481st largest plant in California · 3890th nationally
Central 40 is a solar power plant in California with a nameplate capacity of 40.0 MW. It generates roughly 70.0k MWh per year — enough to power about 6,669 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 20% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Central 40 |
|---|---|
| Operator | Central 40, Llc |
| City | Newman |
| County | Stanislaus County |
| State | California |
| ZIP | 95360 |
| Coordinates | 37.24600, -121.10400 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEN40 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 40.0 MW | Operating | 2021 |
| Owner | Location | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Idemitsu Renewables | Reno, NV | 10000.0% |
Ownership reported to EIA Form 860. Percentages reflect reported generator-level ownership share, averaged when a plant has multiple generators.
| 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.