News Highlights

  • Google announced Tuesday an agreement with Cypress Creek Energy to invest in and purchase power from the largest solar facility in the United States.
  • Google will participate as an "anchor investor" and offtaker in the Steel River Energy Center project, located in Mississippi County, Arkansas, with a total scale of 2.5GW/2.9GWh, which broke ground on Tuesday. Sources are Cypress Creek's press release and Google's company blog.
  • In addition to the investment, Google also signed a power purchase agreement to buy electricity from the first two phases of the project. Google stated this is the largest solar-plus-storage project in its portfolio to date.

In-Depth Analysis

According to related announcements, the Steel River project will be built in three phases, with the first two phases bringing 1.6GW of solar capacity and 1.9GWh of battery storage capacity.

Google called Steel River a "game changer" in its company blog because the project combines solar arrays with advanced battery storage systems. According to a June report from the Solar Energy Industries Association, solar and battery storage accounted for 91% of new U.S. generating capacity in the first quarter of this year.

The project is expected to create 700 construction jobs during each phase and bring approximately $300 million in local tax revenue to Mississippi County over the project's lifetime. Google also committed $5 million to local energy affordability programs, benefiting state residents and K-12 schools. Cypress Creek will add $3 million in community investment commitments, with the first $400,000 going toward building a new playground in a nearby school district.

Cypress Creek CEO Kevin Smith said the project will use solar panels manufactured entirely in the United States, and "nearly all" of the steel used for the project's structures will come from factories in Mississippi County.

"Some people still question whether a domestic solar supply chain is viable. This project is proof," Smith said in a July 14 release.

The facility is expected to be fully operational by 2029. Google did not disclose specific details of its investment or offtake terms.

For Google, this deal comes as AI buildout has driven the company's emissions up over the past three years. Google's latest sustainability report shows its 2025 carbon footprint is 18% higher than in 2024 and 81% above its 2019 baseline.