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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 Schenectady County
Schenectady County has a population of 159,902. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 32,463 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 Gifford CSG in Schenectady ranks #440 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. It uses solar photovoltaic technology, which means panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity, and it began operating in 2018. Its nameplate capacity (the most power it can deliver at once) is 2.0 MW.
In 2024 it generated 2.4 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a very large unit of electricity, and that is about 240 homes’ worth of use over a year. Nautilus Solar Solutions owns the plant, and National Grid is the utility serving the area. Sunlight is a carbon-free source of power.
Environmental impact
Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 910 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 2,200 barrels of oil.*
Nearby places worth exploring
Schenectady is home to Union College and Proctors Theatre, a well-known downtown venue. The city sits along the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal corridor, which offers scenic waterside walks and a long boating tradition for visitors exploring the Capital Region.
Local school district
Schalmont Central School District
Common questions
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* 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.
