Cypress Creek Renewables has secured financing and begun construction on the Hanson Solar project in Coleman County, Texas. The large scale 505 megawatt facility will feed renewable electricity into the ERCOT grid and support Meta’s expanding portfolio of clean energy procurement, deepening the social media company’s strategy to source renewable power for its global operations and long term climate commitments.

A Major Addition to Texas’ Growing Renewable Energy Pipeline

The Hanson Solar project represents one of Cypress Creek’s most significant recent developments and arrives at a time when Texas continues to attract large scale solar, storage and hybrid energy investments. The project was made possible by a previously announced power purchase agreement with Meta, which will buy the environmental attributes associated with the clean power generated at the site. Meta reached its goal of matching all of its operational electricity use with renewable energy in 2020 and has committed to achieving net zero emissions across its value chain by 2030. To meet that ambition, the company expects to contribute nearly 10 gigawatts of renewable capacity to U.S. grids by the end of 2025. The addition of the Hanson project moves Meta closer to that target, while also supporting one of the country’s most dynamic renewable energy markets.

Financing Structure Reflects Strong Capital Appetite for Utility Scale Solar

To reach financial close, Cypress Creek secured a blend of preferred equity and project level debt. MUFG and SMBC served as the primary lenders on the debt side, while preferred equity was provided by funds managed by a global credit asset manager with approximately 350 billion dollars in assets under management. The mix of financing signals continued investor confidence in large solar assets with stable offtake arrangements, particularly in ERCOT where renewable output plays an increasingly central role in grid planning. Cypress Creek CEO Sarah Slusser said that closing financing represents a key step in scaling the company’s footprint in Texas and supporting customers like Meta that require firm timelines and bankable renewable energy structures. She noted that projects of this scale contribute both to grid reliability and to broader economic activity in regions experiencing continued population and industrial growth.

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Meta’s Expanding Energy Footprint Across the United States

Meta’s agreement to procure environmental attributes from Hanson Solar extends a pattern of the company entering long term clean energy contracts to support its data centers and technology infrastructure. The company’s facilities are major electricity consumers, especially as AI, cloud computing and content delivery increase workloads. Securing grid connected renewable energy at scale is central to reducing the climate footprint associated with its digital operations. The renewable energy Meta procures from agreements like this does not flow directly into its facilities but is instead delivered to the regional grid. By purchasing the environmental attributes, Meta ensures that an equivalent amount of clean power is generated on its behalf, enabling the company to credibly match electricity use with renewables and support new project development in host regions.

Texas as a Hub for Large Scale Solar Deployment

The ERCOT market continues to be an epicenter for renewable energy development due to its competitive wholesale market design, abundant solar and wind resources, and a growing number of corporate buyers looking for long term clean energy solutions. Projects like Hanson Solar help meet rising demand and diversify the generation mix at a time when Texas grapples with balancing reliability, affordability and decarbonization. For lenders like MUFG, the project illustrates the institutional support behind Texas solar. The bank’s Managing Director Takaki Sakai said the Hanson project demonstrates the importance of scaling clean energy across the state to meet rapidly changing energy system needs.

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A Project Positioned to Influence Corporate Procurement Trends

The financial close of Hanson Solar reinforces several trends shaping the U.S. renewable energy market. Large technology companies continue to drive utility scale clean energy demand. Investors remain willing to support substantial project pipelines when underlying offtake agreements are strong. And independent power producers like Cypress Creek are consolidating their role as long term operators capable of moving projects from development to construction to delivery. As construction progresses, the Hanson project is expected to contribute new clean electricity to ERCOT, support Meta’s climate goals, and add momentum to corporate procurement strategies that prioritize long term environmental attributes and credible new capacity additions.

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