Dive Brief:
- Google announced Tuesday that it has signed a deal with Cypress Creek Energy to invest in and receive energy from what is expected to be the largest solar facility in the United States.
- Google will act as an “anchor investor” and an offtaker for Steel River Energy Center, a combined solar and storage project that broke ground in Mississippi County, Arkansas Tuesday, according to a press release from Cypress Creek and a Google company blog.
- In addition to serving as an investor, Google signed a power purchase agreement to receive energy from the first two phases of the project’s growth. Google said the project represents the largest solar and storage project across its portfolio to date.
Dive Insight:
Once complete, the Steel River project is expected to have capacity for 2.5 gigawatts of direct current of solar and 2.9 gigawatt hours of battery storage. The facility will be built in three phases, with the first two phases bringing 1.6 GWdc and 1.9 GWH of battery storage online, according to the releases.
Google called Steel River “a game changer” in its company blog because it will pair the solar arrays with advanced battery storage systems. Solar and battery storage systems accounted for 91% of all new electricity generation capacity in the U.S. in the first quarter of this year, according to a June report from the Solar Energy Industries Association.
The project is expected to create 700 construction jobs during each phase and bring an estimated $300 million in local tax revenue to Mississippi County over the life of the project. Google also committed $5 million for local energy affordability initiatives to benefit residents and K-12 schools in the state. Cypress Creek will add a $3 million community investment commitment that will begin with a $400,000 contribution to construct a new playground in a nearby school district, according to the release.
Cypress Creek CEO Kevin Smith said the project will be built with solar panels made entirely in the U.S., and Cypress Creek said “nearly all” of the steel for the project’s structure will come from Mississippi County facilities.
“Some people still question whether a domestic solar supply chain is possible. This project is proof,” Smith said in the July 14 release.
The facility is expected to be fully online in 2029. Google did not disclose the terms of its investment or offtakes.
For Google, the deal comes as the artificial intelligence buildout has fueled emissions increases from the tech and search engine conglomerate over the past three years. Google’s latest sustainability report found that the company’s 2025 carbon footprint is 18% higher than in 2024 and 81% higher than its 2019 baseline.
