New York power

Generates renewable electricity from the Black River, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 5,100 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Jefferson County

Jefferson County has a population of 114,787. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 21,824 cases in the county.

The county received a grade of B for ozone pollution. No particle pollution grade is available.

Federal monitoring recorded 255 days of good air quality and 16 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 0 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 the Beebee Island Hydro Plant in Watertown ranks #29 of 142 by electricity produced in 2024. It sits on the Black River and has been running since 1931. It makes power from flowing water, a carbon-free source, using conventional hydroelectric technology (water drops through turbines that spin generators).

In 2024 it produced 50.9 gigawatt-hours (a gigawatt-hour is a large unit of electricity, a million kilowatt-hours), about 5,100 homes’ worth. Its two generators (machines that turn spinning motion into electricity) have a capacity of 9.0 MW (megawatts, the most power it can deliver at once), and it is owned by Erie Boulevard Hydropower LP.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 20,000 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 2,300,000 gallons of gasoline.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Watertown sits at the edge of the Thousand Islands region, where the St. Lawrence River draws visitors to the resort villages of Clayton and Alexandria Bay. Sackets Harbor, a short drive away, looks out over Lake Ontario.

Local school district

Watertown 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.