Paynesville Solar — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 60530
- Capacity
- 10 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Solar
- Technology
- Solar Photovoltaic
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Stearns, MN
- Operating Since
- 2016
- Generators
- 1
- Operator
- Enel Green Power NA, Inc.
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 19,710 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 22.4%
- Balancing Authority
- Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc..
- ISO/RTO
- MISO
- NERC Region
- MRO
Paynesville Solar
OperatingSolar
Ranked #13 of 540 Solar plants in MN#2041 of 7447 nationally
10 MW Solar operating in Stearns, MN — Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc..
EIAGEMWD
10 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Solar Photovoltaic
Technology
2016
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
45.3931, -94.7219
County
Stearns, MN
Nearby Plants
- Allium Community Solar Garden, LLCSolar1 MW · 0.7 km
- Capricornus Community Solar GardenSolar1 MW · 0.8 km
- Paynesville CSG1, LLCSolar1 MW · 1.0 km
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Enel Green Power NA, Inc. | Enel Green Power NA, Inc. | — |
| Owner(s) | Paynesville Solar, LLC | Paynesville Solar LLC [100%] | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
GEM identifies the owner as Paynesville Solar LLC [100%]
This entity is not yet in the GEM ownership database — chain unavailable.
About
Paynesville Solar is a 10 MW solar photovoltaic power plant located in Stearns County, Minnesota. The plant, which began operating in 2016, is owned and operated by Enel Green Power NA, Inc. It utilizes a single-axis tracking system to maximize solar energy capture. The plant is interconnected to the Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc. (MISO) grid and falls within the MRO NERC region.
In its latest year of reported generation, Paynesville Solar produced 19,710 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 22.4%. Paynesville Solar is ranked as the 14th largest solar plant in Minnesota out of 540, and nationally it is ranked 1902 out of 7108. Financial data is available for the plant from LBNL, and it has been the subject of 6 news articles, split evenly between regulatory and industry topics.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
MRO
Balancing Authority
Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc..
Grid Voltage
34.5 kV
Regulatory Status
NR
Entity Type
Independent Power Producer
Sector
IPP Non-CHP
Generation
0 MWh
Latest Month
19.7K MWh
Annual Generation
22.4%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: LBNL Utility-Scale SolarHIGH
$78.0/MWh
LCOE (Levelized Cost)
$28.0/MWh
Energy Value
Pricing & Market Data
HIGH confidencePoint of Interconnection
Nearest Substation
Paynesville Substation · 230 kV
Substation Distance
< 10 km
Coord Source
OSM spatial
Market Position
ISO/RTO Market
MISO
LMP Node
—
Pricing Hub
MINN.HUB
Node Source
OSM spatial match
Substation identified. Node ID not yet resolved against ISO roster.
News & Articles (6)Beta
Regulatory·permitting
Renville County considers loosening visual screening rule for solar arrays
Current rules require trees even in cases where neighboring residents do not want them. There is no provision for any exception.
West Central Tribune·4 weeks ago
Regulatory·permitting
Permit decision for large solar project in Minnesota's Renville County likely by summer's end
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission and Department of Commerce hosted a second round of public hearings on Gopher State Solar's...
Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (regulator)Department of Commerce (regulator)
West Central Tribune·11 months ago
Industry·corporate
Revival ahead for once-stalled solar power projects in North Dakota, Minnesota
Otter Tail Power is planning two new solar facilities — one each in North Dakota and Minnesota — and Harmony solar is planning one in Cass...
Otter Tail Power (developer)Harmony solar (developer)
InForum·1 years ago
Regulatory·permitting
Minnesota courts hear challenges to use of agricultural land for solar projects
The Minnesota Court of Appeals recently ruled in three cases involving rural counties that rejected developers' plans to build community solar farms.
Minnesota Court of Appeals (regulator)
Canary Media·3 years ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 6 articles