103rd largest plant in Iowa · 3575th nationally
Pleasant Creek Unit 1 is a solar power plant in Iowa with a nameplate capacity of 50.0 MW.
| Plant Name | Pleasant Creek Unit 1 |
|---|---|
| Operator | Interstate Power And Light Co |
| City | Palo |
| County | Linn County |
| State | Iowa |
| ZIP | 52324 |
| Coordinates | 42.10440, -91.78257 |
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 | 50.0 MW | Operating | 2024 |
| 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.