399th largest plant in California · 3575th nationally
Ocotillo Wells is a solar power plant in California with a nameplate capacity of 50.0 MW. It generates roughly 12.0k MWh per year — enough to power about 1,144 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 3% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Ocotillo Wells |
|---|---|
| Operator | Conductive Power |
| City | Borrego Springs |
| County | San Diego County |
| State | California |
| ZIP | 92004 |
| Coordinates | 33.07467, -116.09123 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OWS | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 50.0 MW | Operating | 2023 |
| 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.