New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 560 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Fulton County

Fulton County has a population of 52,234. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 11,205 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

Hales Mills Solar is one of 567 solar plants in New York, ranking #213 by the electricity it produced in 2024. It sits on Hales Mills Road in Johnstown and has been operating since 2020. In 2024 it generated 5.6 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a way of counting a very large amount of electricity over time, which is about 560 homes’ worth of use over a year.

The plant has a capacity of 8.0 MW, meaning the most power it can send out at any single moment, like the top speed on a car’s speedometer. It uses solar photovoltaic panels, which turn sunlight directly into electricity, along with batteries that store some of that power for later. National Grid delivers its output to customers in the area.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 2,200 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 2,200,000 pounds of coal.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Johnstown sits close to Gloversville, and the Great Sacandaga Lake is a short drive away for anyone who enjoys time on the water. The southern Adirondacks begin just beyond, offering the kind of woods and mountain scenery the region is known for.

Local school district

Johnstown City 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.