New York power

Generates renewable electricity from the East Canada Creek, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 1,200 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Herkimer County

Herkimer County has a population of 59,484. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 12,853 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

Dolgeville Hydro is one of 142 hydropower plants in New York, and it ranks #90 of those 142 by electricity produced in 2024. It sits on East Canada Creek in Dolgeville and has been running since 1985. Hydropower simply means using flowing water to spin a generator, much like a waterwheel that makes electricity.

In 2024 the plant produced 11.6 gigawatt-hours (a gigawatt-hour is a large unit for measuring electricity), which is about 1,200 homes’ worth of power for a year. Its single generator has a capacity of 5.0 MW (the most power it can deliver at one moment). It is owned by EONY Generation Limited and connects to the National Grid system.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 4,500 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 using about 11,000 barrels of oil.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Dolgeville sits in Herkimer County, in the Mohawk Valley. The nearby city of Little Falls is a well-known stop in the valley, and the Herkimer Diamond Mines draw visitors curious about the area’s quartz crystals. To the north in the county, the southern Adirondacks begin to rise.

Local school district

Dolgeville 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.