New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 370 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Monroe County

Monroe County has a population of 748,482. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 154,303 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 195 days of good air quality and 72 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 7 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 Washington St Community Solar Farm #3 in Ogden, Monroe County, ranks #273 of 567 by electricity produced in 2024. It has been running since 2020 and is owned by Generate Capital.

Its capacity is 2.5 MW, a megawatt being a measure of how much power a plant can deliver at one moment. Over 2024 it produced 3.7 gigawatt-hours, a unit of energy that is a billion watt-hours, enough to power about 370 homes. The panels are solar photovoltaic, meaning they turn sunlight directly into electricity, and the power goes to RG&E customers.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 1,400 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 170,000 gallons of gasoline.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Ogden sits in the Rochester area, home to the University of Rochester, RIT, and Highland Park, with the Lake Ontario shoreline a short drive north. Erie Canal villages such as Pittsford and Fairport line the canal path, which is a popular spot for walking and biking.

Local school district

Spencerport 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.