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New southeast Oklahoma solar plant will power Google operations in region

A solar facility in Sacramento, California.
Warren Gretz
/
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
A solar facility in Sacramento, California.

Tech giant Google and energy company RWE Americas have signed an agreement to build a solar power facility in southeast Oklahoma.

Under the power purchase agreement, Google will pay a pre-negotiated price for power from the soon-to-be-built Crooked Creek solar project in McCurtain County.

RWE has all the necessary permits to begin construction on the Crooked Creek solar facility later this year, a spokesperson for the company said over email. It's expected to begin operation in 2028 and will be capable of generating up to 155 megawatts of solar electricity.

The power purchase agreement contracts 155 megawatts of power from the regional grid to Google for 15 years, regardless of how much the solar facility ultimately generates. The plant will power Google operations within the Southwest Power Pool's regional electric grid, which covers all or part of 17 states, including Oklahoma.

A RWE spokesperson said the solar plant will connect to an existing substation but will require some transmission system upgrades.

According to a press release from RWE, the project is expected to generate millions of dollars in economic activity and tax revenue in McCurtain County during construction because of temporary job creation. While operational, RWE projects it will create millions more in county revenue via ad valorem taxes.


This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.

Graycen Wheeler is a reporter covering water issues at KOSU.
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