AI Boom Drives Solar Power Demand: RWE Signs 155 MW Solar PPA with Google in Oklahoma

Facing growing electricity demand, American technology companies are increasingly securing their own solar and wind capacity through long-term supply agreements. RWE is among the utilities signing such contracts with US hyperscalers, further expanding its portfolio of renewable generation capacity in the United States.

The expansion of data centers for artificial intelligence is pushing US electricity consumption to record levels. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects a new consumption peak in 2026, with the commercial sector surpassing households for the first time. According to BloombergNEF, North America was the only world region with growing corporate PPA volume in 2025, reaching a record 29.5 gigawatts in the United States.

RWE and Google: PPA for Crooked Creek in OklahomaRWE and Google have signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for the Crooked Creek solar project in McCurtain County, Oklahoma. It is the second long-term PPA RWE has concluded with a US hyperscaler within a few months, following a similar agreement with Meta in Texas in June. Google will take the entire output of the planned 155 MWac solar park, marking RWE’s first solar project in Oklahoma. Construction is scheduled to begin this year, with commissioning planned for 2028. The electricity generated will supply Google facilities within the service territory of transmission operator Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which spans 14 states across the central and western United States.According to RWE, the construction phase is expected to create up to 250 jobs and generate around USD 24.3 million in local economic output, while the company anticipates approximately USD 25 million in long-term revenue for the region once the project is operational.Image: Location of RWE’s Crooked Creek Solar Project in Oklahoma © RWEIngmar Ritzenhofen, Chief Commercial Officer of RWE Americas, framed the deal in strategic terms: “This agreement with Google marks an important milestone for RWE Americas and reflects the growing demand for affordable, reliable, domestically produced energy,” he said. Will Conkling, Director of Energy and Power at Google, highlighted the agreement’s significance for regional grid stability: “Supporting a strong, stable, affordable grid is a top priority as we expand our infrastructure. Our agreement with RWE adds critical new generation to the local system, boosting the amount of affordable and reliable power supply for Oklahoma and the region,” he said.

RWE Expands US Portfolio Amid Rising Power DemandIn addition to the Crooked Creek solar project, RWE already operates the 148 MW Boiling Springs wind farm in Woodward County, Oklahoma, and is developing six further projects with a combined capacity of 1.6 GW. Across the United States, RWE holds a generation portfolio of around 13 GW spanning 27 states, including solar and onshore wind farms as well as battery storage. RWE CEO Markus Krebber set out the framework for this expansion in March 2026, when the company announced plans to invest a net EUR 35 billion by 2031, with nearly half of that amount – EUR 17 billion – earmarked for the United States to raise installed capacity there to 22 GW. The company’s 2025 annual report cited growing electricity demand as the reason the United States is “the most important growth market” for RWE. Beyond wind, solar and storage, the company plans to invest in flexible generation capacity in the United States going forward, with a particular focus on flexible gas peaker plants, according to RWE.

How AI Data Centers Are Driving US Power DemandAccording to EIA calculations in its Annual Energy Outlook 2026, data center servers alone accounted for around 7 percent of total US commercial sector electricity consumption in 2025. Depending on the scenario, that share could rise to between 22 and 33 percent by 2050. To meet near-term demand, US companies are increasingly turning to supplementary, decentralized solutions alongside long-term supply agreements such as the RWE-Google PPA, including fuel cells and flexibly bundled on-site storage and solar systems.Krebber’s assessment aligns with the record demand forecast by the EIA and the growing US corporate PPA market reported by BloombergNEF. With agreements such as the Crooked Creek PPA, RWE is securing long-term offtakers for its new generation capacity in this market environment.