New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 170 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Schenectady County

Schenectady County has a population of 159,902. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 32,463 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

New York has 567 solar plants in this category, and this one, on Hetcheltown Road in Glenville, ranks #489 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. It’s a solar photovoltaic system, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity. It has a capacity of 1.4 MW (a megawatt is a measure of the most power it can deliver at one moment), and it began operating in 2020.

In 2024 it generated 1.7 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a large unit of electricity over time, enough to power about 170 homes. Distributed Solar Development, LLC owns the plant, and it connects to the local grid run by National Grid. It makes power from sunlight without burning fuel.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 670 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 700,000 pounds of coal.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Glenville sits in Schenectady County, close to the city of Schenectady, home to Union College and Proctors Theatre. The Mohawk River and the Erie Canal corridor run through the area, making it a pleasant place for a walk or a drive.

Local school district

Niskayuna 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.