LITTLE ROCK – Today the Clinton Foundation, City of Little Rock, and ENFRA announced a partnership to build the Clinton Sustainable Energy District (CSED) in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas. This transformative new project will include the development of a new district energy system and construction of a 5-megawatt solar array. The partners made the announcement at the Clinton Global Initiative 2025 Annual Meeting.

Once fully implemented, the energy district will provide cooling from central energy plants to various buildings in downtown Little Rock, including the Clinton Presidential Center and former Heifer International campus, Little Rock City Hall and other City-owned buildings, Robinson Center, and the Museum of Discovery. The district will include capacity for additional downtown building owners and tenants to cool their buildings in the most energy and cost-efficient manner available: by leveraging the economies of scale that such a thermal energy network would provide.

The Clinton Foundation’s new solar installation will be located in Russellville, Arkansas, on land leased from Cherokee Nation Businesses. The array will offset all of the carbon emissions from operations at the expanded Clinton Center campus in downtown Little Rock, including the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum and the former Heifer International property. The partnership also includes the installation of on-site power systems at the Clinton Center to reduce grid strain during peak times, electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, and substantial energy retrofits and efficiency upgrades across the campus.

Additionally, the City of Little Rock is currently building a 4.9-megawatt solar array at the Port of Little Rock. The array will power approximately 70 percent of city operations. In 2022, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. announced a goal to have 100 percent of Little Rock’s energy for city operations come from clean energy sources.

The Little Rock Board of Directors earlier this month adopted the city’s first-ever Sustainability Action Plan for City Operations. The plan sets multiple benchmarks such as converting half the city’s fleet to electric vehicles by 2030.

“The Clinton Sustainable Energy District is a win-win. It will significantly reduce the Clinton Center’s environmental impact and serve as a model for sustainable energy infrastructure across the nation,” said Bruce Lindsey, Counselor to the Chair of the Board of the Clinton Foundation. “We are proud to partner with ENFRA and the City of Little Rock to make a lasting investment that will benefit Little Rock.”

“This innovative and transformational partnership with the Clinton Foundation and ENFRA is a model for sustainability and energy efficiency, and it will result in significant cost savings for Little Rock residents. Through fiscal and environmental stewardship, we are prioritizing our community’s common values while leading the way to create a greener, cleaner and brighter future,” said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr.

“This is about more than energy savings, it’s about climate action, economic empowerment, and honoring our responsibility to future generations,” said Rob Guthrie, ENFRA CEO. “Through this solar array and other comprehensive energy infrastructure upgrades, we are creating a replicable model for sustainable energy districts across the country.”

The Clinton Foundation’s partnership with ENFRA will deliver:

• Over $30 million in energy infrastructure upgrades at the Clinton Center in Little Rock and the site of the solar array in Russellville
• Projected 40% reduction in utility costs
• Long-term operation and maintenance of the energy infrastructure by ENFRA

The Clinton Sustainable Energy District builds on the Clinton Foundation’s long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship, shown through the Clinton Center’s LEED-certified buildings. More than an infrastructure project, it represents a bold step toward a sustainable future. The CSED will provide a cleaner alternative to traditional cooling, support economic revitalization in Little Rock, and serve as a national model for sustainable innovation.