In Blytheville, Arkansas, workers are stamping a simple message on thousands of steel piles headed for the biggest solar project in American history: "Proudly made in Mississippi County, Arkansas." Those six words capture what makes the new Steel River Energy Center special — it is not just clean energy, it is clean energy built with American hands and American steel.
This month, Cypress Creek Energy and Google broke ground on the first two phases of Steel River, a massive solar and battery project located in Mississippi County, Arkansas. When complete in 2029, it will be the largest solar project in the United States, generating enough electricity to power more than 315,000 homes every year.
The project will eventually include 2.5 gigawatts of solar power and nearly 3 gigawatt-hours of battery storage. To put that in perspective, one gigawatt can light up about 750,000 homes. The first two phases alone will add 1.6 gigawatts of solar and 1.9 gigawatt-hours of batteries to the local grid. The batteries are important because they store sunshine for when the sun is not shining, helping keep the lights on even at night.
Google signed a power purchase agreement with Cypress Creek, making this the largest solar and storage deal in Google's global energy portfolio. "Steel River not only represents an important investment in Google's clean energy commitments, but also in our commitment to Arkansas," said Will Conkling, who leads data center energy at Google.
The project brings real jobs too — about 700 construction workers per phase will build it. But what makes Steel River stand out is where its materials come from. Nearly all the structural steel is being made right in Mississippi County, which happens to be the top steel-producing county in the entire country. PACO Steel is manufacturing more than 400,000 steel piles in Blytheville using over 142,000 tons of steel coils from U.S. Steel's Big River Steel facility in nearby Osceola.
"Some people still question whether a domestic solar supply chain is possible. This project is proof," said Kevin Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Cypress Creek Energy.
The timing is no coincidence. In the first three months of 2026, solar and battery projects made up 91 percent of all new electricity-generating capacity added in the United States. The clean power industry now employs more than 1.4 million Americans, and that number is growing. Steel River shows how local manufacturers can be part of the solution — building the infrastructure for a cleaner grid while strengthening their own communities.
For Arkansas, the project means reliable, affordable electricity to support a growing economy, from steel mills to new data centers. Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas, said the project helps keep energy costs manageable for families and businesses while building a more sustainable future for the state.
Steel River Energy Center breaks ground at a moment when American clean energy is not just growing — it is thriving.