80th largest plant in Wisconsin · 4504th nationally
O'brien Solar Fields is a solar power plant in Wisconsin with a nameplate capacity of 22.1 MW. It generates roughly 37.4k MWh per year — enough to power about 3,565 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 19% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | O'brien Solar Fields |
|---|---|
| Operator | Madison Gas & Electric Co |
| City | Fitchburg |
| County | Dane County |
| State | Wisconsin |
| ZIP | 53593 |
| Coordinates | 42.99766, -89.45894 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OBSFN | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 8.3 MW | Operating | 2021 |
| OBSFS | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 8.3 MW | Operating | 2021 |
| OBSFW | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 5.5 MW | Operating | 2021 |
| 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.