arkansas Takes Initiative

Better Buildings Initiative

More than 900 organizations are involved in the Better Buildings Initiative working to reduce energy and water waste and modernize the nation’s buildings and industrial facilities. Download the 2023 Better Buildings Progress Report for more information on the Initiative as a whole.

Better Buildings Accelerators

In the past five years, SCEP has engaged nearly 100 partners in Better Buildings Accelerators. These Accelerators are designed to demonstrate specific innovative policies and approaches, which will accelerate investment in energy efficiency upon successful demonstration. Each Accelerator is a targeted, short-term, partner-focused activity designed to address persistent barriers that stand in the way of greater efficiency.

To learn more about other Better Buildings partners and solutions in Arkansas and other states involved in the Better Buildings Initiative, check out the Better Buildings Partner map.

Outdoor Lighting Accelerator Partners

The city of Little Rock, a partner in the Outdoor Lighting Accelerator (OLA) from 2014-2016, pledged to upgrade its streetlights as a part of a nationwide commitment to retrofit 1.3 million light poles with high performance lighting. These commitments are expected to result in annual savings of $48 million. See the Outdoor Lighting Toolkit for more information and demonstrated best practices.

Sustainable Wastewater of the Future (SWIFt) Initiative

Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority committed to improving the energy efficiency of their participating water resource recovery facilities as part of the Sustainable Wastewater Infrastructure of the Future (SWIFt) Initiative Phase 2. SWIFt Phase 2 is engaging wastewater treatment facilities in a voluntarily partnership to achieve 5% short-term and 25% long-term facility-wide energy savings and implement at least one next-generation technology (e.g., renewable energy, resource recovery, and advanced data management). SWIFt Phase 1 hosted 25 state, regional, and local agencies that engaged with more than 70 water resource recovery facilities in their jurisdictions and successfully reduced their total energy consumption by almost 7%, adopted best-practice energy management approaches now showcased in the​​​​​​​ Wastewater Energy Management Toolkit, and created plans to achieve 30% energy savings.

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