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Profile
New York power
Generates renewable electricity from the Saranac River, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 1,200 homes for a year.*
Air quality & health in Franklin County
Franklin County has a population of 46,502. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 9,800 cases in the county.
No ozone or particle pollution grades are available for this county in the most recent report. The figures above describe how many residents live with conditions sensitive to air quality — not measured pollution levels.
Long-term exposure to air pollution has been linked to certain health conditions, particularly for children and older adults. Where electricity comes from affects how much combustion pollution is produced on the grid.
These figures describe the county as a whole and are not specific to this facility. Sources: American Lung Association – State of the Air (New York); U.S. EPA Air Quality Index.
The story behind this New York renewable energy facility
New York has 142 hydropower plants in this category, and the Franklin plant sits at #86 by 2024 electricity produced. Hydropower means using flowing water to spin a generator, which is a machine that turns motion into electricity. Here, the water comes from the Saranac River, and the plant has been operating since 1911.
In 2024 it produced 12.1 gigawatt-hours (a gigawatt-hour is a large unit of electricity), which is about 1,200 homes’ worth. It has 2 generators and a capacity of 2.0 MW (a megawatt is the most power it can deliver at one moment), which is also a plain way of saying its size.
Environmental impact
Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 4,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as not using about 11,000 barrels of oil.*
Nearby places worth exploring
Franklin is in the northern Adirondacks, a region known for its lakes and forested landscape. Saranac Lake, a well-known lake country village, is nearby. In the north of the county, Malone and the Titus Mountain ski area are also popular destinations.
Local school district
Saranac Lake Central School District
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* Homes-powered and emissions comparisons are annual estimates based on national averages from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. “Homes powered” describes a quantity of electricity, not direct service to specific households. How we calculate this.
