New York power

Generates renewable electricity from the Raquette River, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 2,800 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in St. Lawrence County

St. Lawrence County has a population of 106,940. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 22,121 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

Of New York’s 142 hydropower plants, the Norfolk plant in St. Lawrence County ranks #45 by the electricity it produced in 2024. It sits on the Raquette River and has been running since 1928, using one conventional hydroelectric generator, which means river water turns a turbine without any fuel being burned.

Its capacity is 5.0 MW, a measure of the most power it can deliver at one moment. In 2024 it produced 28.1 gigawatt-hours, a unit for large amounts of electricity, which is about 2,800 homes’ worth. National Grid is the local utility, and the plant is owned by Erie Boulevard Hydropower LP.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 11,000 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 11,000 acres of forest in a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Norfolk sits in St. Lawrence County, where the Adirondack foothills and the St. Lawrence River frame the landscape. Nearby Canton is home to St. Lawrence University and SUNY Canton, and Potsdam is home to Clarkson University and SUNY Potsdam.

Local school district

Norwood-Norfolk Central 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.