New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 640 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Madison County

Madison County has a population of 66,921. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 14,322 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

Of the 567 solar plants in New York’s clean-energy category, Marathon Solar Farm LLC South, in Canastota, ranks #173 by how much electricity it produced in 2024. It uses solar photovoltaic technology, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity with no moving parts. The site started operating in 2020 and is owned by Distributed Solar Development, LLC.

Its capacity is 4.4 MW, a megawatt being the most power a plant can deliver at one moment. Over 2024 it produced 6.4 gigawatt-hours, a measure of total electricity over time, which is about 640 homes’ worth of yearly use. National Grid delivers power in this area.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 2,500 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 6,000 barrels of oil.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Canastota sits in Madison County, within easy reach of Chittenango Falls State Park, which centers on a tall waterfall. Cazenovia, with its lake, makes a pleasant village visit. Colgate University is in the village of Hamilton.

Local school district

Canastota 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.