Google’s $3.5B Solar Project Pushes US Into New Territory

"The country’s largest solar project just broke ground. Is it a one-off, or a harbinger of things to come?"

"The largest solar and battery project in America broke ground this week, as Cypress Creek Renewables began construction of the Steel River Energy Center in Arkansas.

The project represents a bright spot for the U.S. solar industry at a moment of political turbulence in Washington, where President Donald Trump has sought to stymie renewable development by slashing clean energy tax credits and erecting new barriers to wind and solar projects on federal lands.

But in Steel River, the solar industry can find several reasons for hope."

Benjamin Storrow reports for E&E News July 16, 2026.