New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 290 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Chemung County

Chemung County has a population of 81,325. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 17,149 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

Hickory Grove #2 is one of 567 solar plants in New York, ranking #375 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. Sitting at 198 Hickory Grove Road in Horseheads, it began operating in 2020 and is owned by Altus Power America Management, LLC.

It uses solar photovoltaic technology, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity with no fuel burned. With a capacity of 1.7 MW (a megawatt is a measure of the most power a plant can deliver at once), it produced 2.9 gigawatt-hours in 2024, a gigawatt-hour being a large unit of electricity over time. That is enough to power about 290 homes. Its power flows into the NYSEG system.

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 taking about 240 cars off the road for a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Horseheads sits in Chemung County, a short drive from Elmira, home to Elmira College along the Chemung River. Harris Hill and the National Soaring Museum overlook the valley, making the area a pleasant place to explore.

Local school district

Horseheads 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.