ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- City of Rochester officials broke ground on a new solar field Wednesday morning. It's the former site of the Emerson Street Landfill on Lexington Avenue.
Buffalo-based Solar Liberty will install more than 7,800 solar panels across the seven acre plot.
Once complete, it'll be the largest solar project on a brown field in New York State.
City officials says when it comes to powering government buildings it'll save them $80,000 in energy costs every year.
"This landfill, for a solar instillation, is innovative and highlights the city of Rochester's environmental stewardship," said Nathan Rizzo, Solar Liberty vice president. "This brown field turned bright field will provide clean sustainable electricity to the city for many years."
The project was funded in part by the state's $1 billion NY Sun Initiative to help expand New York's solar industry.