New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 3,400 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Saratoga County

Saratoga County has a population of 238,711. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 51,023 cases in the county.

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

Federal monitoring recorded 233 days of good air quality and 10 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, the NY8 – ELP Stillwater Solar project near Mechanicville ranks seventh by how much electricity it produced in 2024. It sits on Graves Road in Saratoga County and began operating in 2023. It is owned by MN8 Energy LLC and uses solar photovoltaic technology, which means panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity with no fuel burned.

In 2024 it generated 34.1 gigawatt-hours, a unit of electricity equal to what about 3,400 homes use in a year. Its capacity is 20.0 MW, a megawatt being the most power it can send out at any one moment, which only happens in strong sunshine. It serves National Grid’s local network.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 13,000 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 14,000,000 pounds of coal.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Mechanicville is a short drive from Saratoga Springs, home to the Saratoga Race Course, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and Saratoga Spa State Park. Saratoga Lake sits just outside the city, a popular spot for boating and lakeside strolls.

Local school district

Stillwater 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.