2+MW solar array will provide electricity discounts to community subscribers
Lackawanna, NY (September 30, 2025) – After years of planning, the future of a prominent industrial redevelopment site in Lackawanna is coming into focus.
Officials from Bethlehem Solar Park and Good Energy were joined by City of Lackawanna Mayor Annette Iafallo and other officials to announce plans for a 2+ Megawatt community solar development on a privately-owned portion of the former Bethlehem Steel campus.
The nearly $6 million project is currently being constructed on approximately 10 acres of land at Steelworks Industrial Park, located on the east side of NYS Route 5 near Lincoln Avenue. The new solar development will be a source of clean, renewable energy and will provide energy discounts to community subscribers. The discounts will be delivered through a credit on the subscribers’ National Grid bill. Once complete, the system can generate enough electricity to power a community of approximately 300 homes.
“This site helped power the economy of Lackawanna and the entire region for generations. In reimagining its future, we wanted to pursue a development that would benefit the people of the surrounding community,” said David Franjoine, Bethlehem Solar Park. “All of the power generated by this project will be consumed locally. As important, this community solar project will deliver tangible economic benefits to the City of Lackawanna and to Lackawanna homeowners.”
“The Bethlehem Solar Park project is another example of the strong partnership efforts which have brought millions in public and private investments to the City of Lackawanna since 2020 to create modern and productive reuses of the vast former Bethlehem Steel Plant site on both the west and east side of Route 5,” said Mayor Iafallo. “In addition, this new solar park will help create a more sustainable Lackawanna community by providing our residents with a clean and cost-effective source of alternative energy.”
Construction of the solar array, which consists of more than 4,300 modules, began in August. Now that all of the panels have been installed, mechanical completion is expected to be completed in early 2026, with final completion targeted for April. The system will begin generating electricity once it has received necessary approvals from New York State.
Good Energy has been a leader in Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) programs for more than 25 years. The company pioneered New York’s CCA program and helped develop the state’s pilot CCA program in Westchester County. Good Energy, a New York-based firm, establishes CCA programs across the country, with more than 500 municipal energy programs in various stages of development.
“This approach exemplifies how collaboration between state, municipal, and the private sector can create meaningful solutions – not just for the grid, but for the communities that depend on it,” said Javier Barrios, Founding Partner at Good Energy.
Good Energy will begin community outreach and conducting information sessions for potential subscribers in Lackawanna in the near future. Subscribers to the CCA pay no upfront costs and are able to enjoy the benefits of solar energy without having to install rooftop panels on their homes. Good Energy has developed a website, LackawannaCommunitySolar.com, where interested homeowners can find more information on the program, its benefits, and how it works.
Development of Bethlehem Solar Park is an integral part of a series of ongoing transformation efforts to reimagine the vast acreage of former steel plant land in Lackawanna into modern industrial parks designed for advanced manufacturing, warehouse and distribution activities, among other potential uses. Steelworks Industrial Park, comprised of nearly 100 acres of land located on the east side of NYS Route 5, is a private development that is currently home to several business and industrial tenants serving a variety of industries and uses. It is located just south of the new Renaissance Commerce Park, a public/private brownfield redevelopment effort led by Erie County and the Erie County Industrial Development Agency in partnership with the City of Lackawanna, which is emerging on 240 acres of land on the west side of NYS Route 5.
Since 2009, Steelworks Industrial Park has seen significant investment in site and land enablement efforts to help bring the site’s nearly 100 acres of land to a development-ready state. The development of Bethlehem Solar Park is seen as a potential catalyst that can help attract future development at Steelworks Industrial Park, particularly for users that can leverage the strong utility infrastructure the site offers, such as companies operating in the warehousing, logistics and light manufacturing industries.
For information on Bethlehem Solar Park, visit LackawannaCommunitySolar.com. For information on Steelworks Industrial Park, visit SteelWorksIndustrialPark.com or call 716-310-7235.
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