New York power

Generates renewable electricity from wind, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 26,000 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Chautauqua County

Chautauqua County has a population of 124,891. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 26,694 cases in the county.

The county received a grade of D for ozone pollution. For particle pollution — the fine soot and dust that can be breathed deep into the lungs — it received a grade of B.

Federal monitoring recorded 233 days of good air quality and 29 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 1 day 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 33 wind plants in this category, and Cassadaga Wind Farm in Cherry Creek, Chautauqua County, ranks #9 of 33 by 2024 electricity produced. It began operating in 2021 and is owned by Big Sky Wind, LLC. Its turbines have a combined capacity of 124.0 MW, meaning the most power the plant can deliver at any one moment, roughly what about 26,000 homes use.

In 2024 it produced 256.3 gigawatt-hours, a unit of electricity equal to a million kilowatt-hours, enough to supply about 26,000 homes for a year. Wind is a carbon-free source: the turbines spin from moving air and burn no fuel. Output follows the weather, and the plant ran at about 24 percent of its full capacity over the year.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 99,000 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 12,000,000 gallons of gasoline.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Chautauqua Lake and the Chautauqua Institution are a short drive away, and the city of Jamestown sits nearby. The Lake Erie shoreline and its wine country run along the northern edge of the county.

Local school district

Cassadaga 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.