The Hydropower of Niagara Falls
Did you know that Niagara Falls is the largest electricity provider in New York State? Find out more about how this natural wonder became a powerhouse of AC electricity, from the history of the Niagara Falls power plants to today's hydroelectric wonders.
Niagara Falls and electricity have gone hand in hand since Nikola Tesla masterminded the harnessing of electricity from the Falls in the late 1890s. Since then, thanks to the construction of multiple power plants, Niagara Falls has been generating millions of kilowatts of electricity per year.
When Niagara Falls’ first power plant came online on Nov. 18, 1896, Tesla ushered in a new era for the natural wonder as a leading electric producer. Within several years, the Falls were able to power the elevated railways and streetlights of New York City. The alternating current Tesla discovered, in direct competition to Thomas Edison's direct current system, still powers homes and offices all over New York State today.
Niagara Falls' history of harnessing hydropower
The 3,160 tons of water that flow over Niagara Falls every second generate millions of kilowatts of hydroelectric power for both the U.S. and Canadian sides. By the mid-20th century, the U.S. government recognized this tremendous source of power and the New York Power Authority set out to harness it.
In 1961, the Niagara Power Project was the largest hydropower facility in the western world, praised by President John F. Kennedy as "an example to the world.” It is currently New York State's biggest electricity producer, providing up to 2.6 million kilowatts of clean electricity per year.
The Project includes the Robert Moses Niagara Hydroelectric Power Station in Lewiston, located 4.5 miles downstream from Niagara Falls. This power generating station diverts water from the Niagara River and returns the water into the lower river near Lake Ontario. Releasing the water from the reservoirs is what generates the power to create electricity. Just between the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant and the Lewiston Pump Generating Plant, there are a combined 25 turbines being spun by almost 750,000 gallons of water per second.
Experience the power yourself
The Niagara Power Vista is a state-of-the-art facility and family-friendly space where you can learn about Niagara Falls' electricity generation through free exhibits, interactive gaming adventures and immersive theatre experiences. Science and history come alive with activities like designing your own dam to virtual reality rides through spinning turbines and zipping power lines. No wonder over 7 million visitors have named it a USA Today “10 Best in Niagara” attraction.
The next time you visit Niagara Falls, think about all the houses, buildings and bulbs that are powered by the rushing water. It’s electrifying!
Niagara Falls is currently New York State's biggest electricity producer, providing up to 2.6 million kilowatts of clean electricity per year.
![](https://niagara.imgix.net/images/design/water-80.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=bb6160945cad69fa660f1fb1c534ba49 320w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/design/water-80.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=093e7eff3f137f305da801691b3d26e4 540w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/design/water-80.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=5a3853cf9b78066d9ebfcdf081b857e7 768w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/design/water-80.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=f7f2770a3f404904dfdfad5f0dd4f275 1024w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/design/water-80.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=c70bed419c1b6ea3b6a0ca73d6be7fbc 1200w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/design/water-80.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=9b7f24fd65e89abfad05cc544d01bedf 1440w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/design/water-80.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=a5cadd7288a3a4232dc2771b20ae33d2 1920w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/design/water-80.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=1a5dd836a89e5607ed0a49e605524649 2560w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/design/water-80.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=3840&s=660a2caf6e305791a517b29780a8694f 3840w)
More Stories You'll Love
![](https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Tesla_NFSP.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=320&q=80&w=320&s=b7581f34383e76f2790f0480173ca8c1 320w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Tesla_NFSP.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=540&q=80&w=540&s=69dd3e576565e31b974e84143944fb9a 540w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Tesla_NFSP.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&q=80&w=768&s=6235f0e0221d367ec15404eaaa0c9f16 768w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/main-images/Tesla_NFSP.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1024&q=80&w=1024&s=82ab95a8827df55f9a37812f996b5cd5 790w)
How the famous inventor shaped Falls’ history at the turn of the 20th century —…
![](https://niagara.imgix.net/images/HERO_Falls-illumination.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=320&q=80&w=320&s=61dc9ad5580f8f8a1095b2d2fec5203f 320w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/HERO_Falls-illumination.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=540&q=80&w=540&s=300c096a3f032fea993c263b64e8e822 540w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/HERO_Falls-illumination.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&q=80&w=768&s=5440a027b9ad36e3520221dc706f4880 768w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/HERO_Falls-illumination.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1024&q=80&w=1024&s=b08e73b6220ee647be7527c0454808ba 1024w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/HERO_Falls-illumination.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1200&q=80&w=1200&s=a15e4787f7c0978ec6eec81338f27b6b 1080w)
Linus MacDonald has been the man behind the Niagara Falls Illumination show for over 2…
![](https://niagara.imgix.net/images/meta-images/Untitled-design-2023-07-10T154306.376-1024x539.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=320&q=80&w=320&s=03abc0e12ac439cc75bd8246e8a671e9 320w, https://niagara.imgix.net/images/meta-images/Untitled-design-2023-07-10T154306.376-1024x539.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=540&q=80&w=540&s=d6ed4acf2167063ebb0a02dc21b54f44 539w)
Niagara County is rich in history — and in quirky trivia! Here are 10 of…