New York power

Converts landfill gas into renewable electricity, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 4,800 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Erie County

Erie County has a population of 946,147. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 196,802 cases in the county.

The county received a grade of B for ozone pollution. For particle pollution — the fine soot and dust that can be breathed deep into the lungs — it received a grade of C.

Federal monitoring recorded 168 days of good air quality and 97 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 9 days rated unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Long-term exposure to air pollution has been linked to certain health conditions, particularly for children and older adults. Where electricity comes from affects how much combustion pollution is produced on the grid.

These figures describe the county as a whole and are not specific to this facility. Sources: American Lung Association – State of the Air (New York); U.S. EPA Air Quality Index.

The story behind this New York renewable energy facility

Of New York’s 17 biofuel plants, Chaffee Gas Recovery in Erie County ranks fifth by the electricity it produced in 2024. It runs on landfill gas, the methane that forms naturally as buried trash breaks down, captured and used as fuel instead of drifting off. WM Renewable Energy LLC owns the plant, which began operating in 2007.

In 2024 it generated 48.4 gigawatt-hours, a measure of electricity over time, which is about 4,800 homes’ worth of yearly use. Its generating capacity is 6.4 MW, or megawatts, the most power it can send out at one moment. It uses eight generators and connects to the NYSEG grid.

Environmental profile

Captures methane released by decomposing landfill waste and burns it to make electricity. Methane traps more heat in the atmosphere than the carbon dioxide produced by burning it, so the gas is collected rather than left to escape.

Nearby places worth exploring

Chaffee sits in the southern part of Erie County, within reach of Buffalo. The city offers the Canalside waterfront on Lake Erie, the Buffalo Zoo, and the University at Buffalo. Niagara Falls is a short drive north.

Local school district

Yorkshire-Pioneer Central School District

Common questions

* Homes-powered and emissions comparisons are annual estimates based on national averages from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. “Homes powered” describes a quantity of electricity, not direct service to specific households. How we calculate this.