New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 450 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Schenectady County

Schenectady County has a population of 159,902. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 32,463 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 this one in Niskayuna ranks #247 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. It’s a solar photovoltaic plant, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity, and it has been operating since 2020 with a single generator.

Its capacity is 3.5 MW, a megawatt being a measure of how much power a plant can deliver at one moment. Over the year it produced 4.5 gigawatt-hours, a unit of energy equal to a million kilowatt-hours, which is about 450 homes’ worth of electricity. Distributed Solar Development, LLC owns it, and it connects to National Grid’s local network.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 1,800 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 370 cars off the road for a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Niskayuna sits along the Mohawk River, just outside Schenectady, where Union College and Proctors Theatre are familiar landmarks. The Erie Canal corridor runs through the area, drawing walkers and bikers along the water. Albany and Saratoga Springs are an easy drive away.

Local school district

Niskayuna 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.