Cypress Creek energizes Washington project with Microsoft PPA
Cypress Creek Energy has energized its Ostrea solar project, located in Yakima County, Washington, the company announced Sept. 2.
The 104 MWdc solar project aims to add a new source of renewable energy to the regional grid in the Pacific Northwest, officials say, and is a major part of a power purchase agreement by tech titan Microsoft. The project’s commercial operations come at a perfect time, Cypress Creek representatives add, as the state of Washington becomes an economic leader in the U.S.
“Washington’s economy is growing, and that growth requires more electricity,” says Cypress Creek Energy CEO Kevin Smith. “Ostrea shows how we can responsibly bring new power online quickly and affordably, while creating lasting benefits for the communities where we operate, and caring for the land for generations to come.”
The project includes “long-term land stewardship initiatives” as well, the company adds. These programs, part of the project’s privately-funded $180 million price tag, will conserve 275 acres of critical ecological habitats, as well as support wildlife migration paths, and work to restore native vegetation across the project site.
Powering Washington’s economy and ecology
During the first quarter of 2026, the Evergreen State led the U.S. in economic growth with a real GDP growing at an annualized rate of 4.5%. That number is more than twice the national rate, Cypress Creek says, and the state’s growing technology and information sector sit at the heart of that growth.
Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft is one of the largest employers in the Union’s 42nd state. The Ostrea project connects to the Bonneville Power Administration transmission system, and Microsoft will be the site’s long-term off-taker of energy and environmental products from the project.
Additionally, Ostrea’s design includes wildlife corridors to help maintain traditional pathways throughout the project region for Rocky Mountain elk and other animals. Cypress Creek will own the project for up to 40 years, and has agreed to land management and environmental stewardship throughout that lifespan.
“Shrubsteppe is one of Washington’s most diverse ecosystems, providing habitat for species found nowhere else in the state,” Cypress Creek officials say. “It is also increasingly scarce, with an estimated 80% of Washington’s historic shrubsteppe lost or degraded to development and agriculture. Cypress Creek also contributed funding to WDFW to support additional conservation work elsewhere in the region.”
Cypress Creek’s goal, the company says, is to preserve the land for agriculture or other uses, for after the project has completed its lifespan. The firm says that more than 90% of the land on the average solar project remains open and available for vegetation, creating an opportunity to manage and care for that land.
“Ostrea represents approximately $180 million in private capital investment and is expected to generate an estimated $13.3 million in state and local tax revenue over its operating life,” company officials say.
“Safety was a priority throughout construction, with the project achieving zero recordable injuries or incidents.”
