Solar Blue
Kings County, California · EIA plant ID 63848 · Operator: Westlands Solar Blue
Nameplate475MWSummer 475 MW
Generators2in service
Net generation645GWh12 mo to Aug 2026
Capacity factor31%solar units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online2023
The 12-month figures include preliminary EIA-923 months, which EIA revises. Final data runs through Dec 2025.
Monthly net generation
EIA-923, all units at the plant. Net of station use; storage can go negative.
FinalPreliminary
Capacity factor by year
Net MWh ÷ (summer MW × hours), solar units. Each year uses that year's EIA-860 ratings; the hollow dot is the latest 12 months.
Heat rate by year
Electric fuel MMBtu × 1000 ÷ net MWh (Btu/kWh, HHV), fossil units only; CT + CA counted as one combined-cycle block.
Heat rate applies to fuel-burning (thermal) units only.
Annual data table
| Year | Net GWh | Capacity factor | Heat rate (Btu/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 29.4 | 15.8% | — |
| 2024 | 585.4 | 28.2% | — |
| 2025 | 652.2 | 31.6% | — |
Generators
EIA-860 (annual) with EIA-860M updates through Sep 2026. EIA-923 reports generation by plant, prime mover and fuel, not by unit, so unit-level output isn't shown.
| Gen ID | Technology | Prime mover | Nameplate MW | Summer MW | Online | Status | Planned retirement | OEM / model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BESS1 | Batteries | BA | 225 | 225 | Dec 2023 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| SBLUE | Solar Photovoltaic | PV | 250 | 250 | Dec 2023 | Operating | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Westlands Solar Blue. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Westlands Solar Blue | 100.0% | 475 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Chestnut | 286 MW | 1.5 km |
| Aquamarine | 250 MW | 1.8 km |
| Grape | — | 3.1 km |
| Almond | 20 MW | 4.3 km |
| Mustang Two | 150 MW | 4.8 km |
| Westside Solar Power PV1 | 2 MW | 5 km |