New York power

Generates renewable electricity from the Mohawk River, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 5,600 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, the Crescent plant ranks #24 by the electricity it produced in 2024. It sits on the Mohawk River in Albany County and is run by the New York Power Authority. It started operating in 1924 and uses conventional hydroelectric technology, meaning river water spins turbines to make power.

Its four generators have a capacity of 11.6 MW, the most electricity the plant can send out at one moment. Over 2024 it produced 55.8 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a very large unit of energy, enough to power about 5,600 homes. The plant burns no fuel and runs on moving water.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 22,000 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 22,000,000 pounds of coal.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Crescent sits in Albany County, close to Albany, the state capital, where the Empire State Plaza and the University at Albany are well-known landmarks. The Hudson River waterfront is nearby, and Thacher State Park in the Helderberg hills is a short drive away.

Local school district

North Colonie 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.