PRESCOTT – Representatives of Scenic Hill Solar appeared before the Prescott City Council Monday evening at the Hamilton Blakely Senior Center to present a proposal that could significantly reduce wholesale electric costs through a combination of solar generation and battery storage.
A video of the meeting in its entirety will be available below this article as soon as it is processed.
The presentation came at the request of Prescott Electrical Operations Manager Larry Jones.
"Four or six months ago we talked about batteries and solar, and you all asked us to look into that and see if it would work," Jones told the council. "They're going to come talk to you about that."
Scenic Hill Solar Chief Operating Officer Carrie Kyhl explained that the company specializes in commercial and industrial solar development and has worked with municipalities, school districts and businesses throughout Arkansas.
According to Kyhl, Prescott's largest electrical expense is not the amount of electricity consumed but additional charges assessed by SWEPCO for electricity used during high-demand hours. Kyhl said Prescott purchased approximately 73 million kilowatt-hours of electricity last year and averaged about 12,000 kilowatts drawn during high-demand hours and therefore charged a premium.
The proposal would combine a solar installation with a large battery deployment located near the city's substation. The battery would store electricity and discharge it during peak-demand periods, reducing the amount of power SWEPCO charges the city for using and reducing bills for Prescott Power and Light ratepayers.
"We want to deploy a battery that allows you to lower your demand charge to SWEPCO," Kyhl said.
Scenic Hill presented several possible configurations. Under one scenario, a battery system could reduce Prescott's peak demand by 30 percent. Larger battery systems could reduce peak demand by 50 percent or even 90 percent.
Kyhl said projected first-year savings could range from approximately $170,000 to nearly $470,000, depending on the size of the installation. "The bigger your battery goes, the more savings you can get," she said.
Kyhl also said that the project would provide a safeguard against future utility rate increases. "What's happening is a hedge, ultimately," she said. "The utility increases are escalating at a pace that is far beyond what your cost is [in installation and maintenance costs]."
Council member Ivory Curry asked whether most Scenic Hill clients choose to own their systems or allow the company to operate them.
Kyhl said more public-sector entities have chosen ownership in recent years because of federal direct-pay incentives available to governmental entities.
When asked about battery replacement costs, company representatives explained that if Scenic Hill owns and operates the project, the company assumes responsibility for maintenance and battery replacement. "If we operate it, it's all ours," representatives told the council.
Kyhl said the company would continue discussions with city officials and provide additional information regarding ownership and financing options. "We're happy to give you another price, the turnkey price, and we'll work with Larry on next steps," she said.
Earlier in the meeting, Police Chief Ann Jordan reported an active month for the Prescott Police Department and praised officers for their response to the recent Farmers Bank ATM robbery.
"Within the hour, this wonderful team of ours – not mine, ours – apprehended those three people," Jordan said. "It took everyone. City, county, state, feds. I mean, it took everyone. But as a team it was taken care of in no time at all."
Jordan singled out several officers for their work and said the department had received numerous plaudits regarding its response. "We got some great compliments," Jordan said. "That makes a heart like mine feel good."
Jordan also introduced two new officers and announced that the department is now fully staffed.
One of the new officers, Jackson Cornish, told council members he was proud to return home to serve Prescott. "Born and raised in Prescott, I'm glad to be back in the community protecting and serving everybody," Cornish said. "Just keeping the community safe."
A second officer, who previously worked in emergency medical services, said he was looking forward to continuing his service to local residents through law enforcement.
Jordan also welcomed Officer Zach Prince back to the department. "People want to try something different," Jordan said. "He left in good standing and he was like, 'Chief, I may want to come back.' The door was always open."
Prince thanked city officials for the opportunity to return.
"Thank you to everyone for giving me the chance to come back and be a part of this amazing department," he said.
Jordan said the department's newest officers will attend the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in August. Mayor Oliver praised Jordan's leadership and asked those attending to recognize the department. "Let's give the chief another round of applause," he said.
The council also approved the April 2026 financial report and adopted Resolution No. 2 of 2026 authorizing the transfer of a small tract of city-owned property to Duncan and Deborah Culpepper to resolve a longstanding boundary discrepancy involving property adjacent to the former garment factory site.
Other business:
• Vernon Livingston presented information on an Aug. 27th "Say No to Drugs" rally planned for Prescott High School. Livingston, who said he has been drug-free for 25 years and a counselor for 22, told council members, "We just want to see change and see our young people grow and prosper and not be destroyed with drugs and crime."
• Mayor Oliver said the anti-drug event will include speakers, educational materials and a student pep rally focused on prevention and awareness.
• Council members recognized local organizations providing meals to children during the summer months.
• Residents were reminded of the monthly community feed scheduled for the fourth Saturday of June at Curry's Outreach Ministry on Greenlawn Street.
• Jessica Box announced Juneteenth activities, including what she described as Prescott's first annual Juneteenth parade. Box said participants will gather near Shelter Insurance before proceeding through town and ending at the Juneteenth celebration site.
Following completion of the agenda, the council adjourned.
