Overview
- Construction crews broke ground this week on the first two phases of the Steel River Energy Center in Mississippi County, Arkansas, which will add 1.6 GWdc of solar and 1.9 GWh of battery storage to the grid.
- Google has signed a power purchase agreement and will act as an anchor investor and offtaker for all output from those initial phases to help offset its grid emissions.
- Cypress Creek secured about $3.5 billion in financing in June to fund the first two phases and plans a three‑phase build that targets full project completion by 2029 with 2.5 GWdc of solar and 2.9 GWh of storage.
- Project partners say nearly all major components will be U.S.‑made, with First Solar modules, LG‑assembled battery systems, and structural steel sourced from Mississippi County manufacturers.
- Developers estimate roughly 700 construction jobs per phase, about $300 million in lifetime local tax revenue, and combined community funds of $8 million from Google and Cypress Creek to support local energy affordability and schools.