New York power

Generates renewable electricity from the Normanskill, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 230 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 Normanskill Hydro Project in Guilderland ranks #138 by 2024 electricity produced, making it one of the state’s smaller water-powered sites. It is a conventional hydroelectric plant, meaning it generates electricity as river water flows through a turbine, and it draws on the Normanskill. It has run since 1983 with one generator and a capacity of 1.2 MW.

In 2024 it produced 2.3 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a very large unit of electricity, or about 230 homes’ worth of yearly power. It is owned by Watervliet City of and connects to the National Grid system. It makes electricity without burning fuel.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 880 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as keeping about 340 tons of waste out of a landfill.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Guilderland sits in Albany County, close to Albany, the state capital, where you’ll find the Empire State Plaza and the University at Albany. The Hudson River waterfront and Thacher State Park, up in the Helderberg hills, are also nearby.

Local school district

Guilderland 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.