Today, alongside local leaders, community members, and our partners at Cypress Creek Energy, we broke ground on what will be the largest solar facility in the United States — Steel River Energy Center in Mississippi County, Arkansas. While this landmark facility will be the largest solar and storage project across Google’s global portfolio to date, this historic milestone belongs first and foremost to the community in Mississippi County. The Steel River Energy Center will reinvest local workforce talent and industrial innovation right back into the state’s economy, creating lasting clean energy and economic benefits.
By working closely with local leaders and residents, we are ensuring that our growth directly supports our neighbors and strengthens the grid that powers Arkansas’ industrial steel manufacturing, data centers and households alike.
Powering a 24/7 clean energy future
As both an anchor investor and an offtaker, Google will support the development of the first two phases of the project, which will add 1.6 GWdc of solar generation and 1.9 GWh of battery storage to the regional grid. The full three-phase project will deliver 2.5 GWdc of new solar generation and 2.9 GWh of new battery storage to the regional grid once the facility is fully operational in 2029. To put that into perspective, that’s enough electricity to power more than 315,000 Arkansas homes each year.
We’re working to source local carbon-free energy around the clock for our data centers. Steel River is a game changer because it pairs massive solar arrays with advanced battery storage systems. This project can store the sun’s peak daytime output and feed it back into the grid exactly when it’s needed most, growing a more reliable, resilient grid that can meet rising electricity demand while keeping power affordable for everyone.
Building with Arkansas steel
What makes this project uniquely special is how it’s being built. Located in Mississippi County, the nation’s leading steel-producing county, the project will be constructed using 100% U.S.-made structural steel, locally sourced from U.S. Steel’s nearby Big River facility and manufactured at PACO Steel’s Arkansas plant.
Clean energy deployment and economic growth go hand in hand. Projects like Steel River supported more than 1.4 million American jobs in 2025 and have created new opportunities for domestic manufacturing and suppliers across the country. Google’s growing U.S. clean energy needs have fueled demand for American-made steel, solar panels, trackers, batteries and other critical energy technologies, supporting the expansion of domestic industries and accelerating innovations.
Investing in local communities
Deploying new clean energy also drives deep, long-term economic benefits in the communities we call home. Construction of Steel River will create approximately 700 local jobs and generate an estimated $300 million in tax revenue over the life of the project.
But our commitment goes beyond the electrons flowing into the grid. We want to ensure this project creates lasting, generational benefits for local residents. Google has also committed $5 million in energy affordability initiatives to support Arkansas residents and K-12 schools, building on the Greater West Memphis Energy Impact Fund. This new commitment will support community solar subscriptions in West Memphis for low-income customers, residential health and safety improvements and weatherization across Mississippi County, and energy efficiency projects in Arkansas schools.
There is still plenty of work ahead to bring the benefits of clean, affordable power to people everywhere. But with the incredible scale of this new solar-and-storage milestone, powered by Arkansas innovation and workforce talent, we are one step closer.
