605th largest plant in California · 4596th nationally
Little Bear 3 is a solar power plant in California with a nameplate capacity of 20.0 MW. It generates roughly 27.0k MWh per year — enough to power about 2,576 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 15% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Little Bear 3 |
|---|---|
| Operator | Little Bear Solar 3, Llc (Longroad) |
| City | Mendota |
| County | Fresno County |
| State | California |
| ZIP | 93640 |
| Coordinates | 36.71600, -120.41500 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN01 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 20.0 MW | Operating | 2020 |
| 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.