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Profile
New York power
Converts landfill gas into renewable electricity, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 3,200 homes for a year.*
Air quality & health in Niagara County
Niagara County has a population of 209,457. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 44,812 cases in the county.
The county received a grade of B for ozone pollution. No particle pollution grade is available.
Federal monitoring recorded 240 days of good air quality and 21 moderate days in the county over the most recent year, with 1 day 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 17 biofuel plants in this category, and Modern Innovative Energy LLC in Youngstown, Niagara County, ranks #10 of 17 by 2024 electricity produced. It runs on landfill gas, the methane that forms as buried trash breaks down, which is captured and burned to turn generators. It began operating in 2006.
In 2024 the plant produced 32.3 gigawatt-hours (a gigawatt-hour is a billion watt-hours, a way of counting large amounts of electricity), roughly what about 3,200 homes use in a year. Its 4 generators have a combined capacity of 6.4 MW (a megawatt is a million watts, the most power a plant can deliver at once).
Environmental profile
Captures methane released by decomposing landfill waste and burns it to make electricity. Methane traps more heat in the atmosphere than the carbon dioxide produced by burning it, so the gas is collected rather than left to escape.
Nearby places worth exploring
Youngstown sits near the Niagara River, close to Lewiston, a village known for its riverfront. Fort Niagara State Park is nearby, where the river meets Lake Ontario. Niagara Falls State Park and the river gorge are also within easy reach.
Local school district
Lewiston-Porter Central School District
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* 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.
