Vandenberg Solar Project — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 61463
- Capacity
- 25.3 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Solar
- Technology
- Solar Photovoltaic
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Operating Since
- 2017
- Generators
- 1
- Operator
- MN8 Energy LLC
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 39,736 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 17.9%
- Balancing Authority
- California Independent System Operator
- ISO/RTO
- CAISO
- NERC Region
- WECC
Vandenberg Solar Project
OperatingSolar
Ranked #171 of 963 Solar plants in CA#1509 of 7447 nationally
25.3 MW Solar operating in Santa Barbara, CA — California Independent System Operator
EIAGEMWD
25.3 MW
Nameplate Capacity
1
Generators
unit
Solar Photovoltaic
Technology
2017
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
34.7465, -120.5105
County
Santa Barbara, CA
Nearby Plants
- Industrial Parkway StorageBESS9.8 MW · 18.8 km
- Strauss Wind FarmWind95.3 MW · 19.2 km
- Santa Maria LFG Power PlantLandfill Gas1.1 MW · 24.7 km
Ownership & Operator
Owner data does not fully agree across sources.
EIA typically reports the operating utility, while GEM resolves to the financial owner or parent corporation. Both can be correct.
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | MN8 Energy LLC | Goldman Sachs Renewable Power | — |
| Owner(s) | MN8 Energy LLC | SunPower Corp [100%] | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
GEM identifies the owner as SunPower Corp [100%]
This entity is not yet in the GEM ownership database — chain unavailable.
About
The Vandenberg Solar Project is a 25.3 MW solar photovoltaic plant located in Santa Barbara County, California. The plant, which began operating in 2017, is owned and operated by MN8 Energy LLC. It utilizes single-axis tracking technology to maximize solar energy capture. The plant is interconnected to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) balancing authority within the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) region.
In its most recent year of reported generation, the Vandenberg Solar Project produced 39,736 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 17.9%. The plant ranks as the 104th largest solar facility in California out of 862, and 1311th nationally out of 7108. Financial data is available for the plant from LBNL, and news coverage includes 5 articles about deals, 2 about hazards, and 1 about regulatory matters.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
WECC
Balancing Authority
California Independent System Operator
Grid Voltage
70 kV
Regulatory Status
NR
Entity Type
Independent Power Producer
Sector
IPP Non-CHP
Generation
2.0K MWh
Latest Month
39.7K MWh
Annual Generation
17.9%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial DataBeta
Source: LBNL Utility-Scale SolarHIGH
$68.0/MWh
LCOE (Levelized Cost)
$9.7/MWh
Energy Value
Pricing & Market Data
HIGH confidenceMarket Position
ISO/RTO Market
CAISO
LMP Node
VANDBRG_6_N007
Pricing Hub
TH_SP15_GEN-APND
Location Type
Pricing Node
Node Source
Curated node match
News & Articles (8)Beta
Hazards·wildfire
Second Central Coast battery plant catches fire this year
On Aug. 30, 2025, Monterey County authorities were notified of a solar flare at the 280-megawatt California Flats Energy Storage Project...
California Flats Energy Storage Project (operator)
New Times San Luis Obispo·6 months ago
Deals·project finance
'Epic Rebirth'
Ohio Wesleyan Raises Over $50M in Three Months for Visionary Fine Arts-Infused Library, Launches Ohio's Largest Campus Solar Project.
Ohio Wesleyan (other)
Ohio Wesleyan University·11 months ago
Regulatory·permitting
Vandenberg Space Force Base offshore wind project to get hearing this summer after five years of study
The California State Lands Commission continues to process an application for a more modest offshore wind demonstration project in state waters adjacent to...
California State Lands Commission (regulator)Vandenberg Space Force Base (other)
Santa Maria Times·2 years ago
Deals·project finance
The Morro Bay Wind Farm and Demise of Port San Luis
I heard about the proposed Morro Bay Offshore Wind Farm awhile back but didn't really think too much about it. It would supposedly be out of sight and...
Morro Bay Offshore Wind Farm (developer)
California Globe·2 years ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 8 articles