705th largest plant in California · 4891st nationally
Columbia Solar Energy, Llc is a solar power plant in California with a nameplate capacity of 19.2 MW. It generates roughly 19.7k MWh per year — enough to power about 1,879 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 12% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Columbia Solar Energy, Llc |
|---|---|
| Operator | Columbia Solar Energy Llc |
| City | Pittsburg |
| County | Contra Costa County |
| State | California |
| ZIP | 94565 |
| Coordinates | 38.01967, -121.86506 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN1 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 19.2 MW | Operating | 2015 |
| 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.