Advancing One of the Largest Solar and Battery Storage Projections in the Nation

Balch & Bingham advised Cypress Creek Renewables on its acquisition of the Steel River project from Swift Current Energy, a significant solar-plus-battery storage project currently under development in Arkansas.

The Impact

Cypress Creek Renewables’ acquisition of the Steel River project represents a significant step in expanding utility-scale renewable energy infrastructure. The project will deliver approximately 2.5 GW of solar generation paired with 2.9 GWh of battery storage, doubling Cypress Creek’s operating and under-construction portfolio to nearly 7 GW.

Balch served as external legal counsel to Cypress Creek Renewables on its acquisition of the Steel River project, providing legal due diligence and transaction support, including review of material project agreements and assistance with select post-acquisition contract finalization. This scope of work encompassed diligence on key development and commercial contracts, such as EPC and equipment supply agreements, as well as support in finalizing agreements that remained outstanding at closing.

Once complete, Steel River will rank among the largest solar-plus-storage projects in the country. It will help meet the growing electricity demand with reliable, cost-effective power. The project is also expected to strengthen grid stability and support domestic manufacturing through American-made components.

The Team

The Balch team was led by Emily McKee and Chris Still with support from Ricky Cox, Leo Manuel, David Bowsher, Christy Kuklinski, Hannah Elliott, Avery Lancaster, Dan Ruth, Jacorius Williams, Ryan Hodinka, Elizabeth Packer, Joe Leavens, Marcus Chatterton, Kevin McNamee and Mike Childers.

“We are honored to support Cypress Creek Renewables on a project of this scale and significance,” Emily said. “Steel River reflects the continued evolution of utility-scale solar and storage, and our team worked closely with the client to navigate complex procurement and construction agreements to help position the project for success.”

The team continues to advise on evolving agreements and aspects of the Steel River project.

The Company

Cypress Creek Renewables is an independent power producer and leading provider of fast, firm, reliable and sustainable energy solutions. It develops, finances, owns, and operates utility-scale and distributed energy infrastructure – including solar, storage, and firm capacity solutions – to serve utilities communities and large-load customers. Since inception, Cypress Creek has commercialized 15 GW of projects, maintains a portfolio of more than 3 GW of operating and under-construction assets and has a 15 GW development pipeline of new projects planned for construction over the coming years. Cypress Creek’s leading O&M platform, Cypress Creek Solutions, operates and maintains more than 4 GW of energy assets across 24 states.

Learn More

Cypress Creek Renewables Press Release