Steel River Energy Center: $3.5B Solar‑and‑Storage Giant Coming to Mississippi County

A 3.5 billion dollar solar‑plus‑storage “energy center” is coming to Mississippi County, Arkansas, and it’s big enough to matter both locally and for the regional power grid. The Steel River Energy Center, led by Cypress Creek Energy, is designed to be one of the largest combined solar and battery storage projects in the U.S., with full completion targeted by 2029.

Project overview

Cypress Creek Energy has secured 3.5 billion dollars in financing to build the first two phases of the Steel River Energy Center near Wilson in Mississippi County. When all three phases are complete, the project is expected to provide about 2.45 gigawatts of solar generating capacity and 2.9 gigawatt‑hours of battery storage.

The 3.5 billion dollar package specifically funds Phases 1 and 2, which together will deliver roughly 1.63 gigawatts of solar and 1.9 gigawatt‑hours of storage, enough to meaningfully support grid reliability during periods of high demand.

Economic impact for Mississippi County

Cypress Creek estimates the project will generate nearly 300 million dollars in local tax revenue over its lifetime, supporting schools, roads, and other community needs. Construction across the three phases is expected to create around 700 on‑site jobs, providing a sizable boost to local employment and to nearby hospitality and retail businesses.

The project will also prioritize American‑made materials, including 100 percent U.S.‑produced structural steel—much of it sourced directly from Mississippi County—and domestically manufactured solar panels supplied by First Solar. That approach ties the clean‑energy buildout to local manufacturing and industrial supply chains rather than imports.

Role in the energy transition

Once online, Steel River is designed to help meet rising electricity demand while reducing outage risks and helping keep power costs in check by supplying solar energy and dispatchable battery capacity during peak hours. As a large, multi‑phase project using U.S.‑made components, it also aligns with federal and state policy pushes to build more domestic clean‑energy infrastructure and to strengthen grid reliability in the Mid‑South.