Google Signs PPA for Arkansas Mega Solar Project Built by Moss
Construction is underway on what’s slated to be the largest solar project in the United States, and Google has signed on for the majority of its power output, according to Solar Power World.
Steel River Energy Center, developed by Cypress Creek Energy and installed by Moss, will total 2.5 GW DC of solar paired with 2.9 GWh of battery storage in Wilson, Arkansas. The first two of three planned phases, representing 1.6 GW of solar and 1.9 GWh of storage, are currently under construction, with the full project slated for completion in 2029.
Market Impact
Google’s PPA covers the energy off-take from Steel River’s first two phases, according to Solar Power World, and the tech company says the deal supports a data center it’s developing in West Memphis, about 40 miles south of Wilson. Will Conkling, Google’s head of data center energy, said the project “will strengthen the grid and help ensure more reliable, affordable, and clean energy is available for businesses and communities throughout the state.”
Cypress Creek reports that most of the steel for solar racking and foundations will come from PACO Steel in Blytheville and a U.S. Steel plant in Osceola, both in the same Arkansas county as the project site. The project will use Nextpower solar trackers, First Solar modules and LG Energy Solution Vertech storage, all domestically manufactured or assembled. Cypress Creek CEO Kevin Smith said the project shows “a domestic solar supply chain is possible,” calling Steel River “the largest solar project with energy storage in the country” built with “100% U.S.-made solar panels and structural steel.” Since November 2025, Google has also signed a PPA for a 49-MW Ohio solar project, acquired developer Intersect for nearly $5 billion, and signed PPAs for roughly 400 MW of Texas solar, per Solar Power World.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Installation crews and pile-driving contractors have active work now: foundational piles are already going in at the Wilson, Arkansas site, with phases one and two (1.6 GW, 1.9 GWh) under construction through the 2029 project completion date.
- Racking and structural steel subcontractors in the Arkansas Delta region have a direct sourcing pipeline, with PACO Steel (Blytheville) and U.S. Steel’s Osceola plant named as primary suppliers for the project’s foundations and racking.
- Battery energy storage installers and E&I trades should track the project’s 2.9 GWh storage buildout using LG Energy Solution Vertech systems, a scope distinct from the solar racking and tracker work.
- Moss, as lead installer, is the contractor of record to watch for subcontract package announcements as phase three moves toward construction ahead of the 2029 full-project completion.
- Firms near West Memphis, Arkansas should note Google’s nearby data center development as a signal of continued regional demand for solar-plus-storage build-out and grid interconnection work in the area.
