Cypress Creek Energy has begun construction on the first two phases of the Steel River Energy Center in Mississippi County, Arkansas. Once completed in 2029, the three-phase project will deliver 2.5 GWdc of solar generation and 2.9 GWh of battery energy storage, making it the largest solar and storage project in the United States.
The first two phases will add 1.6 GWdc of solar capacity and 1.9 GWh of battery storage to the regional grid. The project is expected to generate enough electricity to power more than 315,000 Arkansas homes annually. Google has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Cypress Creek for the output from the first two phases, marking the company’s largest solar and storage procurement to date.
Cypress Creek selected Moss as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor. The project will use US-manufactured solar modules supplied by First Solar, battery energy storage systems from LG Energy Solution Vertech, solar trackers from Nextpower, and structural steel manufactured in Mississippi County by PACO Steel using steel produced at Steel’s Big River facility.
The project is expected to create approximately 700 construction jobs during each phase and generate an estimated $300 million in local tax revenue over its lifetime. Cypress Creek and Google have also committed a combined $8 million to community investment initiatives in Mississippi County, including support for schools, energy affordability programs, and local development projects.