Full story
Steel River Breaks Ground
Google and Cypress Creek Energy broke ground on the Steel River Energy Center in Mississippi County, Arkansas, with the project’s first two phases planned to add 1.63 GW of solar and 1.9 GW of battery storage to the regional grid.
“Phases 1 and 2 of the Steel River Energy Center in Mississippi County, Arkansas”
EnergyTech said the Steel River Energy Center will include 2.5 GW of solar and 2.9 GW of battery storage by 2029 and will support 700 construction jobs, while Oklahoma Energy Today said the project is being developed near Wilson and will be completed in 2029.
Under a power purchase agreement, Google is securing energy from Cypress Creek for the first two phases, and EnergyTech reported that in June an initial $3.5 billion investment was arranged by Barclays, BNP Paribas, Santander and Wells Fargo to support construction and long-term operation.
Will Conkling, head of data center energy at Google, said in a statement that "Steel River not only represents an important investment in Google’s clean energy commitments, but also in our commitment to Arkansas," as the project aims to address growing electricity demand in the U.S. and strengthen Arkansas’s position in domestic energy and manufacturing supply chains.
EnergyTech also said the project is expected to generate roughly $300 million in new tax revenue over its lifetime to benefit local schools and other community-related priorities, with the equivalent of enough electricity to power more than 315,000 Arkansas homes annually.
Grid Power and Disputes
Google’s purchase is structured as a deal that will feed power directly into the grid, and TechCrunch described the first two phases as adding 1 gigawatt of solar capacity and 1.9 gigawatt-hours of battery storage to Google’s portfolio.
TechCrunch said the Steel River Energy Center is located about 30 miles north of Memphis, Tennessee, and it framed the project against xAI’s approach by noting that xAI operates an unpermitted gas-fired power plant roughly 40 miles south of Steel River.
In the same coverage, TechCrunch reported that Elon Musk has invested heavily in natural gas to support Colossus data centers and that Reuters found about 60 gas turbines in xAI’s portfolio operate without federal clean air permits.
Google’s Will Conkling said in a statement that "The investment supplies the grid at large, and passes along the benefits from the local power plant to all customers in Arkansas," as pv magazine USA described the agreement as a virtual power purchase agreement to take 100% of the initial generation.
pv magazine USA also said the project will initially feature 1.6 GW of solar power coupled with 2 GWh of battery energy storage, enough to power roughly 315,000 homes annually, while TechCrunch said the third phase is scheduled to connect to the grid in 2029.
Jobs, Tax Revenue, and Scale
As Steel River moves toward full operation in 2029, Google and Cypress Creek said the three-phase project will provide 2.5 GW of solar and 2.9 GWh of battery storage, and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that it will be built with 100% U.S.-made solar panels and structural steel.
“Steel River not only represents an important investment in Google’s clean energy commitments”
Talk Business & Politics said the project is expected to create approximately 700 construction jobs per phase and generate an estimated $300 million in local tax revenue over the life of the project, benefiting Rivercrest School District, Mississippi County, and the town of Wilson.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that Google and Cypress Creek are creating an $8 million fund to support local schools, food security programs and community initiatives in Mississippi County, and it said Google committed $5 million and Cypress Creek committed $3 million through its community investment program.
Cypress Creek CEO Kevin Smith said in a quote carried by Talk Business & Politics, "Some people still question whether a domestic solar supply chain is possible. This project is proof," as the project’s steel and components are sourced from within Arkansas and the U.S.
The same coverage said Entergy Arkansas’s Laura Landreaux described the Steel River Energy Center as "a significant step forward in meeting our state’s increasing demand for power," tying the project’s solar and storage capacity to powering Arkansas’ steel manufacturers, new data centers, and other major employers across the region.