New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 610 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Chemung County

Chemung County has a population of 81,325. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 17,149 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 Chambers Road Solar in Big Flats, Chemung County, ranks #191 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. It began operating in 2020 and is owned by Altus Power America Management, LLC. The site uses solar photovoltaic technology, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity.

Its capacity is 4.0 MW, a megawatt being a measure of the most power a plant can deliver at one moment. Over the year it produced 6.1 gigawatt-hours, a unit of electricity that is a million kilowatt-hours, which is about 610 homes’ worth of use. Solar plants make power only when the sun is up, so output rises and falls with the day and the seasons.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 2,400 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 2,500 acres of forest in a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Big Flats sits in the Chemung River valley, close to Elmira, home to Elmira College. Nearby Harris Hill and the National Soaring Museum overlook the valley and make a pleasant outing for anyone curious about the region.

Local school district

Horseheads 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.