224th largest plant in Iowa · 9135th nationally
Waterloo Solar (Ia) is a solar power plant in Iowa with a nameplate capacity of 3.0 MW. It generates roughly 5.9k MWh per year — enough to power about 562 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 22% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Waterloo Solar (Ia) |
|---|---|
| Operator | Midamerican Energy Co |
| City | Waterloo |
| County | Black Hawk County |
| State | Iowa |
| ZIP | 50703 |
| Coordinates | 42.54389, -92.35535 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WATS | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 3.0 MW | Operating | 2022 |
| 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.