88th largest plant in Missouri · 6210th nationally
West Plains Solar I is a solar power plant in Missouri with a nameplate capacity of 8.0 MW. It generates roughly 15.5k MWh per year — enough to power about 1,475 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 22% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | West Plains Solar I |
|---|---|
| Operator | Evergy Kansas Central, Inc |
| City | West Plains |
| County | Howell County |
| State | Missouri |
| ZIP | 65775 |
| Coordinates | 36.78534, -91.86740 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPS1 | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 8.0 MW | Operating | 2022 |
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Southwest Power Pool |
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.