New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 240 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Tompkins County

Tompkins County has a population of 103,558. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 20,492 cases in the county.

The county received a grade of B for ozone pollution. No particle pollution grade is available.

Federal monitoring recorded 218 days of good air quality and 20 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 0 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 Enfield Community Solar, on Mecklenburg Road in Ithaca, ranks #431 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. It began operating in 2017 and uses solar photovoltaic technology, which means panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity with no fuel burned.

Its capacity is 1.8 MW, a megawatt being a measure of the most power a plant can deliver at one moment. Over the year it generated 2.4 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a large block of electricity, and that is enough for about 240 homes. It connects to the NYSEG grid.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 940 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 110,000 gallons of gasoline.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Ithaca sits at the southern end of Cayuga Lake and is home to Cornell University and Ithaca College. Nearby, Taughannock Falls and Buttermilk Falls state parks are both known for their dramatic gorges.

Local school district

Ithaca City 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.