New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 740 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 the Stanford plant in Stanfordville, Dutchess County, ranks #121 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. It began operating in 2021 and uses solar photovoltaic technology, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity. Altus Power America Management, LLC owns it, and it connects to the Central Hudson grid.

With a capacity of 5.0 MW (megawatts, the most power it can deliver at one moment), the plant produced 7.4 gigawatt-hours in 2024. A gigawatt-hour is a large unit of energy, and that amount is enough for about 740 homes. Solar produces carbon-free power only while the sun shines.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 2,900 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 3,000,000 pounds of coal.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Stanfordville sits in Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley. Poughkeepsie, home to Vassar College and Marist College, is a short drive away and is known for the Walkway Over the Hudson pedestrian bridge. Beacon, along the river, is home to the Dia Beacon art museum.

Local school district

Pine Plains 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.