30th largest plant in Idaho · 3890th nationally
Black Mesa Solar, Llc is a solar power plant in Idaho with a nameplate capacity of 40.0 MW. It generates roughly 60.7k MWh per year — enough to power about 5,776 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 17% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Black Mesa Solar, Llc |
|---|---|
| Operator | Black Mesa Solar, Llc |
| City | King Hill |
| County | Elmore County |
| State | Idaho |
| ZIP | 83633 |
| Coordinates | 42.90741, -115.18154 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMSA | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 40.0 MW | Operating | 2023 |
| NERC Region | WECC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Idaho Power Company |
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.