LEWISTON, N.Y. — As a part of Climate Week, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the completion of modernization work at the Niagara Power Plant.
The announcement was originally made earlier this week, but Hochul traveled to the plant on Wednesday to celebrate the completion of the $460 million project, which took 10 years to complete. The modernization is the first milestone in the Next Generation Niagara project, which will invest an additional $1.1 billion in the plant for the next 15 years.
This first milestone will extend the life of the New York Power Authority's Lewiston Pump Generating Plant and digitize the the first of the hydropower turbines at Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant.
"Taking bold steps in the fight against climate change has never been more important, and New York State is prepared to lead the way forward taking advantage of carbon-free sources of energy," Hochul said.
"By digitizing and modernizing our Niagara Power Project, one of the largest sources of clean energy in the country, we're ensuring that it will continue to power our economy for years to come. This project holds up New York as a shining example of what it takes to modernize and upgrade a large, complex generation resource."
The $1.1 billion investment was approved by the New York Power Authority Board of Trustees at the end of July. It is the largest capital project in NYPA's history and will contribute towards that state's goal of being 100% carbon free by 2040.
Construction will be done in four phases and work will begin later this year.
