New York power

Generates renewable electricity from the Barge Canal, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 1,000 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Niagara County

Niagara County has a population of 209,457. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 44,812 cases in the county.

The county received a grade of B for ozone pollution. No particle pollution grade is available.

Federal monitoring recorded 240 days of good air quality and 21 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 1 day rated unhealthy for sensitive groups.

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

Of New York’s 142 hydropower plants in this category, Hydraulic Race in Lockport ranks #101 by the electricity it produced in 2024. It has run since 1942, using water from the Barge Canal to turn a single generator, a machine that converts spinning motion into electricity.

In 2024 it produced 10.0 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a large measure of electricity, which is about 1,000 homes’ worth. Its capacity, the most power it can deliver at one moment, is 3.0 MW, and it is carbon-free because moving water, not burning fuel, does the work.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 3,900 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as the carbon absorbed by about 4,000 acres of forest in a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Lockport sits in Niagara County, not far from Niagara Falls State Park and the river gorge. Farther along the Niagara River, the village of Lewiston and Fort Niagara State Park mark the spot where the river meets Lake Ontario.

Local school district

Lockport City School District

Common questions

* 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.