Meta-backed 250 MW solar farm breaks ground in Arkansas

Arkansas is getting another 250 megawatts (MW) of solar power, and Meta has signed up to buy it.

EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) broke ground on Cypress Knee Solar in Chicot County, in the southeastern corner of the state, on November 4. The solar farm is expected to be completed by 2028, bringing several hundred construction jobs and an estimated $25 million in county revenue over its lifetime.

Meta’s long-term power purchase agreement helps it work toward its pledge to match 100% of its annual electricity use with renewable energy generation. Don’t confuse that pledge with Meta powering its data centers with renewables around the clock, though – Facebook and Instagram’s parent company is also backing new gas plants to meet its growing power demand.

The companies announced the deal in May. Cypress Knee is their third clean-energy agreement, bringing the total capacity covered by Meta’s deals with EDPR NA to 545 MW.

“As energy demand continues to rise, projects like Cypress Knee Solar help strengthen grid reliability while creating jobs, generating meaningful local revenue, and delivering long-term benefits to the communities that host them,” said EDPR NA CEO Sandhya Ganapathy.

EDPR NA says it has already contributed more than $77,000 during project development, including money to restore the Lakeside High School greenhouse, resources for the Lakeside Robotics team, and funding for the Lake Village food pantry.