Cubico Sustainable Investments has commenced commercial operations at the 132MW Crossett solar park in Ashley County, Arkansas, marking the second U.S. solar PV project completed by the UK-based company in the last year. The Crossett project is backed by a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Google, which will use the facility to supply electricity to its data centers across the American Midwest.
With this project, Cubico's operational portfolio in the U.S. exceeds 800MW, with an additional 2GW in greenfield development. Cubico's new asset highlights the growth potential in emerging renewable markets like Arkansas, where solar power production has reached 1200 gigawatt-hours, positioning the state as an accelerating hub for renewable energy. The project is also connected to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) grid, a key transmission network serving a vast portion of the U.S. Midwest.
Cubico's U.S. country head, Stacey Kusters, remarked on the importance of the project in meeting escalating clean energy demand for data centers. “With the successful launch of Crossett Solar Park, our team continues to demonstrate its capability in delivering high-quality renewable energy projects while actively developing a strong greenfield pipeline,” said Kusters. “We are delighted to partner with Google to provide its data center campuses in the Midwest with carbon-free energy from one of our assets.”
Google's global head of data center energy, Amanda, emphasized the partnership's contribution to reducing carbon emissions. “This partnership with Cubico will bring new carbon-free energy online from its Crossett solar facility in Arkansas to support our operations in the Midwest – helping power our data centers that provide digital tools and services around the world,” she said.
Tax equity financing for the project was closed in June 2024, with Greenprint Capital as the tax equity partner, facilitated by incentives from the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act. Greenprint's managing director, Peter DeFazio, noted, “The expertise and dedication of the Cubico team were instrumental in bringing this pioneering renewable energy project to fruition…Together, we've unlocked new financing mechanisms that support the growth of renewable energy projects nationwide.”
The Crossett Solar Park underscores Cubico's strategy to meet growing demand for carbon-free power, especially as sectors like artificial intelligence and machine learning drive higher energy consumption at data centers across the U.S.
