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A $950 million solar farm project started construction and will become New York’s largest solar energy facility when completed in late 2026.
Construction is underway on the Cider Solar Farm, a $950 million project that will become New York’s largest solar energy facility when completed in late 2026.
Greenbacker Capital announced last week that the Cider Solar Farm, situated on 2,500 acres in Genesee County, NY, will generate up to 500 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic power. That figure is roughly enough power to supply one million megawatt-hours of renewable electricity a year (enough to power around 120,000 households).
The project, owned by Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company (Greenbacker), broke ground on early site work in late 2024 after securing the first-ever site permit from the state’s Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Transmission.
Location: 2,500 acres north of Elba and Oakfield, Genesee County, NY.
Start of Construction: Early site work began in late 2024; major construction started in May 2025.
Expected Completion: Late 2026, with commercial operations by year-end.
Project Cost: $950 million.
Capacity: 500 MW (AC), using nearly one million Canadian solar modules on steel racks.
Jobs: Greenbacker said in a statement that hundreds of construction jobs will be created, focusing on hiring local union labor through a project labor agreement.
Community Revenue: The project is expected to generate roughly $100 million in local revenue over its lifespan, benefiting schools, emergency services, and other public needs.
The Greenbacker Capital solar farm in Montezuma County, Colorado, is a 7 MW facility that the company acquired in 2023. Image: Greenbacker Capital
Initial Work: Includes civil and mechanical activities such as installing steel pilings, racking for solar modules, and high-voltage utility interconnection infrastructure.
Building Materials: Ground-mounted photovoltaic panels, galvanized steel tracker racks, and advanced inverters, among others.
Agrivoltaics: Cider will support rotational sheep grazing on over 300 acres, with plans to expand to more than 1,000 acres, combining solar energy production with agricultural use.
Emissions Impact: In its first year, the farm is expected to offset about 680,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the annual emissions from over 150,000 passenger vehicles.
Agrivoltaics, also known as dual-use solar, combines solar energy production with agriculture, such as growing crops or grazing livestock, on the same land. According to the US Department of Energy, agrivoltaics allows solar panels and farming activities to coexist, potentially benefiting both industries.
In this image from the US Department of Energy, an example of agrivoltaics is shown on a Georgia farm, where land is used for solar energy production and livestock grazing. Silicon Ranch’s Snipesville Ranch project is in Jeff Davis County, Georgia. Image: US Department of Energy, Nick de Vries,
Cider Solar Farm marks a milestone for New York’s clean energy goals and workforce development, as solar projects have already created 14,000 jobs statewide.
In a statement, Dan de Boer, Greenbacker Interim CEO and Head of Infrastructure, said, “Cider offers tangible economic benefits to Genesee County communities and the broader region, and it represents an important milestone in New York’s clean energy transition that will power the state forward for years to come.”
Officials said that the Cider Solar Farm is expected to serve as a model for future renewable energy and agrivoltaic projects in the region.
Greenbacker assumed long-term ownership and operational control of the Cider construction project after acquiring it from Hecate Energy LLC, a U.S. renewable power and energy storage solutions developer.
Cider is Greenbacker’s largest clean energy initiative to date. The company secured $950 million in financing to facilitate the project’s acquisition, construction, and ongoing operations.
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