# Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Erie County, New York > Erie County, New York: 23 utility-scale solar plants, 81.3 MW (AC). Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. - URL: https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork/erie - Last updated: 2026-11-01 - Publisher: Buckhead Energy (https://www.buckheadenergy.com/) - Format: full-content Markdown twin of the page (same content as the HTML; site navigation and footer removed) Breadcrumb: [Home](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/) › [Selling Solar Lease Payments and Solar Royalties](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties) › [New York](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork) › Erie County Quick answer Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. Erie County, New York has 23 utility-scale solar plants of at least 1 MW, with 81.3 MW (AC) of capacity in total, according to the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (version 4.0, released April 14, 2026). ## Utility-scale solar plants in Erie County The plants came online between 2016 and 2025.^\[1\] Nine of the 20 plants with a recorded mounting type use tracking systems that follow the sun, and 11 use fixed-tilt panels.^\[1\] | Plant | Online | Capacity (MW AC) | Mounting | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Amherst Community Solar | 2023 | 5 | Tracking | | Broadway CDG Solar, LLC | 2023 | 5 | Fixed tilt | | Corning Riverview (CSG) | 2020 | 5 | Tracking | | DOCCS Wende | 2021 | 5 | Fixed tilt | | Main Rd Community Solar | 2022 | 5 | Tracking | | Millersport GM 1 | 2022 | 5 | Tracking | | NY Grand Island 871 Whitehaven Rd Solar | 2024 | 5 | Tracking | | NY Lancaster Gunnville Rd Site 1 Solar CSG | 2024 | 5 | Fixed tilt | | Bullis Road Solar (CSG) | 2021 | 4.5 | Tracking | | NY Evans 7690 SW Blvd - SL Evans Array 1 | 2025 | 4.3 | Not recorded | | Comfort CSG | 2024 | 4 | Tracking | | NY Evans 7690 SW Blvd - SL Evans Array 2 | 2025 | 4 | Not recorded | | Gowans (CSG) | 2025 | 3.8 | Not recorded | | Burns Road Solar | 2024 | 3.2 | Tracking | | AES Tonawanda Solar, LLC | 2020 | 2 | Fixed tilt | | Big Tree Community Solar Farm | 2021 | 2 | Fixed tilt | | Buffalo NY GigaFactory | 2022 | 2 | Fixed tilt | | Chambers 3 - Erie County Alden | 2018 | 2 | Tracking | | Steel Sun | 2016 | 2 | Fixed tilt | | Steel Sun 2: 2303-III-2 Hamburg Turnpike | 2019 | 2 | Fixed tilt | | Steel Sun 2: 2303-III-4 Hamburg Turnpike | 2019 | 2 | Fixed tilt | | Steel Sun 2: 2303-III-9 Hamburg Turnpike | 2019 | 2 | Fixed tilt | | Bizer Creek | 2022 | 1.5 | Fixed tilt | Source: U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (USGS, LBNL), version 4.0, released April 14, 2026. Data compiled November 1, 2026. ## What the data means for solar lease owners in Erie County The oldest utility-scale solar plant in the county came online in 2016.^\[1\] Solar lease agreements can last 20 to 30 years.^\[2\] The newest came online in 2025.^\[1\] Federal guidance for farmers describes solar lease payments as typically structured as a fixed annual or monthly fee per acre, or as a percentage of the energy generated by the solar panels.^\[3\] Rent during the operations period will likely include an inflation adjustment, which may be tied to a measure like the Consumer Price Index or set at a fixed rate.^\[4\] ## Solar leases in New York Some solar leases limit what the landowner may do with the payments: an example lease published by a New York State commission bars the landowner from severing the lease payments or assigning them to a third party without the developer's consent.^\[6\] ## What you sell and what you keep What Buckhead buys depends on the deal, and Buckhead tells the seller up front which interest it is offering to buy — for example, the payments for the rest of the current lease term, a term easement, or a longer-term interest. Solar rent is paid period by period, the operations period may last 20 years or more, and renewals are at the developer's option.^\[4\] The land can be converted back to agricultural uses at the end of the installation's operational life.^\[3\] Educational information only — not legal, tax, or investment advice. The figures are public reference data, not a valuation or appraisal of any interest. Consult a qualified attorney, CPA, or landman about your specific situation. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many utility-scale solar plants are in Erie County, New York? Erie County, New York has 23 utility-scale solar plants of at least 1 MW, with 81.3 MW (AC) of capacity in total, according to the U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (version 4.0, released April 14, 2026).^\[1\] Utility-scale power plants have at least one megawatt of electricity generation capacity.^\[5\] ### Which solar plants operate in Erie County? The largest plants are Amherst Community Solar (2023, 5 MW AC), Broadway CDG Solar, LLC (2023, 5 MW AC), Corning Riverview (CSG) (2020, 5 MW AC), DOCCS Wende (2021, 5 MW AC), Main Rd Community Solar (2022, 5 MW AC) and Millersport GM 1 (2022, 5 MW AC).^\[1\] The next are NY Grand Island 871 Whitehaven Rd Solar (2024, 5 MW AC) and NY Lancaster Gunnville Rd Site 1 Solar CSG (2024, 5 MW AC), plus 15 more in the table above.^\[1\] ### Can I sell solar lease payments or royalties in Erie County? Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. What Buckhead buys depends on the deal, and Buckhead tells the seller up front which interest it is offering to buy — for example, the payments for the rest of the current lease term, a term easement, or a longer-term interest. ### When did solar plants in Erie County come online? Of the plants with a recorded year, five came online in the 2010s and 18 in the 2020s.^\[1\] Solar lease agreements can last 20 to 30 years.^\[2\] ### Which nearby New York counties also have utility-scale solar plants? Nearby New York counties with utility-scale solar plants include Niagara County (58.7 MW AC), Genesee County (46.9 MW AC), Orleans County (33.5 MW AC), Chautauqua County (57.5 MW AC) and Cattaraugus County (39.5 MW AC).^\[1\] ### What does New York law say about solar leases? Some solar leases limit what the landowner may do with the payments: an example lease published by a New York State commission bars the landowner from severing the lease payments or assigning them to a third party without the developer's consent.^\[6\] ## Related pages [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in New York](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork) [Selling Solar Lease Payments and Solar Royalties](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties) [Mineral rights in New York](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/mineral-rights/newyork) [Wind Royalties and Lease Payments in Erie County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/wind-royalties/newyork/erie) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Niagara County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork/niagara) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Genesee County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork/genesee) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Orleans County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork/orleans) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Chautauqua County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork/chautauqua) [Solar Lease Payments and Royalties in Cattaraugus County](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/solar-lease-royalties/newyork/cattaraugus) ## Sources \[1\] [U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (version 4.0, released April 14, 2026)](https://energy.usgs.gov/uspvdb/) — U.S. Geological Survey and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (accessed November 1, 2026) \[2\] [Solar Lease Considerations for Landowners](https://mytexas.ag.tamu.edu/publications/solar-lease-considerations-for-landowners/) — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (accessed November 1, 2026) \[3\] [Farmer's Guide to Going Solar](https://www.energy.gov/cmei/systems/farmers-guide-going-solar) — U.S. Department of Energy (accessed November 1, 2026) \[4\] [Farmland Owner's Guide to Solar Leasing](https://nationalaglawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/assets/articles/hall_solar_Leasing.pdf) — Ohio State University Extension and the National Agricultural Law Center (accessed November 1, 2026) \[5\] [Solar explained: Where solar is found and used](https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/solar/where-solar-is-found.php) — U.S. Energy Information Administration (accessed November 1, 2026) \[6\] [Planning for Offsite Solar Energy Projects (Issue Paper Series, example solar lease)](https://tughill.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Planning-for-Offsite-Solar-Energy-Projects.pdf) — New York State Tug Hill Commission (accessed November 1, 2026) ## Ready to Sell Your Solar Lease Payments or Royalties? Buckhead Energy buys solar lease payments and solar royalties. [Get a Free Written Offer](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/sell#inquiry:source=%2Fsolar-lease-royalties%2Fnewyork%2Ferie&county=Erie+County) ## Frequently Asked Questions **When did solar plants in Erie County come online?** Of the plants with a recorded year, five came online in the 2010s and 18 in the 2020s. Solar lease agreements can last 20 to 30 years. ## About Buckhead Energy Buckhead Energy is a direct buyer, not a broker — we purchase mineral and royalty interests with our own capital. Buckhead Energy buys mineral and royalty interests across all 50 states and has completed acquisitions in 33 states. Buckhead Energy has been buying mineral and royalty interests since 2006. Buckhead Energy holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Buckhead provides a free written offer. Buckhead Energy typically provides an offer within 24–48 hours. Closings typically take 30–45 days, subject to title review and clearance. Buckhead Energy's written offers stay open for 14 days. **Sell mineral rights:** https://www.buckheadenergy.com/sell **Operator directory:** https://www.buckheadenergy.com/operators