Google has secured a power purchase agreement for one of America’s largest solar and energy storage projects under construction in Mississippi County.
The Steel River Energy Center near Wilson is being developed by California-based Cypress Creek Renewables. Cypress Creek secured $3.5 billion in financing for the solar project in June after buying the project from the original developer in March.
Google’s power purchase agreement will be for the electricity created by the first two phases of Steel River, designed to deliver a total of 1.6 gigawatts of new solar generation and 1.9 gigawatts of new battery storage to the grid.
When completed in 2029, the project will consist of three phases adding a total of 2.5 gigawatts of solar power and 2.9 gigawatts of battery storage to the electric grid.
By comparison, Entergy Arkansas reports that the reactors at Arkansas Nuclear One near Russellville can generate approximately 1.8 gigawatts of electricity when both are operating.
Google’s tie to the project was announced Tuesday morning in conjunction with a ceremony in Wilson to mark the start of Steel River construction.
“Steel River not only represents an important investment in Google’s clean energy commitments, but also in our commitment to Arkansas,” said Will Conkling, head of data center energy for Google. “This collaboration with Cypress Creek Energy will strengthen the grid and help ensure more reliable, affordable, and clean energy is available for businesses and communities throughout the state.”
Google and Cypress Creek are creating an $8 million fund to support local schools, food security programs and community initiatives in Mississippi County, according to a news release.
Last fall, Google announced plans for a $4 billion data center in West Memphis. Construction started in October on the first of a possible five buildings. Google has a contract with Entergy Arkansas to help power the West Memphis campus. Details of the contract remain secret.
Google is also developing a data center at the Port of Little Rock.
Steel River is expected to create about 700 construction jobs per phase and generate an estimated $300 million in local tax revenue over the life of the project, the news release said. That tax revenue will benefit the Rivercrest School District, Mississippi County and the town of Wilson.
Connected to the regional power grid, Steel River will to add new generation and storage capacity to power Arkansas’ growing industrial economy including steel manufacturing, new data centers and other major employers across the region, the news release said.
Data centers are popping up across the United States as tech giants Google, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Amazon race to create artificial intelligence infrastructure. Buildings covering huge expanses house thousands of constantly running computer servers. The facilities demand large amounts of electricity, so the tech companies are working to develop new power sources.
“The Steel River Energy Center represents a significant step forward in meeting our state’s increasing demand for power,” said Laura Landreaux, president and chief executive officer of Entergy Arkansas. “By leveraging solar — one of the lowest-cost sources of new generation — we’re able to keep energy costs manageable for families and businesses across Arkansas.”
Google has also committed $5 million in energy affordability initiatives to support local Arkansas residents and schools, which is part of the company’s Greater West Memphis Energy Impact Fund. Cypress Creek has committed to an additional $3 million through its community investment program, which will begin with a $400,000 contribution to Rivercrest School District for the construction of a new playground.
The Mississippi County project, located in one of the country’s leading steel-producing county, is being made with 100% made U.S. made solar panels and structural steel. Nearly all the projects structural steel will come from Mississippi County.
For the first two phases, PACO Steel will provide more than 400,000 steel piles manufactured in Blytheville using more than 142,000 tons of steel coils produced at U.S. Steel’s Big River Steel facility in Osceola, the news release said.
“Steel River Energy Center is a welcome addition to our business community in Arkansas and will provide vital energy storage services to support manufacturing operations,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
ssasser@adgnewsroom.com
Sydney Sasser is a business reporter with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Before joining the ADG, she covered business for the Charlotte Observer. She is a recent graduate of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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