New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 870 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 RIC – Hanover in Silver Creek, Chautauqua County, ranks #40 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. Owned by MN8 Energy LLC, it began operating in 2023 and serves the NYSEG utility area. It uses solar photovoltaic technology, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity, with no fuel burned.

The plant is rated at 5.0 MW, a measure of the most power it can deliver at one moment. In 2024 it produced 8.7 gigawatt-hours of electricity, a unit for large amounts of energy, which is about 870 homes’ yearly use.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 3,300 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 8,200 barrels of oil.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Silver Creek sits in Chautauqua County, home to 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

Silver 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.