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State energy pathway · Arkansas

Start with the energy systems shaping Arkansas.

Arkansas generates electricity from natural gas and coal primarily, with nuclear and hydropower providing additional power for timber, paper, and agricultural industries across the state. Arkansas ranks 5th in the country for residential electricity use per person while paying some of the lowest rates in the nation — which makes the gap between high use and efficient use a practical problem students here can investigate directly.

Energy data is from the EIA State Energy Data System, EIA State Electricity Profiles, NCSL State Energy Legislation Database, and state economic development offices.

See why energy matters hereJump to the matched course

Why Energy Matters in Arkansas

Hydro and Nuclear Power

Arkansas Nuclear One sits on Lake Dardanelle about 60 miles northwest of Little Rock and generates about 25% of the state's electricity around the clock. Hydropower from rivers across the state produces the largest share of Arkansas's renewable electricity, though output shifts with rainfall and seasonal water levels. Learning how those sources differ — continuous nuclear output, variable hydro, and flexible gas and coal plants — gives students a clear picture of how Arkansas's grid actually works.

Industrial Energy Use

Poultry processing, rice milling, paper manufacturing, and metal fabrication together account for about 40% of Arkansas's total energy use. Those operations run motors, dryers, and processing lines around the clock, and small efficiency changes add up fast at industrial scale. Students who learn to measure how real equipment uses power build the same habits engineers apply in Arkansas's largest production facilities.

Latimer Energy Academy helps students in Arkansas connect the state's high per-capita electricity use to the same measurement habits that keep poultry, rice, and manufacturing facilities running efficiently.

Energy data is from the EIA State Energy Data System, EIA State Electricity Profiles, NCSL State Energy Legislation Database, and state economic development offices.

Start here for Arkansas

The Smart Meter: Energy Investigation

Arkansas's mix of industrial and agricultural facilities makes data quality and clean measurement the most grounded starting point — accuracy matters before any efficiency decision.

Mission spotlight

Data Integrity & Efficiency

Students learn to separate clean measurements from noise and connect that skill to the timber, paper, agricultural, and industrial facilities that depend on trustworthy energy data in Arkansas.

Included in LEA curriculum

Pilot proof

Students enjoy the work because it feels real.

In January 2026, 39 fourth-grade students in Indianapolis completed every lesson from start to finish — coding real pocket computers (microcontrollers), collecting live energy readings, and presenting findings to an audience.

4.6/5

Student enjoyment

72% of students gave it a 5-star rating

100%

Reported learning something new

Every student who took the survey said they learned something new

39

Students completed the entire course

Every student finished all five lessons, coded a pocket computer (microcontroller), and presented findings

Available to book today

Book the support that fits Arkansas.

Whether you want to get LEA into the hands of students this semester, plan for a pilot next year, or just learn more about the state-specific approach, you can book a session with our team to get the support you need.

School or district consultation

Review the state-specific entry point, pilot scope, and what implementation would look like for your classrooms.

Book this path

Founder-led instruction session

Bring Dr. Naeem Turner-Bandele in to teach a project and show what high-quality facilitation looks like with students.

Book this path

Family or community guidance

Get help choosing the right starting point for home learning, after-school use, or a community organization rollout.

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Utility or business partnership call

Discuss local workforce relevance, territory fit, and how we can collaborate to support energy education in your community.

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Find your path

Choose your next step based on how you want to use LEA in Arkansas.

Select your path below to see the approach designed for how you will use LEA in Arkansas — whether you run a classroom, lead a school, or support a student at home.

Find the right starting point

Schools

Curriculum and professional development for your district

Teachers

Lesson plans and resources for your classroom

Parents

Learn alongside your child with guided family activities

Community

Hands-on energy programs for clubs and community groups

Utilities

STEM outreach and workforce pipeline programs

Businesses

Partner with Latimer Energy Academy to build the energy and technology workforce