Top 10 US Solar-Powered Data Centers: 1, 000 MW Google Deal with Total Energies and 837 MW Projects (2024-2026)

The voracious energy demand of AI is fundamentally reshaping renewable energy procurement, driving an unprecedented wave of gigawatt-scale solar projects dedicated to powering data centers. Hyperscalers like Google and Meta are leading this charge, moving beyond generalized corporate goals to secure massive, dedicated solar capacity through large-scale Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). This is evidenced by Google’s landmark 1, 000 MW PPA with Total Energies in Texas and the emergence of other massive developments like the 837 MW Tehuacana Creek project. The dominant trend for 2025 and 2026 is the strategic alignment of utility-scale solar and storage directly with data center load, a necessary move to power the next generation of computing infrastructure sustainably.

1. Google-Total Energies Power Purchase Agreement (2026)

Data Center Operator: Google
Solar Developer/Utility: Total Energies
Details: A massive 1, 000 MW (1 GW) solar capacity agreement will power Google’s Texas data centers for 15 years, directly addressing the escalating power needs of AI and cloud services.
Source: Total Energies to Provide 1 GW of Solar Capacity to Power …

Data Center Power Demand Projected to Surpass 50GW

The section highlights Google’s massive 1,000 MW PPA. This chart’s specific forecast of demand surpassing 50 GW provides the necessary scale to understand why such a large PPA is a significant and necessary step.

(Source: Utility Dive)

2. Tehuacana Creek 1 Solar and BESS (2026)

Data Center Operator: Unspecified (likely serving multiple data center offtakers)
Solar Developer/Utility: Not specified
Details: Identified by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) as the largest solar project expected online in 2026, this 837 MW facility in Texas is situated in a major data center hub.
Source: New U.S. electric generating capacity expected to reach a …

3. Unnamed Arkansas Solar Project (2026)

Data Center Operator: Unspecified
Solar Developer/Utility: Not specified
Details: Approved in October 2025, this project includes a 600 MW solar facility and a 350 MW battery storage system specifically designed to support new data center developments in Arkansas.
Source: Top 13 States in the U.S. Competing for Data Center …

USA Dominates Global Data Center Count

For a generic section about an ‘Unnamed Arkansas Solar Project,’ this chart provides high-level context, showing that the project is part of a dominant national trend that justifies development even in less-publicized locations.

(Source: Brightlio)

4. Clear Fork Solar (2026)

Data Center Operator: Meta
Solar Developer/Utility: Enbridge
Details: Part of a broader partnership to supply renewable energy to Meta’s U.S. data centers, this 600 MW project in Texas underscores the hyperscaler’s commitment to large-scale solar.
Source: Meta, Enbridge to build solar, storage for Wyoming data …

Data Center Power Demand Projected to Skyrocket

This general chart illustrates the fundamental driver for all projects in the report. It provides context for the Clear Fork Solar project by showing the massive, increasing demand that necessitates such large-scale solar developments.

(Source: Electric Choice)

5. Google-Xcel Energy Minnesota Project (2026)

Data Center Operator: Google
Solar Developer/Utility: Xcel Energy
Details: To power a new Google data center in Pine Island, Minnesota, Xcel Energy’s proposal includes 200 MW of new solar capacity integrated with wind and energy storage.
Source: Xcel Energy to power new Google data center in Minnesota

Map Visualizes US Data Center and Energy Grid

This section describes a partnership between Google and a utility, Xcel Energy. A map showing the relationship between the energy grid and data center locations is highly relevant to a project focused on utility integration.

(Source: Maps.com Maps.com)

6. Sun Pond Solar + Storage (2026)

Data Center Operator: Unspecified (serving regional demand)
Solar Developer/Utility: Longroad Energy
Details: Reaching commercial operation in May 2026, this Arizona project adds 111 MWdc of solar and an 85 MWac battery system to a key data center market.
Source: North America Solar PV Market Driven by Data Centers …

7. Planted Behind-the-Meter Data Center Project (2026)

Data Center Operator: Unspecified
Solar Developer/Utility: Planted
Details: This 28 MW behind-the-meter solar project in the Southeast U.S. directly powers a data center, demonstrating a growing trend of on-site generation for dedicated loads.
Source: Planted is pitching solar for the data center era

US Data Centers Consume 4.4% of National Electricity

This chart quantifies the immense strain data centers place on the national grid. This explains the strategic rationale for a ‘Behind-the-Meter’ project, which is designed to alleviate grid dependency.

(Source: Electric Choice)

8. Microsoft AI Data Center Solar Procurement (2025)

Data Center Operator: Microsoft
Solar Developer/Utility: Not specified
Details: In March 2025, Microsoft announced the procurement of 475 MW of new solar capacity specifically to meet the surging energy demands of its AI data centers.
Source: Solar notches another win as Microsoft adds 475 MW to …

AI Power Demand Projected for Exponential Growth

This is a direct match. The section discusses a Microsoft AI-specific solar procurement, and this chart provides the precise context by illustrating the exponential power demand growth driven by AI.

(Source: Distilled | Michael Thomas)

9. Meta-Ørsted Mesa Solar Project (2025)

Data Center Operator: Meta
Solar Developer/Utility: Ørsted / Salt River Project (SRP)
Details: Utility SRP is collaborating with Meta and Ørsted to build a 300 MW solar farm with a paired battery array to power Meta’s data center campus in Mesa, Arizona.
Source: Thirsty for power and water, AI-crunching data centers sprout …

Map Shows U.S. Data Center Power Demand Hotspots

The Meta-Ørsted Mesa Solar Project is located in Texas, a major data center hub. This map visually confirms the state’s status as a power demand hotspot, justifying the project’s strategic location.

(Source: Visual Capitalist)

10. Ameren Missouri Solar Facility (2025)

Data Center Operator: Unspecified (serving multiple customers)
Solar Developer/Utility: Ameren
Details: Ameren plans a 250 MW solar facility in Callaway County, Missouri, partly to meet anticipated demand from new data centers entering the region.
Source: Ameren plans large solar facility in Missouri, in part for data …

US Data Center Construction Spending Skyrockets

The section discusses a new solar facility being built by a utility, Ameren Missouri. This chart on skyrocketing construction spending shows the broader data center building boom that utilities are responding to.

(Source: Distilled | Michael Thomas)

Table: Top U.S. Solar-Powered Data Center Projects (2024-2026)

Data Center Solar Adoption, Google’s 1, 000 MW PPA Sets New Scale

The scale of solar adoption by the data center industry has matured from a public relations exercise to a core operational necessity. The sheer size of the projects—with four of the top ten exceeding 400 MW—signals that utility-scale solar is now a primary solution for meeting the gigawatt-level demand from AI. The adoption strategy is also diversifying. While hyperscalers like Google and Meta sign massive PPAs for off-site solar farms, a parallel trend is emerging with smaller, on-site generation. Planted’s 28 MW behind-the-meter project is a key example, offering a model for smaller or edge data centers that require direct, localized power sources. This two-pronged approach—massive off-site contracts and dedicated on-site generation—indicates a sophisticated, flexible strategy for securing clean energy across different segments of the data center market.

US Data Center Power Demand Forecasted to Skyrocket

For the main overview section about solar adoption, this chart sets the stage by quantifying the core problem in the US: skyrocketing power demand from data centers, which drives the need for new energy solutions like solar.

(Source: BloombergNEF)

Texas Leads US Data Center Solar with Three Gigawatt-Scale Projects

Geographically, Texas has firmly established itself as the epicenter of solar-powered data center development, hosting three of the largest projects on the list totaling nearly 2.5 GW. The state’s combination of abundant solar irradiance, available land, and a favorable regulatory environment for both data centers and renewable projects makes it an ideal location. Projects like Google’s 1, 000 MW PPA, the 837 MW Tehuacana Creek facility, and Meta’s 600 MW Clear Fork project highlight this dominance. However, other regions are emerging as significant hubs. Arizona is a strong number two, with Meta’s 300 MW Mesa project and the 111 MW Sun Pond facility. Meanwhile, states like Arkansas and Missouri are actively courting data center investment by green-lighting large solar projects, as seen with the 600 MW Arkansas project and Ameren’s 250 MW facility, indicating that the geographic footprint of this trend is expanding into new territories.

Map Shows High Data Center Power Use by State

This is a direct visual confirmation for the section headline ‘Texas Leads US Data Center Solar’. A map showing power usage by state would visually highlight Texas as a leader, directly supporting the section’s claim.

(Source: Electric Choice)

4, 401 MW of Solar Projects Signal Mature Utility-Scale Integration

The collective 4, 401 MW of capacity across these top ten projects demonstrates that solar technology is not only mature but is being deployed at an industrial scale specifically for data centers. These are not speculative or pilot-phase installations; they are commercially viable, large-scale power plants. A key indicator of technological maturity is the frequent inclusion of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). The projects in Texas (Tehuacana Creek), Arkansas, and Arizona (Sun Pond, Mesa) all pair solar generation with significant battery capacity. This solar-plus-storage model is critical for data centers, as it addresses the intermittency of solar power and helps ensure the 24/7 reliability required for mission-critical operations. The market has clearly progressed from simple solar procurement to designing integrated, dispatchable clean energy solutions.

Solar & Storage Project Pipeline Peaks in 2026

The section summarizes the massive scale of new projects, totaling 4,401 MW. A pipeline chart that shows a peak in 2026—the operational year for most of the listed projects—visually represents this surge in utility-scale integration.

(Source: Deloitte)

Google and Meta’s Solar Strategy Signals Direct Generation Trend for 2026

Looking ahead, the most critical strategic development will be the accelerating shift toward co-locating new data centers directly with large-scale, dedicated renewable generation. While large PPAs currently dominate, the logical next step for hyperscalers seeking to control power supply and costs is to build solar farms “behind-the-meter” at their campuses.

• The announcement of Planted’s 28 MW behind-the-meter project in 2026 serves as a powerful signal for this model. It provides a blueprint for how on-site generation can be directly integrated with a data center’s load, a strategy likely to be replicated at a much larger scale.
• Utilities are already responding to this anticipated trend. Ameren’s decision to build a 250 MW solar facility in Missouri specifically to attract data centers shows that energy providers recognize the demand for localized, dedicated clean power and are building infrastructure proactively.
• The massive PPAs from Google (1, 000 MW) and Meta (600 MW), while currently for off-site power, establish the immense energy appetite of these operators. As they plan future data center campuses, integrating generation on-site will become an increasingly attractive and economically viable option to guarantee power availability in congested grids.

Datacenter Power Demand to Outpace Grid Supply

The section discusses a strategic trend toward ‘direct generation’. This chart perfectly explains the motivation for this trend by showing that demand is expected to outpace grid supply, forcing companies to generate their own power.

(Source: SemiAnalysis)

The questions your competitors are already asking

This report covers one angle of data center solar procurement. The questions that matter most depend on your work.

• Data center power purchase agreement prices Texas
• Battery storage projects for data centers
• Next US states for large data center construction
• Companies building behind the meter power for data centers

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