110th largest plant in North Carolina · 4367th nationally
Gaston Solar Power Plant is a solar power plant in North Carolina with a nameplate capacity of 25.0 MW. It generates roughly 47.8k MWh per year — enough to power about 4,550 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 22% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Gaston Solar Power Plant |
|---|---|
| Operator | Duke Energy Carolinas, Llc |
| City | Cherryville Township |
| County | Gaston County |
| State | North Carolina |
| ZIP | 28016 |
| Coordinates | 35.32240, -81.13430 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PV1 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 25.0 MW | Operating | 2020 |
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Duke Energy Carolinas |
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.