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New York power
Generates renewable electricity from the Oswegatchie River, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 640 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 Upper Newton Falls, on the Oswegatchie River in Newton Falls, ranks #119 of 142 by 2024 electricity produced. It is a conventional hydroelectric plant, meaning it turns the flow of river water into power with no fuel burned. It began operating in 1927 and has 3 generators.
In 2024 it produced 6.4 gigawatt-hours, a gigawatt-hour being a large unit of electricity, which is about 640 homes’ worth of power. Its capacity is 1.5 MW, a megawatt being the most power it can deliver at one moment.
Environmental impact
Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 2,500 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 960 tons of waste out of a landfill.*
Nearby places worth exploring
Newton Falls sits in St. Lawrence County, where the Adirondack foothills and the St. Lawrence River frame the landscape. The college towns of Canton, home to St. Lawrence University and SUNY Canton, and Potsdam, home to Clarkson University and SUNY Potsdam, are a short drive away.
Local school district
Clifton-Fine 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.
