1059th largest plant in California · 8274th nationally
Pacific Ethanol Madera Solar Array is a solar power plant in California with a nameplate capacity of 4.3 MW. It generates roughly 1.4k MWh per year — enough to power about 137 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 4% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Pacific Ethanol Madera Solar Array |
|---|---|
| Operator | Seaboard Energy California, Llc |
| City | Madera |
| County | Madera County |
| State | California |
| ZIP | 93638 |
| Coordinates | 36.91611, -119.97138 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PV | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 4.3 MW | Operating | 2018 |
| 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.