New York power

Generates renewable electricity from the Genesee River, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 500 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Monroe County

Monroe County has a population of 748,482. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 154,303 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 195 days of good air quality and 72 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 7 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

New York has 142 hydropower plants in this category, and Rochester 26, on Court St. in Rochester, ranks #127 of 142 by electricity produced in 2024. It uses water from the Genesee River, and RG&E, the local utility, owns it.

Conventional hydroelectric means river water flows through a turbine, a wheel that spins a generator, to make electricity without burning anything. The plant began operating in 1952 and has a capacity of 3.0 MW, the most power it can deliver at one moment. In 2024 it produced 5.0 gigawatt-hours, a measure of electricity over time, which is about 500 homes’ yearly use.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 1,900 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 2,000 acres of forest in a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Rochester is home to the University of Rochester and RIT, and Highland Park is a well-known green space in the city. The Lake Ontario shoreline sits just to the north. Erie Canal villages such as Pittsford and Fairport line the canal path nearby.

Local school district

Rochester 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.