New York power

Generates renewable electricity from the Raquette River, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 1,400 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in St. Lawrence County

St. Lawrence County has a population of 106,940. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 22,121 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

New York has 142 hydropower plants in this category, and the Hewittville Hydroelectric plant in Norwood, St. Lawrence County, ranks #78 of 142 by the electricity it produced in 2024. It sits on the Raquette River and uses conventional hydroelectric technology, which simply means river water flows through a turbine to spin a generator. It began operating in 1984 and is owned by Erie Boulevard Hydropower LP.

Its single generator has a capacity of 3.0 MW, a measure of the most power it can deliver at any one moment. Last year it produced 13.8 gigawatt-hours (a unit for measuring large amounts of electricity), enough to power about 1,400 homes. Because it runs on flowing water rather than burning fuel, it generates carbon-free electricity.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 5,300 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as taking about 1,100 cars off the road for a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Norwood sits in the northern part of St. Lawrence County, close to the college towns of Canton, home to St. Lawrence University and SUNY Canton, and Potsdam, home to Clarkson University and SUNY Potsdam. The St. Lawrence River and the foothills of the Adirondacks frame the county, making the region a pleasant backdrop for a drive or a day trip.

Local school district

Potsdam 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.