New York power

Generates renewable electricity from the Oswego River, supporting New York communities and producing enough electricity for about 2,200 homes for a year.*

Air quality & health in Oswego County

Oswego County has a population of 118,162. Across five conditions the American Lung Association tracks — childhood asthma, adult asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease — it reports a combined 24,364 cases in the county.

The county received a grade of B for ozone pollution. No particle pollution grade is available.

Federal monitoring recorded 256 days of good air quality and 8 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 in this category, and the Varick plant in Oswego ranks #65 of them by 2024 electricity produced. It sits on the Oswego River and began operating in 1926. Four generators there turn flowing water into electricity, giving the plant a capacity of 8.0 MW (a megawatt measures how much power a plant can deliver at any one moment).

In 2024 it produced 22.2 gigawatt-hours (a gigawatt-hour is a billion watt-hours, a way of counting electricity over time), which is about 2,200 homes’ worth of electricity. It is a conventional hydroelectric plant, meaning it uses river water passing through turbines, with no fuel burned. Erie Boulevard Hydropower LP owns it.

Environmental impact

Produces electricity without burning fuel, which avoids roughly 8,600 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 3,300 tons of waste out of a landfill.*

Nearby places worth exploring

Oswego sits on the shore of Lake Ontario and is home to SUNY Oswego. Fort Ontario overlooks the harbor, and the city is a pleasant stop for lake views. Farther afield, Selkirk Shores State Park and the Salmon River draw anglers and campers.

Local school district

Oswego 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.