Cypress Creek Renewables Closes on 200MWh Sundance Solar-Plus-Storage Hybrid

Summary

Cypress Creek Renewables (CCR) has successfully finalized the closing of its substantial utility-scale Sundance project.

This facility is a solar-plus-storage hybrid, featuring a significant 200 MWh battery energy storage system integrated with solar photovoltaic generation.

The hybrid design is essential for boosting grid reliability by allowing solar energy captured during the day to be stored and dispatched precisely when needed, overcoming traditional intermittency issues.

Successfully closing this project underscores CCR's commitment to delivering flexible, integrated clean energy solutions and expanding its renewable footprint.

About Cypress Creek Renewables

Over the past 12–15 months, Cypress Creek Renewables (CCR) has stepped up its BESS activity with multiple financings and COD milestones across ERCOT and the Mountain West. In Oct 2025, CCR reached financial close on the Sundance (CO) - a 75 MWac PV + 50 MW/200 MWh hybrid - backed by ~$190 million in construction financing (MUFG lead; BNP Paribas, DNB, Santander participants; Fifth Third tax equity), with McCarthy as EPC and expected COD in late 2026 serving CORE Electric Cooperative. In Mar 2025, CCR secured $133 million from First Citizens Bank for Destiny Storage (TX), a 200 MW standalone BESS in Harris County targeting early-2026 completion. CCR also brought online key assets in 2024–2025 that anchor its storage fleet: Brazos Bend (TX) 100 MW—its first standalone BESS—achieved COD in July 2024; and Zier (TX) 208 MW PV + 80 MWh hybrid reached COD May 2024, already supporting ERCOT reliability. CCR reports strong Texas traction—~1 GW operated by its O&M arm and a ~6 GW ERCOT pipeline including storage—underscoring its focus on dispatchable solar-plus-storage in that market.

The company’s storage portfolio growth is occurring despite tighter U.S. BESS financing conditions in 2025, highlighting CCR’s continued bankability and lender diversification across project and tax-equity capital stacks.

Overall, CCR’s recent trajectory—pairing large-scale PV with two-hour storage and advancing 200 MW-class standalone assets—positions it as an active utility-scale BESS developer with near-term CODs and multi-market optionality.

Background Context

Solar-plus-storage hybrid systems are considered essential infrastructure for the modern electric grid, directly tackling the fundamental challenge of renewable energy intermittency.

These projects combine utility-scale photovoltaic arrays with battery energy storage systems (BESS) to capture excess generation and shift its dispatch time to better match peak demand or ensure continuous power flow.

By providing capacity firming and flexible resource adequacy, hybrids increase the penetration capability of solar power while minimizing disruptions to grid operations.

The recent surge in these large-scale facilities is propelled by substantial decreases in battery technology costs and utility demands for reliable, non-emitting resources to meet decarbonization goals.

Projects like Sundance are vital components in supporting state and regional mandates aiming for high percentages of renewable energy integration.