127th largest plant in Arizona · 6680th nationally
Rio Rico Solar is a solar power plant in Arizona with a nameplate capacity of 6.0 MW. It generates roughly 4.3k MWh per year — enough to power about 407 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 8% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Rio Rico Solar |
|---|---|
| Operator | Uns Electric, Inc |
| City | Rio Rico |
| County | Santa Cruz County |
| State | Arizona |
| ZIP | 85648 |
| Coordinates | 31.50000, -111.00806 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RRSF | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 6.0 MW | Operating | 2014 |
| NERC Region | WECC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Tucson Electric Power Company |
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.