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New York power
Generates renewable electricity from sunlight, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 780 homes for a year.*
Air quality & health in Cattaraugus County
Cattaraugus County has a population of 75,600. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 16,007 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
Of the 567 solar plants in New York’s clean-energy category, West Valley West ranks #100 by electricity produced in 2024. It sits at 5684 County Highway 86-2 in West Valley, Cattaraugus County, and has been operating since 2022. It is owned by BQ Energy LLC and connects to the National Grid system.
The plant uses solar photovoltaic technology, meaning panels that turn sunlight directly into electricity with no fuel burned. Its capacity is 5.0 MW, a megawatt being a measure of the most power it can send out at once. Over the year it produced 7.8 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a very large unit of electricity, enough to power about 780 homes.
Environmental impact
Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 3,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as not burning about 350,000 gallons of gasoline.*
Nearby places worth exploring
West Valley sits in the hills of Cattaraugus County, close to Allegany State Park, a popular spot for hiking and camping. The ski village of Ellicottville and its Holiday Valley resort are also nearby, and St. Bonaventure University sits near Olean.
Local school district
West Valley 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.
