New York power

Generates renewable electricity from the Mongaup River, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 1,600 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Sullivan County

Sullivan County has a population of 79,920. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 16,644 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

Swinging Bridge 2 is a hydropower plant in Forestburgh, Sullivan County, and it sits right in the middle of New York’s pack: #71 of 142 hydropower plants in the state by 2024 electricity produced. It uses water from the Mongaup River to spin two generators, and it has been operating since 1939.

In 2024 it produced 16.3 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a unit for measuring large amounts of electricity, which is about 1,600 homes’ worth of power for the year. Its capacity is 8.0 MW, a megawatt being the most electricity it can produce at one moment. Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC owns it, and it serves the Orange & Rockland area.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 6,300 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as taking about 1,300 cars off the road for a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Forestburgh sits in the southern Catskills, an area known for its woods and rolling hills. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts and the village of Monticello are both close by. The Delaware River forms the western edge of Sullivan County.

Local school district

Monticello 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.