88th largest plant in Illinois · 1973rd nationally
Big River Solar is a solar power plant in Illinois with a nameplate capacity of 149 MW. It generates roughly 334.8k MWh per year — enough to power about 31,882 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 26% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Big River Solar |
|---|---|
| Operator | Big River Solar, Llc |
| City | Norris City |
| County | White County |
| State | Illinois |
| ZIP | 62835 |
| Coordinates | 38.05014, -88.29552 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRS | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 149 MW | Operating | 2022 |
| NERC Region | MRO |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.. |
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.