SPI Insights

New York – Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a 15-year program to extend the operating life of the Niagara Power Project (NPP). The NPP supplies 10 percent of New York State’s energy, and the new program aims to help the state achieve its clean energy goals with modern power equipment and technology.

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) is launching the Next Generation Niagara program with the goal of investing $1.1 billion to modernize and digitize the NPP. Most of the work will focus on the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant, the NPP’s main generating facility.

Improvements include replacing aging equipment with modern machinery and technology to optimize hydroelectric performance.

The program will be carried out in four phases, with work set to begin later this year. Phases include a comprehensive inspection of the Robert Moses plant’s penstocks, refurbishing the 630-ton crane used for mechanical work, upgrading and digitizing control systems, and building a new back-up control room and replacing mechanical parts.