New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 360 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Orange County

Orange County has a population of 407,470. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 78,693 cases in the county.

No ozone grade is available for the county in the most recent report. 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 228 days of good air quality and 38 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

CMR Solar LLC is a solar farm on Crans Mill Road in Pine Bush, Orange County, and it sits right in the middle of New York’s 567 solar plants when ranked by 2024 electricity produced, at #281. It began operating in 2019, and its panels use solar photovoltaic technology, meaning they turn sunlight directly into electricity with no moving parts.

In 2024 the plant produced 3.6 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a very large unit of electricity, roughly what about 360 homes use in a year. Its capacity, the most power it can deliver at one moment, is 2.0 MW, and a megawatt is a million watts. Because the sun doesn’t shine around the clock, it ran at a 21 percent capacity factor, which is the share of its maximum output it actually delivers over a year.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 1,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as not using about 3,400 barrels of oil.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Pine Bush sits in the Hudson Valley, a region known for West Point and the Storm King Art Center. Bear Mountain and Harriman state parks are popular spots for hiking and views. Middletown, a short drive away, serves as Orange County’s commercial hub.

Local school district

Pine Bush 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.