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New York power
Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 880 homes for a year.*
Air quality & health in Cayuga County
Cayuga County has a population of 74,485. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 16,077 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
Out of 567 solar plants in New York in this category, Union Springs 40 ranks #37 by the electricity it produced in 2024. It sits on Spring Street Road in Cayuga County and began operating in 2022.
The plant uses solar photovoltaic technology, which means panels turn sunlight directly into electricity with no fuel burned. It produced 8.8 gigawatt-hours, a unit of energy equal to a billion watt-hours, which is enough to power about 880 homes. Its capacity is 5.0 MW, a megawatt being the most power it can deliver at one moment, and it ran at a capacity factor of 20 percent, meaning its yearly output was about a fifth of what that maximum could produce running nonstop.
Environmental impact
Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 3,400 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 using about 8,300 barrels of oil.*
Nearby places worth exploring
The plant sits in the Finger Lakes region, close to the shores of Owasco and Cayuga lakes. Auburn is a short drive away, and Fillmore Glen State Park, near Moravia, offers gorge trails for walkers and hikers.
Local school district
Union Springs Central School District
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* 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.
