102nd largest plant in Illinois · 2586th nationally
Prairie State Solar Project is a solar power plant in Illinois with a nameplate capacity of 99.0 MW. It generates roughly 234.2k MWh per year — enough to power about 22,308 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 27% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Prairie State Solar Project |
|---|---|
| Operator | Prairie State Solar, Llc |
| City | Swanwick Township |
| County | Perry County |
| State | Illinois |
| ZIP | 62237 |
| Coordinates | 38.20833, -89.57917 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSS01 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 99.0 MW | Operating | 2021 |
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| 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.