New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 350 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Dutchess County

Dutchess County has a population of 297,150. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 62,789 cases in the county.

Federal monitoring recorded 252 days of good air quality and 17 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 3 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 Underhill, at 130 Underhill Rd in Poughkeepsie, ranks #298 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. It is a solar photovoltaic plant, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity with no moving parts. It began operating in 2019 and is owned by Underhill Solar LLC.

Its nameplate capacity is 2.0 MW, a megawatt being the most power the plant can deliver at one moment. Over the year it produced 3.5 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a large block of electricity measured over time, which is about 350 homes’ worth. Like most solar sites, it makes carbon-free power whenever the sun is out.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 1,300 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 160,000 gallons of gasoline.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Poughkeepsie is home to Vassar College and Marist College, and the Walkway Over the Hudson pedestrian bridge crosses the river here. Up the Hudson, Beacon is known for the Dia Beacon art museum.

Local school district

Hyde Park 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.