New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 450 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Monroe County

Monroe County has a population of 748,482. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 154,303 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 D.

Federal monitoring recorded 195 days of good air quality and 72 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 7 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 Ridgeway 2 in Rochester ranks #249 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. It uses solar photovoltaic technology, which means panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity. The plant began operating in 2023 and is owned by Generate Capital.

In 2024 it produced 4.5 gigawatt-hours, which is about 450 homes’ worth of electricity for a year. A gigawatt-hour is a billion watts of power sustained for one hour, a common way to measure large amounts of energy. Its capacity is 2.5 MW, or megawatts, the most power it can deliver at one moment, and RG&E is the local utility.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 1,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as the carbon absorbed by about 1,800 acres of forest in a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Rochester is home to the University of Rochester and RIT, and Highland Park and the Lake Ontario shoreline are popular spots to spend an afternoon. Erie Canal villages such as Pittsford and Fairport line the canal path, which is a pleasant place for a walk or ride.

Local school district

Spencerport 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.