NORTH STAR SOLAR
OperatingSolar power plant
- Capacity
- 63 MW
- Primary fuel
- Solar
- County
- Fresno County
- Operator
- FIRST SOLAR ENERGY LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2015
- EIA plant ID
- 58713
- Generators
- 1
- Technology
- Solar Photovoltaic
- Net generation (2024)
- 132 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 24%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 36.7300, -120.4100
NORTH STAR SOLAR, a 63 MW Solar power plant in Fresno County, California. Operated by FIRST SOLAR ENERGY LLC, commissioned 2015.
How NORTH STAR SOLAR compares
With 63 MW of capacity, NORTH STAR SOLAR ranks 212th among the 874 operating power plants Bywatts maps in California and 28th of the 303 operating Solar plants in the state. It accounts for about 0.9% of California's operating Solar capacity and under 0.1% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 40th-largest of the 639 operating Solar plants in the database. Commissioned in 2015, it is newer than 92% of the 859 operating California plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, FIRST SOLAR ENERGY LLC, runs 11 operating plants in California totaling 1,678 MW. It shares Fresno County with 42 other operating plants, including HELMS PUMPED STORAGE and PANOCHE ENERGY CENTER.
EIA-860 lists 1 generator at the site with 62 MW of nameplate capacity, all solar photovoltaic technology. Net generation was 132 GWh in 2024 (a 24% capacity factor), down 6% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is MENDOTA (115 kV), about 2.8 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 115 kV line owned by PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY, about 1.8 miles away. Another 14 operating power plants totaling 1,255 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is PANOCHE ENERGY CENTER (432 MW, Natural Gas).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
NORTH STAR SOLAR is a 63 MW solar power plant in Fresno County, CA, operated by FIRST SOLAR ENERGY LLC, commissioned in 2015. Fresno County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.6 of 5 at the 15th national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 96th percentile.
Fresno County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Share of modeled loss | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 96th | 4.8 of 5 | 46% | <0.01 |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 94th | 4.8 of 5 | 12% | 0.11 |
| Heat wave | Relatively High | 92nd | 4.7 of 5 | <1% | 7.0 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively High | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | 17% | 4.1 |
| Hail | Relatively High | 18th | 1.7 of 5 | 23% | 0.17 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 14th | 1.6 of 5 | <1% | 12.8 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 12th | 1.5 of 5 | 1% | 0.52 |
| Winter weather | Very Low | 2nd | 1.1 of 5 | <1% | 11.1 |
| Strong wind | Very Low | 1st | 1.0 of 5 | <1% | 0.04 |
Perils not assessed in Fresno County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
| Ice storm | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Hail exposure and deductible structure
Hail scores 1.7 of 5, which sits in the 1% to 2% percentage deductible range carriers are quoting for that exposure. Named windstorm and severe convective wind score 1.5 of 5, indicating a 1% to 1% wind deductible. Ranges, not single figures. The final structure is set by the carrier.
Percentage hail deductible range: 1% to 2% of insured value. Wind deductible range: 1% to 1%. These are the structures commonly seen at this exposure, not an offer and not a rate.
Modeled annual loss for a 63 MW solar array
At an assumed replacement value of $0.90 per watt, or $56.7M insured, the modeled expected annual loss for a fixed tilt ground mount array in Fresno County is $15,122 a year, $240 per MW, 0.03% of insured value.
Heat is modeled as a production risk rather than a property loss: 2.7% of annual yield in this county.
Insurability signal: Standard. Wildfire carries 46% of modeled loss.
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Fresno County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile, and the modeled loss applies the Bywatts solar vulnerability layer. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level. The solar vulnerability layer that turns FEMA building loss into modeled solar loss was derived by Bywatts and revised on physical reasoning. It has not been reviewed by a practising underwriter.