32nd largest plant in Virginia · 1780th nationally
Highlander Solar Energy Station 1 is a solar power plant in Virginia with a nameplate capacity of 165 MW. It generates roughly 299.6k MWh per year — enough to power about 28,533 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 21% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Highlander Solar Energy Station 1 |
|---|---|
| Operator | Aes Distributed Energy |
| City | Spotsylvania |
| County | Spotsylvania County |
| State | Virginia |
| ZIP | 22551 |
| Coordinates | 38.24712, -77.78622 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HLND1 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 165 MW | Operating | 2020 |
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Pjm Interconnection, Llc |
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.