New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 700 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Tioga County

Tioga County has a population of 47,715. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 10,382 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

Spencer (NY) is one of 567 solar plants in New York’s renewable and clean category, and it ranks #137 of 567 by the electricity it produced in 2024. It sits in Candor, in Tioga County, and began operating in 2024.

The plant uses solar photovoltaic technology, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity. In 2024 it produced 7.0 gigawatt-hours, a unit of energy that works out to about 700 homes’ yearly use. Its capacity is 4.9 MW, a megawatt being the most power it can deliver at one moment. Generate Capital owns it, and NYSEG is the utility serving the area.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 2,700 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 burning about 2,800,000 pounds of coal.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Candor sits in Tioga County in the Southern Tier. The riverside village of Owego on the Susquehanna River is a pleasant destination close by, with the Finger Lakes to the north and Binghamton a short drive east.

Local school district

Candor 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.