1034th largest plant in California · 8126th nationally
Wheeler Ridge is a solar power plant in California with a nameplate capacity of 4.5 MW. It generates roughly 2.4k MWh per year — enough to power about 226 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 6% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Wheeler Ridge |
|---|---|
| Operator | Aftw Holdings, Llc |
| City | Bakersfield |
| County | Kern County |
| State | California |
| ZIP | 93311 |
| Coordinates | 35.08200, -119.31600 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHRPV | Solar Photovoltaic | Solar | 4.5 MW | Operating | 2023 |
| NERC Region | WECC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | California Independent System Operator |
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.