Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 57764
- Capacity
- 11.1 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Solar
- Technology
- Solar Photovoltaic
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Kern, CA
- Operating Since
- 2012
- Generators
- 1
- Operator
- MN8 Energy LLC
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 22,006 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 22.5%
- Balancing Authority
- California Independent System Operator
- ISO/RTO
- CAISO
- NERC Region
- WECC
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
OperatingSolar
Ranked #299 of 963 Solar plants in CA#1967 of 7447 nationally
11.1 MW Solar operating in Kern, CA — California Independent System Operator
EIAGEMWD
11.1 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Solar Photovoltaic
Technology
2012
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
35.6343, -117.6515
County
Kern, CA
Nearby Plants
- RB Inyokern Solar WDAT 1203 (CSG)Solar19.9 MW · 14.5 km
- RB Inyokern Solar WDAT 1281 (CSG)Solar11.9 MW · 14.6 km
- Westend FacilityNatural Gas20 MW · 24.5 km
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | MN8 Energy LLC | MN8 Energy | — |
| Owner(s) | MetLife Capital Credit L.P. | MetLife Capital Credit LP [100%] | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
About
The Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake solar photovoltaic plant is located in Kern County, California. The plant has a total capacity of 11.1 MW and began operating in 2012. It consists of one generator utilizing single-axis solar tracking technology. The primary fuel source is solar. MN8 Energy LLC is the operator of the facility.
The plant's latest annual generation was 22,006 MWh, resulting in a capacity factor of 22.5%. As of the latest rankings, the plant is the 232nd largest in California out of 862 plants, and the 1765th largest nationally out of 7108 plants. The plant operates within the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) NERC region. Financial data is available for the plant from LBNL Solar.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
California Independent System Operator
Grid Voltage
34.5 kV
Regulatory Status
NR
Entity Type
Independent Power Producer
Sector
Commercial Non-CHP
Generation
1.4K MWh
Latest Month
22.0K MWh
Annual Generation
22.5%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: LBNL Utility-Scale SolarHIGH
$124.2/MWh
LCOE (Levelized Cost)
$-11.5/MWh
Energy Value
Pricing & Market Data
HIGH confidenceMarket Position
ISO/RTO Market
CAISO
LMP Node
—
Pricing Hub
TH_ZP26_GEN-APND
Node Source
OSM spatial match
News & Articles (10)Beta
Industry·technology
News - NAVFAC EXWC’s Geothermal Experts Advance Energy Resilience for DoN, DoW
Courtesy Photo | The South Pool of the Coso Hot Springs, within the boundaries of Naval Air Weapons...... read more read more.
NAVFAC EXWC (other)DoN (other)
DVIDS·4 weeks ago
Industry·technology
Army Puts $43M Bet On Next Gen Leonidas High Power Microwave Counter Drone Tech
Epirus' CEO says successful tests of the company's Gen II system capable of rapidly taking down swarms of drones could lead to an official...
Epirus (other)
The War Zone·8 months ago
Industry·other
Commentary: Warren Buffett's successor got his start selling clean energy. Now he defends coal
Before he joined Berkshire Hathaway, Greg Abel led a geothermal company with plants in California. Oh, how times have changed.
Warren Buffett (other)Berkshire Hathaway (other)
Los Angeles Times·10 months ago
Industry·other
China Lake conservation leads to big savings
NAVAL AIR WEAPONS STATION CHINA LAKE, Calif. - An energy reduction program today returns nearly 30 percent in savings for Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons...
NAVAL AIR WEAPONS STATION CHINA LAKE (other)Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons (other)
NAVAIR (.mil)·2 years ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
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