# Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Riverside County, California > Riverside County, California: 62 utility-scale solar plants, 4,355.8 MW (AC). Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. - URL: https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california/riverside - Last updated: 2026-11-01 - Publisher: Buckhead Energy (https://www.buckheadenergy.com/) - Format: full-content Markdown twin of the page (same content as the HTML; site navigation and footer removed) Breadcrumb: [Home](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/) › [Selling Solar Lease Payments and Solar Royalties](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties) › [California](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california) › Riverside County Quick answer Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. Riverside County, California has 62 utility-scale solar plants of at least 1 MW, with 4,355.8 MW (AC) of capacity in total, according to the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (version 4.0, released April 14, 2026). ## Utility-scale solar plants in Riverside County The plants came online between 2007 and 2024.^\[1\] 47 of the 62 plants with a recorded mounting type use tracking systems that follow the sun, and 15 use fixed-tilt panels.^\[1\] 15 plants have battery storage on site.^\[1\] | Plant | Online | Capacity (MW AC) | Mounting | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Desert Sunlight 300, LLC | 2014 | 313.7 | Fixed tilt | | Desert Quartzite | 2024 | 300 | Tracking | | McCoy Solar Energy Project Hybrid | 2016 | 270.6 | Tracking | | Arica Solar | 2024 | 263 | Tracking | | Athos Solar Project | 2019 | 250 | Tracking | | Oberon II Solar Project | 2023 | 250 | Tracking | | Oberon Solar Project | 2022 | 250 | Tracking | | Desert Sunlight 250, LLC | 2014 | 249.7 | Fixed tilt | | Arlington Energy Center II | 2021 | 233 | Tracking | | Blythe Mesa Solar II | 2021 | 223.6 | Tracking | | SE Athos II, LLC | 2021 | 200 | Tracking | | Victory Pass | 2024 | 200 | Tracking | | Blythe Solar III, LLC Hybrid | 2020 | 137.4 | Tracking | | Blythe Solar IV, LLC | 2015 | 137.4 | Tracking | | Maverick Solar 7, LLC | 2021 | 132 | Tracking | | Blythe Solar II, LLC | 2016 | 131.2 | Tracking | | Maverick Solar, LLC | 2020 | 125 | Tracking | | Blythe Solar 110, LLC | 2016 | 109.8 | Tracking | | Maverick Solar 4, LLC | 2021 | 100 | Tracking | | Maverick Solar 6, LLC | 2021 | 100 | Tracking | | Desert Harvest, LLC | 2020 | 80 | Tracking | | Colgreen North Shore Solar Farm | 2018 | 74.8 | Tracking | | Desert Harvest II, LLC | 2020 | 70 | Tracking | | Solar Blythe 2 | 2017 | 21 | Tracking | | Solar Blythe, LLC | 2009 | 21 | Fixed tilt | 37 smaller plants are not listed. Source: U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (USGS, LBNL), version 4.0, released April 14, 2026. Data compiled November 1, 2026. ## What the data means for solar lease owners in Riverside County The oldest utility-scale solar plant in the county came online in 2007.^\[1\] Solar lease agreements can last 20 to 30 years.^\[2\] The newest came online in 2024.^\[1\] Federal guidance for farmers describes solar lease payments as typically structured as a fixed annual or monthly fee per acre, or as a percentage of the energy generated by the solar panels.^\[3\] Rent during the operations period will likely include an inflation adjustment, which may be tied to a measure like the Consumer Price Index or set at a fixed rate.^\[4\] ## Solar leases in California In 2025, Texas accounted for the largest share of total U.S. utility-scale solar electricity generation, followed by California.^\[5\] ## What you sell and what you keep What Buckhead buys depends on the deal, and Buckhead tells the seller up front which interest it is offering to buy — for example, the payments for the rest of the current lease term, a term easement, or a longer-term interest. Solar rent is paid period by period, the operations period may last 20 years or more, and renewals are at the developer's option.^\[4\] The land can be converted back to agricultural uses at the end of the installation's operational life.^\[3\] Educational information only — not legal, tax, or investment advice. The figures are public reference data, not a valuation or appraisal of any interest. Consult a qualified attorney, CPA, or landman about your specific situation. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many utility-scale solar plants are in Riverside County, California? Riverside County, California has 62 utility-scale solar plants of at least 1 MW, with 4,355.8 MW (AC) of capacity in total, according to the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (version 4.0, released April 14, 2026).^\[1\] Utility-scale power plants have at least one megawatt of electricity generation capacity.^\[5\] ### Which solar plants operate in Riverside County? The largest plants are Desert Sunlight 300, LLC (2014, 313.7 MW AC), Desert Quartzite (2024, 300 MW AC), McCoy Solar Energy Project Hybrid (2016, 270.6 MW AC), Arica Solar (2024, 263 MW AC) and Athos Solar Project (2019, 250 MW AC).^\[1\] The next are Oberon II Solar Project (2023, 250 MW AC), Oberon Solar Project (2022, 250 MW AC) and Desert Sunlight 250, LLC (2014, 249.7 MW AC), plus 17 more in the table above and 37 smaller ones the table does not list.^\[1\] ### Can I sell solar lease payments or royalties in Riverside County? Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. What Buckhead buys depends on the deal, and Buckhead tells the seller up front which interest it is offering to buy — for example, the payments for the rest of the current lease term, a term easement, or a longer-term interest. ### When did solar plants in Riverside County come online? Of the plants with a recorded year, three came online in the 2000s, 34 in the 2010s and 25 in the 2020s.^\[1\] Solar lease agreements can last 20 to 30 years.^\[2\] ### Which nearby California counties also have utility-scale solar plants? Nearby California counties with utility-scale solar plants include Imperial County (2,106.3 MW AC), San Diego County (165.3 MW AC), San Bernardino County (1,777.6 MW AC), Orange County (34.8 MW AC) and Los Angeles County (1,822.2 MW AC).^\[1\] ## Related pages [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in California](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california) [Selling Solar Lease Payments and Solar Royalties](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties) [Oil and gas mineral rights in Riverside County, California](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/mineral-rights/california/riverside) [Mineral rights in California](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/mineral-rights/california) [Wind Royalties and Lease Payments in Riverside County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/wind-royalties/california/riverside) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Imperial County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california/imperial) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in San Diego County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california/san-diego) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in San Bernardino County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california/san-bernardino) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Orange County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california/orange) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Los Angeles County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/california/los-angeles) ## Sources \[1\] [U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (version 4.0, released April 14, 2026)](https://energy.usgs.gov/uspvdb/) — U.S. Geological Survey and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (accessed November 1, 2026) \[2\] [Solar Lease Considerations for Landowners](https://mytexas.ag.tamu.edu/publications/solar-lease-considerations-for-landowners/) — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (accessed November 1, 2026) \[3\] [Farmer's Guide to Going Solar](https://www.energy.gov/cmei/systems/farmers-guide-going-solar) — U.S. Department of Energy (accessed November 1, 2026) \[4\] [Farmland Owner's Guide to Solar Leasing](https://nationalaglawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/assets/articles/hall_solar_Leasing.pdf) — Ohio State University Extension and the National Agricultural Law Center (accessed November 1, 2026) \[5\] [Solar explained: Where solar is found and used](https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/solar/where-solar-is-found.php) — U.S. Energy Information Administration (accessed November 1, 2026) ## Ready to Sell Your Solar Lease Payments or Royalties? Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. [Get a Free Written Offer](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/sell#inquiry:source=%2Fsolar-lease-royalties%2Fcalifornia%2Friverside&county=Riverside+County) ## Frequently Asked Questions **When did solar plants in Riverside County come online?** Of the plants with a recorded year, three came online in the 2000s, 34 in the 2010s and 25 in the 2020s. Solar lease agreements can last 20 to 30 years. ## About Buckhead Energy Buckhead Energy is a direct buyer, not a broker — we purchase mineral and royalty interests with our own capital. Buckhead Energy buys mineral and royalty interests across all 50 states and has completed acquisitions in 33 states. Buckhead Energy has been buying mineral and royalty interests since 2006. Buckhead Energy holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Buckhead provides a free written offer. Buckhead Energy typically provides an offer within 24–48 hours. Closings typically take 30–45 days, subject to title review and clearance. Buckhead Energy's written offers stay open for 14 days. **Sell mineral rights:** https://www.buckheadenergy.com/sell **Operator directory:** https://www.buckheadenergy.com/operators