New York power

Generates renewable electricity from the St Lawrence River, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 670,000 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

Of the 142 hydropower plants in New York, the Robert Moses Power Dam in Massena ranks #2 by electricity produced in 2024, and it sits #4 among all 908 reporting power plants in the state. It’s owned by the New York Power Authority and uses water from the St Lawrence River.

The plant began operating in 1958 and uses conventional hydroelectric technology, meaning river water flowing through turbines spins generators to make electricity. Its 16 generators have a capacity of 912.0 MW, a measure of the most power it can deliver at once; that is roughly the power needs of about 670,000 homes. In 2024 it produced 6,661.8 gigawatt-hours, a unit for large amounts of electricity, which is about 670,000 homes’ worth of use over a year.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 2,600,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year compared with producing the same electricity from the national mix of power sources — about the same as taking about 550,000 cars off the road for a year.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Massena sits in St. Lawrence County, where the St. Lawrence River and the Adirondack foothills frame the landscape. To the south are the college towns of Canton, home to St. Lawrence University and SUNY Canton, and Potsdam, home to Clarkson University and SUNY Potsdam.

Local school district

Massena 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.