New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 830 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

Out of 567 solar plants in New York, Newfield Community Solar ranks #61 by the electricity it produced in 2024, which makes it a solid mid-sized player. It sits on Millard Hill Road in Newfield, in Tompkins County, and began operating in 2019. It is a solar photovoltaic plant, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity with no fuel burned.

In 2024 it generated 8.3 gigawatt-hours (a gigawatt-hour is a large block of electricity, measured over time), which is about 830 homes’ worth of power for a year. Its capacity is 12.0 MW (a megawatt is the most power it can produce at one moment, in full sun), and it connects to the NYSEG grid.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 3,200 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 7,900 barrels of oil.*

Nearby places worth exploring

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

Local school district

Newfield 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.