12th largest plant in Arizona · 455th nationally
Sonoran Solar Energy is a solar power plant in Arizona with a nameplate capacity of 750 MW. It generates roughly 90.9k MWh per year — enough to power about 8,653 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 1% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Sonoran Solar Energy |
|---|---|
| Operator | Sonoran Solar Energy, Llc |
| City | Buckeye |
| County | Maricopa County |
| State | Arizona |
| ZIP | 85326 |
| Coordinates | 33.24877, -112.54240 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SON12 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 490 MW | Operating | 2023 |
| SON13 | Batteries | Battery | 260 MW | Operating | 2023 |
| NERC Region | WECC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Salt River Project |
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.