135th largest plant in Minnesota · 5651st nationally
Paynesville Solar is a solar power plant in Minnesota with a nameplate capacity of 10.0 MW. It generates roughly 20.5k MWh per year — enough to power about 1,947 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 23% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Paynesville Solar |
|---|---|
| Operator | Enel Green Power Na, Inc. |
| City | Paynesville |
| County | Stearns County |
| State | Minnesota |
| ZIP | 56362 |
| Coordinates | 45.39290, -94.72123 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PV1 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 10.0 MW | Operating | 2016 |
| Owner | Location | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Paynesville Solar, Llc | Andover, MA | 10000.0% |
Ownership reported to EIA Form 860. Percentages reflect reported generator-level ownership share, averaged when a plant has multiple generators.
| 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.