New York power

Generates renewable electricity from wind, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 4,100 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Erie County

Erie County has a population of 946,147. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 196,802 cases in the county.

The county received a grade of B for ozone pollution. For particle pollution — the fine soot and dust that can be breathed deep into the lungs — it received a grade of C.

Federal monitoring recorded 168 days of good air quality and 97 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 9 days 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 33 wind plants in this category, and Steel Winds II, a single onshore wind turbine (a tall, land-based machine that turns moving air into electricity) in Lackawanna, ranks #30 of 33 by 2024 electricity produced. It began operating in 2012 and is owned by Evergreen Wind, LLC.

Its capacity (the most power it can produce at one moment) is 15.0 MW, a megawatt being a unit of electrical power. In 2024 it generated 41.3 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a large measure of energy delivered over time, which is about 4,100 homes’ worth of electricity for a year. Wind is a carbon-free way to make power, since nothing is burned.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 16,000 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 3,400 cars off the road for a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Lackawanna sits just south of Buffalo, where the Canalside waterfront on Lake Erie, the Buffalo Zoo, and the University at Buffalo are all popular stops. Niagara Falls is a short drive north.

Local school district

Lackawanna 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.