213th largest plant in Iowa · 8653rd nationally
West Dubuque Solar is a solar power plant in Iowa with a nameplate capacity of 3.8 MW. It generates roughly 5.5k MWh per year — enough to power about 524 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 17% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | West Dubuque Solar |
|---|---|
| Operator | Interstate Power And Light Co |
| City | Dubuque |
| County | Dubuque County |
| State | Iowa |
| ZIP | 52002 |
| Coordinates | 42.49175, -90.79225 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PV1 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 3.8 MW | Operating | 2017 |
| 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.