New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 680 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Cattaraugus County

Cattaraugus County has a population of 75,600. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 16,007 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

Dunkleman Solar is one of 567 solar plants in New York, ranking #152 of 567 by electricity produced in 2024. It sits on Dunkleman Hill Road in Cattaraugus and began operating in 2023, owned by Generate Capital. It uses solar photovoltaic technology, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity with no fuel burned.

The plant is rated at 5.0 MW. A megawatt is a measure of how much power it can deliver at one moment, and at that rating the plant could power about 680 homes. Over the year it produced 6.8 gigawatt-hours, which is a way of counting total energy over time, and that is also about 680 homes’ worth of electricity.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 2,600 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 2,700,000 pounds of coal.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Cattaraugus sits in a part of western New York known for its outdoor scenery. Allegany State Park is a popular spot for hiking and camping, and the ski village of Ellicottville, home to Holiday Valley resort, draws visitors through the seasons. St. Bonaventure University sits near Olean.

Local school district

Cattaraugus-Little Valley 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.