New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 340 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Dutchess County

Dutchess County has a population of 297,150. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 62,789 cases in the county.

Federal monitoring recorded 252 days of good air quality and 17 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 3 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 East Fishkill CSG, at 258 Helin Road in Dutchess County, ranks #309 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. It began operating in 2019 and uses solar photovoltaic technology, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity. It is owned by Altus Power America Management, LLC and serves the Central Hudson area.

Its single generator has a capacity of 2.0 MW, a megawatt being the most power it can deliver at one moment. In 2024 it produced 3.4 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a unit for measuring electricity over time, which is about 340 homes’ worth of electricity for a year. Because it runs on sunlight, it generates electricity without burning fuel.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 1,300 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 1,400 acres of forest in a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Poughkeepsie is a short drive away and is home to Vassar College and Marist College, as well as the Walkway Over the Hudson pedestrian bridge. Farther along the river, the town of Beacon is known for the Dia Beacon art museum.

Local school district

Wappingers 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.