New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 110 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Onondaga County

Onondaga County has a population of 467,873. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 96,258 cases in the county.

The county received a grade of B for ozone pollution. For particle pollution — the fine soot and dust that can be breathed deep into the lungs — it received a grade of D.

Federal monitoring recorded 217 days of good air quality and 52 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 4 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

New York has 567 solar plants in this category, and the Onondaga County – Metro Water Board site in Clay ranks #522 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. It began operating in 2016 and is owned by Tesla Inc., with National Grid as the local utility.

Its solar photovoltaic setup (panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity) has a capacity of 1.0 MW, which is the most power it can deliver at one moment. In 2024 it produced 1.1 gigawatt-hours, a measure of total energy over time, roughly what about 110 homes use in a year. Because sunlight comes and goes, it works at about 13 percent of its full potential across the year.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 420 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 49,000 gallons of gasoline.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Clay sits just north of Syracuse, home to Syracuse University and Onondaga Lake Park along the lakeshore. Green Lakes State Park, known for its glacial lakes and trails, is a short drive east.

Local school district

Liverpool 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.