Sweetwater Solar

Sweetwater Solar Station
CountryUnited States
LocationSweetwater County, Wyoming
Coordinates41°37′37″N 109°41′06″W / 41.62704°N 109.68502°W / 41.62704; -109.68502
StatusOperational
Construction beganJuly 1, 2018[1]
Commission dateDecember 2018[2]
Construction cost$157.7 million[2]
OwnerSweetwater Solar[2]
OperatorSwinerton Renewable Energy[2]
Solar farm
TypeFlat-panel PV
Site area703 acres (1,714,691 m²)[3]
Power generation
Units operational250,000 PV modules[2]
Make and modelHanwha Q CELLS[2]
Nameplate capacity80 MWAC[3]
Annual net output186,575 MWh[2]

Sold electricity to Rocky Mountain Power under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)[2]

The Sweetwater Solar PV Park is a 97.8-megawatt photovoltaic power station located in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, approximately 11 miles northwest of Green River, along State Highway 372. The project, developed by Clenera, Energy of Utah, was commissioned in December 2018.[2] Covering an area of 703 acres, it generates approximately 186,575 megawatt-hours of electricity annually—enough to power 17,000 households while offsetting 44,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.[2]

As of 2025, the park is the largest single solar energy facility in Wyoming

Planning

Sweetwater County Commissioners unanimously supported the project, which is located primarily on federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).[4] Wildlife impact studies and mitigation strategies were incorporated into the project to address concerns regarding birds, bats, and other native species such as bighorn sheep and pronghorn.[4]

Construction

The $157.7 million project uses ground-mounted single-axis tracker solar panels supplied by Nextpower (then known as Nextracker) and 250,000 photovoltaic modules manufactured by Hanwha Q CELLS. It also utilizes 30 inverters from Sungrow Power Supply.[2] Construction began on July 1, 2018, and was completed within six months, creating up to 300 jobs during the process.[1]

Electricity production

The electricity generated by the park is sold to Rocky Mountain Power under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The site was chosen for its open space, proximity to energy infrastructure, and its alignment with Wyoming's push towards renewable energy.[4]

Average monthly solar energy production in megawatt-hours at Sweetwater Solar PV Park in Wyoming[5]
Generation (MW·h) of Sweetwater Solar [5]
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
2018 824 824
2019 6,8509,26715,58116,26218,92023,28823,36622,24416,92013,7168,3575,367 159,138
2020 7,80112,97714,86719,74521,29219,7768,96618,11914,81011,4838,6216,907 155,384
2021 8,33110,58315,32018,87921,16520,52921,01118,58717,80012,0728,7946,001 178,072
2022 9,85111,05516,40517,88720,08522,41622,57219,86617,83714,3667,9875,582 185,909
2023 5,91710,63916,00019,69516,03418,96522,06519,67417,12913,1558,3126,104 173,689
2024 6,20210,77013,64119,16920,71922,12423,13719,71417,50213,151 166,129

References

  1. 1 2 "Sweetwater Solar Project - Environmental Assessment". Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved 2025-01-16.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Sweetwater Solar PV Park". Power Technology. Retrieved 2025-01-16.
  3. 1 2 "United States Large Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database Viewer". Retrieved 2025-01-16.
  4. 1 2 3 Cooper McKim (2018-05-22). "Sweetwater Solar Project Takes A Step Forward". Wyoming Public Media. Retrieved 2025-01-16.
  5. 1 2 "Sweetwater Solar, Monthly". Electricity Data Browser. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
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