Meta-Backed 250 MW Cypress Knee Solar Breaks Ground — SkimNews
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- Cypress Knee Solar broke ground in Chicot County in southeastern Arkansas on November 4; the 250 MW project is expected to be completed by 2028.
- Meta signed a long-term power purchase agreement for Cypress Knee; the deal was announced in May and is Meta’s third clean-energy agreement with EDP Renewables North America.
- Meta brought the capacity covered by its agreements with EDP Renewables North America to 545 MW with the Cypress Knee deal, helping it work toward matching 100% of annual electricity use with renewable generation.
- Cypress Knee Solar is expected to create several hundred construction jobs and generate an estimated $25 million in Chicot County revenue over its lifetime.
- Meta is also backing new gas plants to meet growing power demand; its renewable matching pledge does not mean its data centers run on renewables around the clock.
- EDP Renewables North America has contributed more than $77,000 during Cypress Knee development, including money to restore the Lakeside High School greenhouse, support its robotics team, and fund the Lake Village food pantry.
Why it matters: For Meta, the agreement adds 250 MW of contracted solar capacity and brings the total covered by its EDP Renewables North America deals to 545 MW, helping it work toward its 100% annual renewable matching pledge. Chicot County also stands to receive an estimated $25 million over the project’s lifetime, alongside several hundred construction jobs.
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