News & Industry

Google has signed a power purchase agreement for one of the largest solar and energy storage projects in the United States. The project is located in Mississippi County, Arkansas. The project is called the Steel River Energy Center and is being built near Wilson. It is being developed by Cypress Creek Renewables, a company based in California. Cypress Creek bought the project in March and secured $3.5 billion in financing in June, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. The Steel River Energy Center will be built in two phases. It will provide 1.6 gigawatts of solar power and 1.9 gigawatts of battery storage. Construction will not be completed until 2029. Google announced the agreement this week during a ceremony in Wilson marking the start of construction. Will Conkling, head of data center energy for Google, said the project supports Google’s clean energy goals and its commitment to Arkansas. He stated that the collaboration with Cypress Creek will strengthen the grid and help provide more reliable, affordable, and clean energy to businesses and communities across the state. Google stated that the project will be built using 100% U.S.-made structural steel. The steel will be sourced from U.S. Steel’s Big River facility and manufactured at PACO Steel’s Arkansas plant. Mississippi County is the nation’s leading steel-producing county. Google also stated that clean energy deployment supports economic growth. Projects like Steel River supported more than 1.4 million American jobs in 2025. They have created new opportunities for domestic manufacturing and suppliers across the country. Google’s growing clean energy needs have increased demand for American-made steel, solar panels, batteries, and other energy technologies. Google and Cypress Creek have also established an $8 million fund to support schools in Mississippi County. Google is also developing a $4 billion data center in West Memphis. Construction began in October on the first of a possible five buildings. Google has a power contract with Entergy Arkansas for the West Memphis campus. The details of the contract have not been made public. Google is also developing a data center at the Port of Little Rock, according to the Democrat-Gazette.

Falling equipment costs, better battery storage, and smarter energy systems were the big topics at ‘Solar & Storage Live Nigeria 2026’. Industry leaders said Nigeria’s renewable energy market is now entering a new phase. Speaking to journalists at the event, President of the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN), Ayo Adedimulua, said solar and other renewables are no longer too expensive. “Component costs have dropped by more than 100 per cent in the last 10 to 15 years. In some cases, prices have fallen by 200 to 300 per cent,” he said. He explained that this has changed how power is produced. Solar is now competing better with diesel and petrol generators. “Every naira spent on diesel or petrol is gone once it is used. But every naira invested in solar panels or batteries keeps giving value for many years,” Adedimulua said. He added that Nigeria has more than just solar. The country can also use hydro, wind, biomass and geothermal energy, but these have not been fully explored. “We have everything we need,” he said. “What we lacked before was the confidence to manage risk well.” He noted that more manufacturers, investors, banks and government officials attended this year’s conference. He said this shows growing confidence in the sector. Also speaking at the event, the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, said battery storage will be the next big area for investment. “The next wave of money will not go into power generation. It will go into storage. That is where the real change will happen,” he said. Aliyu said REA is building 48 connected mini-grids with a total capacity of about 288 megawatts. The goal is to link isolated power systems and make electricity more stable. He said all new REA mini-grids will use smart meters with Internet of Things (IoT) technology. These meters can send and receive data to help with billing, load control and maintenance. The REA boss also said the agency is using artificial intelligence to map more than 750,000 communities in Nigeria. The data helps them know where people live, what they can afford, and where projects will work best. “We know where the people are. We know what they can pay. We know which areas make business sense,” he said. On policy, Aliyu said the Electricity Act 2023 now allows state governments to regulate electricity. This, he said, opens more chances for private investors, but progress has been slow in some states. “The reform is important. States now have the power. The question is whether they have the drive to use it,” he said.

MTN Nigeria has sealed a new clean energy agreement with First WATT Renewable Limited to power its telecommunications infrastructure with large-scale renewables, as the company pushes to cut emissions and move away from diesel generators. Under the deal, First WATT will deploy 34 MW of solar power and 40 MWh of battery energy storage across several of MTN Nigeria’s priority network sites nationwide. The project is focused on improving network uptime and energy efficiency. A large number of telecom sites in Nigeria rely heavily on the national grid and diesel generators, both of which come with high costs and frequent disruptions. With solar and battery systems in place, the affected sites will be able to run continuously even during grid outages. The batteries will capture surplus solar power generated during the day and discharge it at night or when sunlight is low. This is expected to reduce the use of fossil-fuel backups and drive down operational expenses across MTN’s core infrastructure. “This collaboration reflects our commitment to building a more sustainable and resilient network for our customers,” an MTN Nigeria spokesperson said. “Clean energy is central to how we power the digital economy while managing our environmental impact.” In addition to powering telecom equipment, the partnership will also roll out renewable-powered electric vehicle charging stations at selected MTN Nigeria locations. The EV charging points are part of the company’s wider sustainability roadmap and are intended to support the shift to low-emission vehicles in its fleet and staff operations. The timing aligns with a broader trend across Nigeria and Africa, where large corporates are increasing investments in renewables to meet climate goals and strengthen energy security amid rising fuel costs and grid instability. By bundling solar generation, battery storage, and EV charging into one program, MTN Nigeria is making a clear move to reduce its carbon footprint while future-proofing its operations. Industry observers note that the project could serve as a reference for the telecoms sector, demonstrating how critical infrastructure can be decarbonized at scale while supporting Nigeria’s broader energy transition goals. First WATT Renewable Limited confirmed that installations will be carried out in phases, starting with sites that have the highest energy demand. The company said the phased approach will allow for performance monitoring and optimization before a wider expansion.