241st largest plant in Colorado · 11698th nationally
Gilcrest Solar is a solar power plant in Colorado with a nameplate capacity of 1.5 MW. It generates roughly 3.4k MWh per year — enough to power about 319 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 26% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Gilcrest Solar |
|---|---|
| Operator | Terraform Arcadia |
| City | Platteville |
| County | Weld County |
| State | Colorado |
| ZIP | 80651 |
| Coordinates | 40.28937, -104.78361 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SO390 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 1.5 MW | Operating | 2018 |
| NERC Region | WECC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Western Area Power Administration - Rocky Mountain Region |
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.