New York power

Generates renewable electricity from wind, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 11,000 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Steuben County

Steuben County has a population of 92,162. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 19,622 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 F.

Federal monitoring recorded 219 days of good air quality and 51 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 3 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

New York has 33 wind plants in this category, and Howard Wind Farm, near Hornell in Steuben County, ranks #24 of 33 by 2024 electricity produced. It began operating in 2011 and uses 2 onshore wind turbines, which are tall, land-based machines that turn wind into electricity.

Its capacity is 55.4 MW, a megawatt being the most power the plant can send out at one moment. In 2024 it produced 109.1 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a large unit for measuring electricity over time, or about 11,000 homes’ worth of yearly use. Because wind comes and goes, the plant ran at a capacity factor of 22%, which is simply how much of its top output it averaged over the year.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 42,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as not burning about 44,000,000 pounds of coal.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Hornell sits in the Southern Tier, within reach of Corning and the Corning Museum of Glass. To the north are Keuka Lake and Finger Lakes wine country, a popular region for scenic drives and tasting rooms.

Local school district

Canisteo-Greenwood 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.