At present, alongside native leaders, neighborhood members, and our companions at Cypress Creek Power, we broke floor on what would be the largest solar facility in the United States — Metal River Power Heart in Mississippi County, Arkansas. Whereas this landmark facility would be the largest photo voltaic and storage undertaking throughout Google’s world portfolio to this point, this historic milestone belongs at the beginning to the neighborhood in Mississippi County. The Metal River Power Heart will reinvest native workforce expertise and industrial innovation proper again into the state’s economic system, creating lasting clear vitality and financial advantages.
By working intently with native leaders and residents, we’re guaranteeing that our development immediately helps our neighbors and strengthens the grid that powers Arkansas’ industrial metal manufacturing, knowledge facilities and households alike.
Powering a 24/7 clear vitality future
As each an anchor investor and an offtaker, Google will assist the event of the primary two phases of the undertaking, which is able to add 1.6 GWdc of photo voltaic era and 1.9 GWh of battery storage to the regional grid. The complete three-phase undertaking will ship 2.5 GWdc of recent photo voltaic era and a pair of.9 GWh of recent battery storage to the regional grid as soon as the ability is totally operational in 2029. To place that into perspective, that’s sufficient electrical energy to energy more than 315,000 Arkansas homes each year.
We’re working to supply native carbon-free vitality across the clock for our knowledge facilities. Metal River is a recreation changer as a result of it pairs large photo voltaic arrays with superior battery storage techniques. This undertaking can retailer the solar’s peak daytime output and feed it again into the grid precisely when it is wanted most, rising a extra dependable, resilient grid that may meet rising electrical energy demand whereas holding energy reasonably priced for everybody.
Constructing with Arkansas metal
What makes this undertaking uniquely particular is how it is being constructed. Positioned in Mississippi County, the nation’s main steel-producing county, the undertaking will likely be constructed utilizing 100% U.S.-made structural metal, regionally sourced from U.S. Metal’s close by Huge River facility and manufactured at PACO Metal’s Arkansas plant.
Clear vitality deployment and financial development go hand in hand. Tasks like Metal River supported more than 1.4 million American jobs in 2025 and have created new alternatives for home manufacturing and suppliers throughout the nation. Google’s rising U.S. clear vitality wants have fueled demand for American-made metal, photo voltaic panels, trackers, batteries and different crucial vitality applied sciences, supporting the growth of home industries and accelerating improvements.
Investing in native communities
Deploying new clear vitality additionally drives deep, long-term financial advantages within the communities we name dwelling. Development of Metal River will create roughly 700 native jobs and generate an estimated $300 million in tax income over the lifetime of the undertaking.
However our dedication goes past the electrons flowing into the grid. We wish to guarantee this undertaking creates lasting, generational advantages for native residents. Google has additionally dedicated $5 million in vitality affordability initiatives to assist Arkansas residents and Ok-12 colleges, constructing on the Greater West Memphis Energy Impact Fund. This new dedication will assist neighborhood photo voltaic subscriptions in West Memphis for low-income clients, residential well being and security enhancements and weatherization throughout Mississippi County, and vitality effectivity initiatives in Arkansas colleges.
There’s nonetheless loads of work forward to convey the advantages of unpolluted, reasonably priced energy to folks in all places. However with the unbelievable scale of this new solar-and-storage milestone, powered by Arkansas innovation and workforce expertise, we’re one step nearer.
