Buffalo-Niagara features the largest solar panel manufacturing plant in the Western hemisphere, a rich industrial legacy, and world-renowned researchers in materials science and other key areas. These are just a few of the reasons why we’re taking the lead in creating a more regenerative approach for advanced manufacturing and clean technology.
Located in the western part of New York State, the Buffalo-Niagara region includes Buffalo — New York’s second-largest city — and world-famous Niagara Falls. We think Buffalo is the right type of community to do this work in. Because of our resilience, our connectivity to each other and our shared history that has many lessons to teach us as we think forward on a future that is better for all of us.
Strong Academic Partners
The University at Buffalo (UB) — the premier public research university in the northeastern United States and the largest and most comprehensive campus in the SUNY system
- UB’s Department of Materials Design and Innovation — one of the only organizations in the world to combine a focus on materials innovation with the use of information and data science
The Largest Solar Manufacturing Plant in the Western Hemisphere
Gigafactory 2 — owned by Tesla (following its acquisition of SolarCity) and operated by Panasonic, this 1.2 million-square-foot facility has the capacity to produce one gigawatt of solar panels each year, and employ nearly 1,500 people
A Rich Manufacturing History
Located at the end point of the Erie Canal and just a few miles from Niagara Falls, Buffalo was once one of the largest cities in the United States, home to steel mills, grain elevators, shipbuilders and other leading manufacturers. Today, companies continue to benefit from our spacious factories, low-cost power, shipping access to major markets, and talented workforce.
At-Risk Communities
As one of the nation’s poorest cities, Buffalo is home to tens of thousands of people who are living in poverty. Creating a regenerative economy here will serve as a model for other communities that want to create new jobs, improve health throughout the population, and follow a sustainable path for growth.
Winning a $1 Million Prize
The University at Buffalo’s collaborative approach to Localizing Buffalo’s Renewable Energy Future – which won Governor Cuomo’s $1 million Renewing the Energy Vision prize – is a model for enabling large-scale change towards a more regenerative economy. This initiative is expected to create 100 megawatts of new solar energy manufactured in Buffalo and thousands of new jobs, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of taking 17,000 cars off the road each year
> Read more about Localizing Buffalo’s Renewable Energy Future