New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 250 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Onondaga County

Onondaga County has a population of 467,873. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 96,258 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 D.

Federal monitoring recorded 217 days of good air quality and 52 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 4 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 567 solar plants in this category, and the one at Oak Orchard Road in Clay ranks #429 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. Owned by Tesla Inc., it began operating in 2017 and uses solar photovoltaic technology, which means panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity.

In 2024 it produced 2.5 gigawatt-hours (a unit for measuring large amounts of electricity), roughly what about 250 homes use in a year. Its capacity is 2.0 MW, or megawatts, which is the most power it can deliver at one moment. Because the sun isn’t always shining, it ran at a capacity factor of 14 percent, meaning its yearly output was about 14 percent of what it could make running flat out all year. The electricity travels through National Grid’s system, and the site is a wastewater treatment plant.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 940 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 using about 2,300 barrels of oil.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Clay sits just north of Syracuse, home to Syracuse University and Onondaga Lake Park along the lakeshore. Green Lakes State Park, known for its glacial lakes and trails, is another well-loved outing in the area.

Local school district

North Syracuse 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.