New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 760 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Cattaraugus County

Cattaraugus County has a population of 75,600. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 16,007 cases in the county.

No ozone or particle pollution grades are available for this county in the most recent report. The figures above describe how many residents live with conditions sensitive to air quality — not measured pollution levels.

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 Rowe solar array in Olean ranks #112 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. It uses solar photovoltaic technology, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity. The site began operating in 2021 and is owned by AES Distributed Energy.

In 2024 it generated 7.6 gigawatt-hours, a unit of electricity, which is about 760 homes’ worth of yearly use. Its capacity is 5.0 MW, a megawatt being the most power it can produce at one moment. National Grid delivers its output to the local electric system.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 2,900 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 1,100 tons of waste out of a landfill.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Olean sits in the hills of Cattaraugus County, close to Allegany State Park, a large and popular spot for hiking and camping. St. Bonaventure University is nearby, and the ski village of Ellicottville, home to Holiday Valley resort, is a short drive away.

Local school district

Portville 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.