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 Ulster County

Ulster County has a population of 182,333. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 39,586 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

Of the 567 solar plants in this category across New York, this one in Kerhonkson, Ulster County, ranks #154 by the electricity it produced in 2024. It is a solar photovoltaic plant, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity. Rated at 4.0 MW, a megawatt being a measure of how much power it can deliver at one moment, it began operating in 2019.

In 2024 it produced 6.8 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a large unit for counting electricity over time, or about 680 homes’ worth of use. Central Hudson is the utility serving the area. Because solar panels make electricity without burning anything, the plant is carbon-free in operation.

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 using about 6,400 barrels of oil.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Kerhonkson sits at the foot of the Shawangunk Mountains, close to the Mohonk Preserve and Minnewaska State Park. The college town of New Paltz, home to SUNY New Paltz, is nearby, as are Kingston’s waterfront and the town of Woodstock.

Local school district

Rondout 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.