RENEWABLE ENERGY in ARKANSAS Climate Change and Birds We All Can Play a Meaningful Role in Helping to Preserve and Protect the Arkansas We Know and Love
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Mallard Bank Swallow, a climate endangered bird in Arkansas Alexander Ghanayem APA 2016 RENEWABLE ENERGY IN ARKANSAS Climate Change and Birds We all can play a meaningful role in helping to preserve and protect the Arkansas we know and love. Audubon’s climate report found that nearly half of birds in North America are threatened and many could disappear as the overall warming affects food sources, competition, and the timing of seasons. This includes 152 at-risk bird species in Arkansas, including the iconic Mallard. At Audubon, we work every day to preserve and protect bird habitats across our state. In order to protect birds from the worst impacts of climate change we need to reduce overall carbon pollution. A key way to do so is by expanding renewable energy across the state. Renewable Energy in Arkansas Reducing our reliance on burning fossil fuels for energy locally helps reduce our national dependence on imports, reduces carbon emissions into our air, creates high paying clean energy jobs in Arkansas that can’t be outsourced, gives consumers more energy choices, and strengthens our environment, all while protecting the birds we love. Renewable power sources produce electricity without releasing carbon, water, or air pollution. However, projects need to be sited and operated to avoid, minimize, and, as a last resort, effectively mitigate potential impacts to birds and the places they need. Audubon supports renewable Mallard energy projects that are responsibly sited and operated. SOLAR ENERGY IN ARKANSAS The United States currently Experts note that Arkansas holds Solar can also expect a boost produces enough solar ener- great potential for rural photo- from falling prices. In the last five gy to power nearly 9 million voltaics, with an estimated ca- years, the cost of solar produc- homes and Arkansas’s abili- pacity of 2,747 GW, which could tion in our state has fallen 55% ty to produce solar energy is power thousands more homes. (per the Solar Energy Industries growing rapidly. According to Audubon supports the construc- Association). These trends will SolarResourceGuide.org, Ar- tion of photovoltaic cells, which encourage investment and job kansas has added more than are commonly installed on house growth in Arkansas. There are 3.5 MW of solar capacity since rooftops and as part of commu- currently more than 30 solar 2009, and is just getting start- nity solar projects. An important companies at work through the ed. With Arkansas’s access to benefit of rooftop solar is that it value chain in Arkansas and the sunlight (we enjoy an average makes use of areas that have al- industry has attracted $34.7 mil- of 123 clear days per year), our ready been developed, so it does lion in investment. state has the potential to be- not reduce habitat for wildlife. come a leader in solar energy production. HOW YOU CAN HELP ADVOCATE FOR SOLAR ENERGY IN ARKANSAS We need you to work with Audubon Arkansas to advocate for solar power in our state. Arkansas needs a diverse mix of clean energy sources to fuel our economic development and continue the conservation of our natural resources. Audubon Arkansas’s current policy priority is defending net energy metering (NEM) in our state. Net energy metering is an electricity billing arrangement that ensures that customers whose solar panels produce more energy than they need can sell the excess energy back to the utility company and be compensated at a fair price. Net metering makes solar energy economically viable by enabling solar Anhinga users to benefit from their panels in all sorts of weather. In Arkansas, a proposed plan would cut solar power valuation by nearly 50% for rooftop solar, punishing customers for making clean-energy upgrades on their personal property and creating new regulatory burdens that would disrupt Arkansas’s growing solar industry. We need you to help defend net metering in our state. Clean energy projects are good for birds, people, and a thriving and healthy future for Arkansas. Please take action to help our state become a renewable energy leader by going to ar.audubon.org/conservation/stand- birds. Photo Credits: Front: Doris Dumrauf/Alamy (top); Chris McNeill/APA (bottom-left) National Audubon Society Back: Mark Eden/GBBC 2015 (photos were cropped) 1200 18th Street, NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20036 202.861.2242 audubon.org.