393rd largest plant in Massachusetts · 10231st nationally
Shirley Water is a solar power plant in Massachusetts with a nameplate capacity of 2.0 MW. It generates roughly 2.9k MWh per year — enough to power about 277 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 17% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Shirley Water |
|---|---|
| Operator | Altus Power America Management, Llc |
| City | Shirley |
| County | Middlesex County |
| State | Massachusetts |
| ZIP | 01464 |
| Coordinates | 42.55458, -71.62348 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 2.0 MW | Operating | 2016 |
| NERC Region | NPCC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Iso New England 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.