Google to fund 440MW solar PPA and 1.4GWh storage for West Memphis

Google will pay for three renewable energy projects and grid upgrades backing its planned 600MW data center in West Memphis, Arkansas, under an expanded partnership with utility Entergy Arkansas announced with a $2.1 billion headline figure. The companies claim the deal delivers "$2.1 billion in net benefits to help cover the fixed costs that all customers share."

The centerpiece is a 440MW solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA, a long-term contract to buy a plant's output) covering the entire capacity of the Big Island solar plant in Mississippi County. US renewable developer Pattern Energy broke ground on the project in July.

That PPA has a regulatory backstory. In early September, the Arkansas Public Service Commission (APSC, the state's utility regulator) denied Entergy Arkansas' request to enter the PPA itself, ruling the utility hadn't shown the contract's costs were reasonable or that it would save customers money versus alternatives. Entergy had argued the project would support Google's clean energy goals for West Memphis, and the commission told the utility to work with Google on its concerns. Google now says the PPA was "added based on Arkansas Public Service Commission guidance from the initial filing of the resource."

What does the deal actually include?

• 440MW solar PPA: Big Island plant, Mississippi County, developed by Pattern Energy; construction began July.
• Up to 1.4GWh of battery storage by 2028: a 1,000MWh BESS (battery energy storage system) at the 313MW Driver Solar Project site in Mississippi County, plus a 400MWh facility near Hot Springs, both slated for 2028 completion.
• Grid expansion: the Galet 500/230 kV substation and two 230kV transmission lines in West Memphis, built specifically to integrate power for large industrial and technology loads including Google's campus. Initial service is expected sometime this year.

The release states explicitly that Google will cover the projects' costs under a new contract. "In a period of increased economic growth, this approach means everyone else's bills will be lower than they would be otherwise," the companies said.

Entergy Arkansas will now submit the Google expansion to the APSC for approval, in a filing that follows the commission's transparency recommendations. It expects the package in service in 2028, pending approval.

Why is Entergy's CEO framing this as a win for ratepayers?

Laura Landreaux, president and CEO of Entergy Arkansas, said: "Google is increasing its investment in West Memphis and building on the significant success of its first phase. We are delivering on our promise to all Entergy Arkansas customers to create value for everyone we serve by ensuring Google is not only paying 100 percent of its power needs but is also contributing to the existing grid and lowering the costs for everyone else."

The two companies first partnered in October 2024. That earlier deal covered Cypress Creek Energy's Steel River Energy Center, a solar-plus-storage project whose first two phases — 1.6GW of solar and 1.9GWh of storage — Google committed to buy in full. The project should be fully operational in 2029 at 2.45GW of solar and 2.9GWh of BESS.

Kevin Smith, CEO of Cypress Creek, said: "We are thrilled to partner with Entergy and Google as we continue to build the nation's largest solar energy project, helping meet Arkansas's growing electricity demand while using 100 percent US-made solar panels and structural steel, with much of the material proudly sourced right here in the state."

What does this change for the West Memphis campus?

It locks in the power supply. Google confirmed in September 2025 that it is the developer behind the West Memphis data center, a campus of five buildings across 1,178 acres on the south side of Bollinger Road in Crittenden County. Recent records point to initial grid service in February next year, scaling to full capacity by October 2029. Google has committed to covering all associated energy costs — and, if this filing clears the APSC, to footing the bill for the grid that carries them.