New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 700 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Onondaga County

Onondaga County has a population of 467,873. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 96,258 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 217 days of good air quality and 52 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 4 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 Cicero Energy Storage 1 in East Syracuse ranks #140 of 567 by the electricity it produced in 2024. It sits at 7790 Northern Boulevard in Onondaga County and is owned by Convergent Energy and Power LP.

It pairs solar photovoltaic panels, which turn sunlight directly into electricity, with batteries, which hold power so it can be used later. The plant began operating in 2022 and has a capacity of 10.0 MW, meaning the most power it can deliver at one moment; a megawatt is a measure of that instantaneous power. Over a year it produced 7.0 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a large unit of electricity over time, which is about 700 homes. It connects to the grid through National Grid.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 2,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as not burning about 2,800,000 pounds of coal.*

Nearby places worth exploring

East Syracuse is part of the Syracuse area, home to Syracuse University. Onondaga Lake Park runs along the lakeshore, and Green Lakes State Park, known for its glacial lakes and trails, is a short drive away.

Local school district

North Syracuse 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.