776th largest plant in California · 5400th nationally
Cottonwood Solar, Llc (Goose Lake) is a solar power plant in California with a nameplate capacity of 12.0 MW. It generates roughly 25.3k MWh per year — enough to power about 2,411 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 24% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Cottonwood Solar, Llc (Goose Lake) |
|---|---|
| Operator | Onward Energy |
| City | Lost Hills |
| County | Kern County |
| State | California |
| ZIP | 93249 |
| Coordinates | 35.59361, -119.58000 |
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 | 12.0 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.