New York power

Generates renewable electricity from the Black River, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 2,700 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 Black River plant ranks #52 of them by electricity produced in 2024. It sits on the Black River in Jefferson County and has been running since 1920. Hydropower means using flowing water to spin a turbine, which turns a generator that makes electricity.

In 2024 it produced 27.1 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a very large unit of electricity, which is about 2,700 homes’ worth for a year. Its three generators have a combined capacity of 6.0 MW, a megawatt being the most power the plant can send out at one moment. Erie Boulevard Hydropower LP owns it.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 10,000 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 using about 26,000 barrels of oil.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Black River sits in Jefferson County in northern New York, a short drive from Watertown. The Thousand Islands region, with the resort villages of Clayton and Alexandria Bay on the St. Lawrence River, is a well-known destination nearby. Sackets Harbor sits on the shore of 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.