186th largest plant in Minnesota · 6779th nationally
Brainerd Airport is a solar power plant in Minnesota with a nameplate capacity of 5.8 MW. It generates roughly 10.4k MWh per year — enough to power about 994 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 21% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Brainerd Airport |
|---|---|
| Operator | Aep Onsite Partners, Llc |
| City | Brainerd |
| County | Crow Wing County |
| State | Minnesota |
| ZIP | 46401 |
| Coordinates | 46.39096, -94.14054 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRN01 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 5.8 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.