25 Largest Solar PV Projects

Ryan Kennedy

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This table represents the top 25 largest solar projects in the United States in terms of nameplate capacity (MW), as reportedby the Energy Information Administration. Projects must have received regulatory approval, but not yet achieved commercial operation date.

A majority of these systems employ single-axis trackers and many are also now using bifacial solar modules. These generate electricity from both the front face and the back side by reflection from the ground in areas of high albedo. An increasing number of projects are now including battery energy storage co-located at the solar project site. This is particularly prevalent in California. Looking ahead, the state has about 16 GW of projects with signed interconnection agreements in hand and a projected commercial operation date (COD) through the end of 2024. Almost 99% of these projects are solar plus energy storage hybrid projects.

All projects must be listed on EIA 860 Monthly, and have at least achieved regulatory approval.

NA = Not available
T = Regulatory approvals received. Not under construction
U = Under construction, less than or equal to 50% complete
V = Under construction, more than 50% complete
TS = Construction complete, not yet in commercial operation
Plant
Name
OwnerDeveloperStateCountyCapacity (MW)Storage
(MW)
Status (see notes)Planned
Operation Date
Balancing AuthorityMountModuleOfftaker
Big Creek Solar LLCBig Creek Solar LLCNAARLee400TJune 2024MISONANANA
Desert QuartziteFirst SolarEDF RenewablesCARiverside480600MWhTMarch 2023CISOSingle-axis and fixedCdTeClean Power Alliance
Daggett 3Global Infrastructure PartnersClearway Energy GroupCASan Bernardino300387/4 hourUSept 2023CISONANACPA, EBCE, Constellation, MCE, PG&E
Athos Solar ProjectSoftBank EnergyIntersect PowerCARiverside250UJune 2022CISONextracker, single-axisFirst SolarDirect Energy Business
Chaparral SpringsLeeward Asset ManagementMcCarthy Building CompaniesCAKern25052/4 hourUDec 2022CISONAFirst SolarCentral Coast Community Energy, Silicon Valley Energy
Neptune Energy Center HybridNextEra Energy ResourcesNextEra EnergyCOPueblo250125UDec 2022PSCONANANA
Arroyo Solar Energy Storage HybridEnel Green PowerEnel Green PowerNMMcKinley300150/4 hourUJan 2023PNMNextracker, single-axisNAPNM
Gemini SolarGemini SolarPrimergyNVClark690380UNov 2023NEVPSingle-axisMaxeon, BifacialNV Energy
Hot Pot SolarPrimergy SolarPrimergyNVHumboldt350280/4 hourTDec 2024NEVPSingle-axisNANV Energy
Eagle Shadow Mountain Solar Farm8minute EnergyNANVClark300VOctober 2022NEVPSingle-axisBifacial, crystalline siliconNA
Highland Solar FarmHecate Energy Highland LLCNAOHHighland300UNov 2022PJMSingle-axisTier 1, crystalline siliconCity of Cincinnati
Renegade Solar Project (Dawn)Blue Planet FundingBlue Planet FundingTXDeaf Smith515TDec 2023ERCOSingle-axisNANA
Roseland Solar Project, LLCEnel Green PowerNATXFalls50059UQ4 2022ERCONANANA
Aktina SolarRosendinRosendin/Tokyo Gas AmericaTXWharton500VDec 2022ERCOGenius Tracker, single-axis; GameChange, speed clampsJinkoSolarERCOT Wholesale
Hornet Solar (TX)Vesper EnergyVesper EnergyTXSwisher500TDec 2023ERCOSingle-axisNAPfizer
Old 300 Solar Center, LLCOrstedOrstedTXFort Bend430VJuly 2022ERCOSingle-axisLongi, BifacialCenterPoint Energy
Fighting Jays Solar ProjectAP Solar 2, LLCAvondale Solar, Plus Renewable TechnologiesTXFort Bend350VJune 2022ERCONANAShell Power
Delilah Solar Energy II LLCInvenergy Services LLCInvenergyTXRed River310UJune 2023ERCONANANA
Delilah Solar Energy LLCInvenergy Services LLCInvenergyTXRed River300TSJune 2022ERCONANANA
IP Radian, LLCIP Radian, LLCNATXBrown300UNov 2022ERCONextracker, NX Horizon, and TrueCaptureNAApple
Noble SolarNational Grid RenewablesSignal EnergyTXDenton275125VJune 2022ERCONAFirst SolarThe Home Depot, NRG, The Hershey Company
Samson Solar EnergyInvenergy Services LLCInvenergyTXFranklin250VMay 2022ERCOSingle-axisNAHonda, AT&T, Google, and others
Samson Solar Energy III LLCInvenergy Services LLCInvenergyTXLamar250UJuly 2022ERCOSingle-axisNAHonda, AT&T, Google, and others
Sun Valley Solar ProjectENGIE North AmericaAlpin SunTXHill250VDec 2022ERCONANANA
Notch Peak Solar LLCBayWa r.e.BayWa r.e.UTMillard324TJan 2025LDWPNANALADWP

Texas is a top market for solar and energy storage at the utility-scale. The state has 28 GW of high-probability solar projects on the way, or 50% more than California in a three-year horizon.

Interestingly, Texas may have enough solar on the way to permanently retire all its coal capacity. A research team at Rice University found that just a third of the wind and solar projects proposed to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) by June 2020 could replace almost all of the state’s coal generation. Since June 2020, dozens of those projects have been built, and the queue of proposed solar projects has doubled.

Most of these largest projects are set to come online before 2025. Many projects this year were delayed or cancelled as a result of an ongoing investigation into alleged anti dumping violations by Chinese companies to four Southeast Asian countries that supply 80% of U.S. polysilicon solar panels. As solar deployment slowed due to module supply issues, the technology ranked third in overall new generation during the first six months of the year, installing 4.2 GW, trailing natural gas (4.3 GW) and wind (5.2 GW), according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

About 20% of utility-scale solar projects, sized 1 MW and up, were delayed in the first half of 2022, said EIA. Reports show solar installations were delayed by an average of 4.4 GW each month, compared with average monthly delays of 2.6 GW during the same period last year.

The EIA surveyed project developers and found most of the projects that will come online in the next 18 months are currently under construction. About 1.9 GW of solar capacity projects currently under construction have met delays but are still scheduled to come online in 2022 while another 1.7 GW of projects under construction have been delayed until 2023.

However, now that a two-year moratorium on anti dumping tariffs on solar has been passed along with the Inflation Reduction Act, solar deployment is expected to be supercharged. In a report made by a consortium led by Princeton University called the REPEAT project, it is estimated that solar deployment may accelerate from 2020 rates of 10 GW a year to 50 GW a year by 2024. By 2031, that number may reach as high as 100 GW per year, according to the REPEAT study.