New York power

Generates renewable electricity from the Hudson River, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 2,200 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

New York has 142 hydropower plants of this kind, and the Mechanicville Hydroelectric Station, on the Hudson River in Saratoga County, ranks #66 of 142 by the electricity it produced in 2024. It began operating in 2011 and uses conventional hydroelectric technology, which simply means river water flows through turbines to spin generators, with no fuel burned.

In 2024 the station produced 21.8 gigawatt-hours (a gigawatt-hour is a large unit for measuring electricity over time), which is about 2,200 homes’ worth of yearly use. Its two generators have a combined capacity of 4.0 MW (megawatts, the most power the station can deliver at one moment).

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 8,400 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 1,800 cars off the road for a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Mechanicville sits in Saratoga County, a short drive from Saratoga Springs, home to the Saratoga Race Course, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and Saratoga Spa State Park. Saratoga Lake lies just outside the city, and the Hudson River that feeds this station runs through the surrounding countryside.

Local school district

Mechanicville 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.