1471st largest plant in California · 11698th nationally
2097 Helton Solar Project is a solar power plant in California with a nameplate capacity of 1.5 MW. It generates roughly 2.6k MWh per year — enough to power about 243 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 19% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | 2097 Helton Solar Project |
|---|---|
| Operator | Solarenewal Llc |
| City | Merced |
| County | Merced County |
| State | California |
| ZIP | 95348 |
| Coordinates | 37.35222, -120.50694 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2097 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 1.5 MW | Operating | 2014 |
| NERC Region | WECC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | California Independent System Operator |
Utility-scale solar farms convert sunlight directly into electricity using photovoltaic panels. They produce zero direct emissions and have no fuel cost, but generation is variable — peaking at midday and falling to zero at night. Capacity factors typically run 18–28% in good locations.