New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 840 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Tioga County

Tioga County has a population of 47,715. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 10,382 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

West Creek Solar, a solar farm in Newark Valley, ranks #45 of 567 solar plants in New York by the electricity it produced in 2024. It uses solar photovoltaic technology, which means panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity. Generate Capital owns it, and it began operating in 2021.

Its capacity is 5.0 MW, a megawatt being the most power it can send out at any one moment. Over the year it produced 8.4 gigawatt-hours, a unit of energy equal to a billion watt-hours, which is about 840 homes’ worth of electricity. Sunlight is a carbon-free fuel source, and NYSEG is the utility serving this area.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 3,300 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as keeping about 1,300 tons of waste out of a landfill.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Newark Valley sits in Tioga County, close to the riverside village of Owego on the Susquehanna River. The Finger Lakes lie to the north, and Binghamton is a short drive to the east.

Local school district

Newark 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.