Google inks deal for massive Arkansas solar and storage project

Google has signed on as an investor and buyer for what's expected to be the largest solar facility in the country, a project called Steel River Energy Center in Mississippi County, Arkansas. Built by Cypress Creek Energy, the site broke ground this week and will combine 2.5 gigawatts of solar power with 2.9 gigawatt-hours of battery storage once all three construction phases are done. Google will buy electricity from the first two phases, which alone will bring 1.6 gigawatts of solar and 1.9 gigawatt-hours of storage online. The whole project is set to be finished by 2029.

This isn't a program homeowners can sign up for, but it says something about where the power grid is headed. Solar paired with battery storage made up 91% of all new U.S. electricity generation added in the first quarter of this year, according to an industry trade group. More solar and storage capacity feeding into regional grids can mean more stable power supply as demand grows, including from data centers like the ones driving Google's own energy use.

Locally, the project is expected to create 700 construction jobs per phase and generate an estimated $300 million in tax revenue for Mississippi County over its lifetime. Google is also putting $5 million toward energy affordability programs for local residents and schools, and Cypress Creek is adding $3 million for community projects, starting with a school playground. Cypress Creek says the solar panels will be made in the U.S., with steel sourced from local Mississippi County facilities.