153rd largest plant in Minnesota · 6134th nationally
West Waconia Solar is a solar power plant in Minnesota with a nameplate capacity of 8.5 MW. It generates roughly 16.6k MWh per year — enough to power about 1,584 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 22% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | West Waconia Solar |
|---|---|
| Operator | Enel Green Power Na, Inc. |
| City | Norwood Young America |
| County | Carver County |
| State | Minnesota |
| ZIP | 55397 |
| Coordinates | 44.78989, -93.90129 |
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 | 8.5 MW | Operating | 2016 |
| Owner | Location | Share |
|---|---|---|
| West Waconia Solar, Llc | Andover, MA | 10000.0% |
Ownership reported to EIA Form 860. Percentages reflect reported generator-level ownership share, averaged when a plant has multiple generators.
| 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.