New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 620 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Chautauqua County

Chautauqua County has a population of 124,891. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 26,694 cases in the county.

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

Federal monitoring recorded 233 days of good air quality and 29 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 1 day 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 Rak 2, on Christy Road in Fredonia, ranks #184 of 567 by electricity produced in 2024. It uses solar photovoltaic technology, which means panels turn sunlight directly into electricity without burning anything. The plant began operating in 2023 and is owned by Rak 2 Solar LLC.

In 2024 it produced 6.2 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a large unit for measuring electricity over time, enough to power about 620 homes. Its capacity is 3.5 MW, or megawatts, which is the most power it can deliver at one moment under ideal sun. Like most solar sites, it produces carbon-free electricity in daylight.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 2,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as the carbon absorbed by about 2,500 acres of forest in a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Fredonia sits in Chautauqua County, not far from Chautauqua Lake and the Chautauqua Institution. The city of Jamestown is nearby, and the Lake Erie shoreline and its wine country run along the county’s northern edge.

Local school district

Fredonia 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.