New York power

Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 230 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Monroe County

Monroe County has a population of 748,482. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 154,303 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 D.

Federal monitoring recorded 195 days of good air quality and 72 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 7 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 567 solar plants in this category, and Washington St Community Solar Farm #4 in Ogden, Monroe County, ranks #444 of 567 by 2024 electricity produced. It began operating in 2020 and is owned by Generate Capital, with RG&E as the local utility. It uses solar photovoltaic technology, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity.

In 2024 it produced 2.3 gigawatt-hours (a gigawatt-hour is a large unit of electricity, a million kilowatt-hours), roughly enough for about 230 homes. Its capacity is 2.5 MW (a megawatt is the most power it can deliver at one moment, like a top speed). Because the sun isn’t always shining, solar plants typically produce well below that peak over a full year.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 890 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as keeping about 350 tons of waste out of a landfill.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Ogden sits in Monroe County, just west of Rochester, a city that is home to the University of Rochester and RIT, along with Highland Park and the Lake Ontario shoreline. Erie Canal villages such as Pittsford and Fairport line the canal path, which makes for a pleasant day out.

Local school district

Spencerport 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.