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New York power
Generates renewable electricity from the Mohawk River, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 16,000 homes for a year.*
Air quality & health in Albany County
Albany County has a population of 316,659. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 64,742 cases in the county.
The county received a grade of B for ozone pollution. For particle pollution — the fine soot and dust that can be breathed deep into the lungs — it received a grade of D.
Federal monitoring recorded 184 days of good air quality and 84 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 5 days 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 the 142 hydropower plants in New York, School Street in Cohoes ranks #7 by the electricity it produced in 2024. It sits on the Mohawk River and has been running since 1915. Five generators, machines that turn moving water into electricity, make up its conventional hydroelectric design, meaning river water spins turbines directly, with no fuel burned.
In 2024 the plant generated 158.8 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a very large unit of electricity, which is about 16,000 homes’ worth for a year. Its capacity is 38.8 MW, a megawatt being the most power it can deliver at one moment. It is owned by Erie Boulevard Hydropower LP and serves National Grid customers.
Environmental impact
Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 61,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as not burning about 7,100,000 gallons of gasoline.*
Nearby places worth exploring
Cohoes sits in Albany County, close to Albany, the state capital, home to the Empire State Plaza and the University at Albany. The Hudson River waterfront is nearby, and Thacher State Park in the Helderberg hills offers a change of scenery.
Local school district
Cohoes City 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.
