Cypress Creek Energy and Google have broken ground on the first two phases of Steel River Energy Center in Wilson, Arkansas, marking the start of construction on what will become the largest solar energy project in the United States.
The first two phases will deliver 1.6 gigawatts (GWdc) of solar generation and 1.9 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery storage.
Once fully complete, the three-phase project will provide 2.5 gigawatts GWdc of solar and 2.9 GWh of battery storage by 2029, enough to power more than 315,000 Arkansas homes annually.
Under a power purchase agreement with Cypress Creek, Google has secured energy from the first two phases, representing the largest solar and storage project across Google’s global portfolio to date.
“As Arkansas’s economy continues to grow and attract new industries, ensuring reliable and affordable electricity for our communities and businesses is more important than ever. The Steel River Energy Center represents a significant step forward in meeting our state’s increasing demand for power,” said Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas, in a statement.
The project is being built with 100% U.S.-made solar modules from First Solar, structural steel from PACO Steel in Blytheville using steel coils from U.S. Steel’s Big River Steel facility in Osceola, solar trackers from Nextpower, and battery energy storage systems from LG Energy Solution Vertech assembled in the United States. Each structural steel pile is stamped “Proudly made in Mississippi County, Arkansas.”
The project is expected to create approximately 700 construction jobs per phase and generate an estimated $300 million in local tax revenue over its lifetime.
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