New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 710 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Erie County

Erie County has a population of 946,147. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 196,802 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 C.

Federal monitoring recorded 168 days of good air quality and 97 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 9 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

Out of 567 solar plants in its category across New York, Bullis Road Solar in Marilla ranks #134 by 2024 electricity produced. It began operating in 2022 and uses solar photovoltaic technology, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity.

The plant has a capacity of 4.5 MW, a megawatt being a measure of the most power it can deliver at one moment. Over the year it produced 7.1 gigawatt-hours of electricity, a gigawatt-hour being a large block of energy equal to a billion watt-hours, which is about 710 homes’ worth of electricity. It is owned by RPNY Solar 2, LLC and connects to the NYSEG system.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 2,700 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 2,800,000 pounds of coal.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Marilla sits in Erie County, a short drive from Buffalo, where you can stroll the Canalside waterfront on Lake Erie, visit the Buffalo Zoo, or explore the University at Buffalo. Niagara Falls is also a short drive north.

Local school district

Iroquois 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.