New York power

Generates renewable electricity from the Sacandaga River, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 7,500 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Saratoga County

Saratoga County has a population of 238,711. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 51,023 cases in the county.

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

Federal monitoring recorded 233 days of good air quality and 10 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

Of the 142 hydropower plants in its category in New York, the E J West plant in Lake Luzerne ranks #19 by how much electricity it produced in 2024. It sits on the Sacandaga River and has been running since 1930, using conventional hydroelectric technology, which simply means river water turns a turbine to spin a generator.

In 2024 it produced 75.4 gigawatt-hours, a unit of energy equal to the yearly electricity use of about 7,500 homes. Its two generators have a combined capacity of 22.0 MW, a megawatt being the most power the plant can deliver at one moment, and Erie Boulevard Hydropower LP owns it. The water-powered process is renewable and carbon-free.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 29,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as keeping about 11,000 tons of waste out of a landfill.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Lake Luzerne sits in Saratoga County, a short drive from Saratoga Springs, home to the Saratoga Race Course, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and Saratoga Spa State Park. Saratoga Lake lies just outside the city, and the Adirondack foothills begin nearby.

Local school district

Hadley-Luzerne 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.