New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 360 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Orange County

Orange County has a population of 407,470. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 78,693 cases in the county.

No ozone grade is available for the county in the most recent report. For particle pollution — the fine soot and dust that can be breathed deep into the lungs — it received a grade of B.

Federal monitoring recorded 228 days of good air quality and 38 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 1 day 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

Of the 567 solar plants in its category across New York, Fogarty CSG sits right in the middle of the pack at #279 by 2024 electricity produced. It’s a community solar farm on Lybolt Road in Middletown, owned by Fogarty Solar LLC, and it has been running since 2021. It uses solar photovoltaic technology, which means panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity, with no moving parts.

Its capacity is 2.0 MW, a megawatt being a measure of the most power a plant can deliver at one moment. Over 2024 it produced 3.6 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a large block of electricity, and that is about 360 homes’ worth for the year. The plant connects to the Orange & Rockland grid.

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 1,500,000 pounds of coal.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Middletown is the commercial hub of Orange County, set in the heart of the Hudson Valley. Within an easy drive you’ll find West Point, Storm King Art Center, and the hiking trails of Bear Mountain and Harriman state parks.

Local school district

Valley Central School District (Montgomery)

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.