New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 360 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Oswego County

Oswego County has a population of 118,162. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 24,364 cases in the county.

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

Federal monitoring recorded 256 days of good air quality and 8 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

Ontario Sun is a solar farm in Sandy Creek, Oswego County, and it ranks #280 of 567 solar plants in New York by 2024 electricity produced. Its panels are solar photovoltaic, meaning they turn sunlight directly into electricity without burning anything. It began operating in 2023 and is rated at 2.4 MW (megawatts, a measure of the most power it can deliver at one moment).

Over the year it produced 3.6 gigawatt-hours (a unit of electricity over time), which is about 360 homes’ worth. That is roughly what you’d expect from a solar farm in this part of the state.

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 keeping about 540 tons of waste out of a landfill.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Sandy Creek sits near the eastern shore of Lake Ontario, not far from Oswego, home to SUNY Oswego and Fort Ontario overlooking the harbor. Selkirk Shores State Park and the Salmon River draw anglers and campers to the area.

Local school district

Sandy Creek 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.