66th largest plant in Minnesota · 3649th nationally
Hoot Lake Solar is a solar power plant in Minnesota with a nameplate capacity of 49.9 MW. It generates roughly 23.7k MWh per year — enough to power about 2,253 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 5% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Hoot Lake Solar |
|---|---|
| Operator | Otter Tail Power Co |
| City | Fergus Falls |
| County | Otter Tail County |
| State | Minnesota |
| ZIP | 56537 |
| Coordinates | 46.29064, -96.04325 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 49.9 MW | Operating | 2023 |
| NERC Region | MRO |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.. |
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.