New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 910 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in St. Lawrence County

St. Lawrence County has a population of 106,940. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 22,121 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

Of the 567 solar plants in New York’s category of renewable and clean energy, Ruler Solar Partners in Oswegatchie ranks #31 by 2024 electricity produced. It uses solar photovoltaic technology, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity with no moving parts. The plant began operating in 2023 and has a capacity of 4.9 MW, a megawatt being the most power it can send out at one moment.

In 2024 it produced 9.1 gigawatt-hours, a unit of electricity equal to a billion watt-hours, which is about 910 homes’ worth of yearly use. Its output is delivered to the local grid, where National Grid handles distribution.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 3,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as taking about 750 cars off the road for a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Oswegatchie sits in St. Lawrence County, where the St. Lawrence River and the Adirondack foothills frame the landscape. The college towns of Canton, home to St. Lawrence University and SUNY Canton, and Potsdam, home to Clarkson University and SUNY Potsdam, are well-known stops nearby.

Local school district

Ogdensburg City 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.