New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 350 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Herkimer County

Herkimer County has a population of 59,484. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 12,853 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 Little Falls Solar, at 1387 NY RT 169 in Little Falls, ranks #295 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. It began operating in 2020 and uses solar photovoltaic technology, which means panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity.

In 2024 it generated 3.5 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a large unit of electricity, about enough to power about 350 homes. Its capacity, the most power it can deliver at one moment, is 2.0 MW, and a megawatt is a million watts. Solar is a renewable, carbon-free source, since sunlight is the only fuel involved.

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 the carbon absorbed by about 1,400 acres of forest in a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Little Falls sits in the Mohawk Valley in Herkimer County, a city with a distinctive setting along the river. Visitors in the area often stop at the Herkimer Diamond Mines. The southern Adirondacks rise in the county’s north.

Local school district

Little Falls 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.