New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 280 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Cayuga County

Cayuga County has a population of 74,485. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 16,077 cases in the county.

No ozone or particle pollution grades are available for this county in the most recent report. The figures above describe how many residents live with conditions sensitive to air quality — not measured pollution levels.

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 Musgrave East Solar Farm in Aurora, Cayuga County, ranks #393 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. It uses solar photovoltaic technology, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity with no fuel burned. Owned by Artemis Solar LLC, it began operating in 2016 and serves the NYSEG service area.

With a capacity of 2.0 MW (the most power it can send out at one moment), the farm produced 2.8 gigawatt-hours in 2024, a gigawatt-hour being a very large unit of electricity, equal to the use of about 280 homes. It ran at a 16 percent capacity factor, which compares its actual output to running flat out all year.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 1,100 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 130,000 gallons of gasoline.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Aurora sits on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake, in the heart of the Finger Lakes region. Nearby Auburn and the shores of Owasco and Cayuga lakes make for popular outings. Fillmore Glen State Park, near Moravia, offers gorge trails.

Local school district

Southern Cayuga 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.