802nd largest plant in California · 5596th nationally
Marin Clean Energy Solar One is a solar power plant in California with a nameplate capacity of 10.5 MW. It generates roughly 19.9k MWh per year — enough to power about 1,899 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 22% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Marin Clean Energy Solar One |
|---|---|
| Operator | Aes Distributed Energy |
| City | Richmond |
| County | Contra Costa County |
| State | California |
| ZIP | 94801 |
| Coordinates | 37.94530, -122.37720 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCES1 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 10.5 MW | Operating | 2017 |
| 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.