# Lewiston Pump Generating Plant

NYISO battery_storage · https://askthegrid.com/nyiso/assets/plant/lewiston-pump-generating-plant

The Lewiston Pump Generating Plant is a 240 MW hydroelectric pumped-storage facility operated by the New York Power Authority. It is the pumped-storage component of the Niagara Power Project, located in Lewiston, Niagara County, New York. The facility consists of 12 reversible pump-turbine units, each rated at approximately 20 MW, and uses the Lewiston Reservoir and the Niagara project forebay for water storage and cycling. The plant provides peak-demand hydropower during high-demand periods and is hydraulically and electrically coupled to the adjacent Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant. The Lewiston facility is distinct from the Robert Moses plant, which is a 2,525 MW conventional hydroelectric facility. Together, the two plants form the Niagara Power Project, which was the largest hydropower facility in the Western world when it began operation in 1961.

## Key facts

- Technology: Hydroelectric Pumped Storage
- Power capacity: 220 MW

## Grid and market context

- ISO/RTO: NYISO
- Balancing authority: NYISO

## Source-backed facts

- Operations.interconnection voltage kv: 230 kV — nyiso.com · confidence: review_required
- Operations.market resource ids: PTID 23760 — nyiso.com · confidence: review_required
- Operations.settlement point: PTID 23760 at LBMP (Locational Based Marginal Price) — nyiso.com · confidence: review_required
- Operations.balancing authority: NYISO (New York Independent System Operator) — nyiso.com · confidence: review_required
- Operations.operating status: operating — renewableenergyworld.com · confidence: review_required
- Operations.status date: 2021-09-22 — renewableenergyworld.com · confidence: review_required
- Parent asset.name: Niagara Power Project — nypa.gov · confidence: review_required
- Parent asset.description: The Niagara Power Project consists of the Lewiston Pump Generating Plant (240 MW pumped-storage development) and the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant (2,515.5 MW conventional development). Total installed capacity is 2,538 MW. — federalregister.gov · confidence: review_required
- History.financing model: NYPA finances operations through bond sales and revenues from electricity sales — nypa.gov · confidence: review_required
- History.construction cost usd: 48720000 USD — en.wikipedia.org · confidence: review_required

## Timeline

- 1958-03 — Construction began
  The New York Power Authority began construction of the Niagara Power Project by March 1958.
  Source: nypa.gov (https://www.nypa.gov/About/Timeline)
- 2005-08-18 — FERC relicensing application
  The New York Power Authority filed an application for a new major hydroelectric license (FERC Project No. P-2216-066) with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The application expressly identified the Niagara Power Project as consisting of the Lewiston Pump Generating Plant and the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant.
  Source: federalregister.gov (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2005/09/02/E5-4818/new-york-power-authority-notice-of-application-tendered-for-filing-with-the-commission-notice-of)
- 2007 — Renewed federal operating license
  FERC issued a new 50-year federal operating license for the Niagara Power Project.
  Source: nypa.gov (https://www.nypa.gov/News/Press-Releases/2026/20260226-turbine)
- 2019 — Next Generation Niagara modernization program launched
  NYPA launched the $1.1 billion Next Generation Niagara program to extend the operating life and modernize the broader Niagara Power Project through digital technologies and equipment replacement.
  Source: nypa.gov (https://www.nypa.gov/News/Press-Releases/2026/20260226-turbine)

## Sources

- [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Moses_Niagara_Power_Plant) — en.wikipedia.org · tier public_source
- [graconllc.com](https://graconllc.com/gracon-begins-work-lewiston-pump-generating-plant-unit-8/) — graconllc.com · tier public_source
- [federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2005/09/02/E5-4818/new-york-power-authority-notice-of-application-tendered-for-filing-with-the-commission-notice-of) — federalregister.gov · tier authoritative
- [nyiso.com](https://www.nyiso.com/documents/20142/1395217/Enhancements%20to%20the%20Niagara%20Model_MIWG2018.pdf) — nyiso.com · tier authoritative
- [nyiso.com](https://www.nyiso.com/documents/20142/2225293/2017-State-Of-Storage-Report.pdf) — nyiso.com · tier authoritative
- [nypa.gov](https://www.nypa.gov/About/Financials) — nypa.gov · tier authoritative
- [nypa.gov](https://www.nypa.gov/About/Timeline) — nypa.gov · tier authoritative
- [nypa.gov](https://www.nypa.gov/News/Press-Releases/2026/20260226-turbine) — nypa.gov · tier authoritative
- [nypa.gov](https://www.nypa.gov/power/generation/niagara-power-project) — nypa.gov · tier authoritative
- [renewableenergyworld.com](https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/hydro-power/technology-equipment/ny-governor-announces-completion-of-lewiston-pump-generating-plant-modernization/) — renewableenergyworld.com · tier public_source

## Data quality

- No acquisition, sale, predecessor-owner transfer, portfolio transaction, or retirement event was identified for this exact plant. NYPA is documented as the owner/applicant throughout the available project and relicensing records. The reported $48.72 million construction cost is a historical plant-cost figure, not sale consideration or portfolio transaction value. No plant-specific debt amount, bond series, lender, or financing close was identified. The 2026 Next Generation Niagara modernization program is documented for the broader Niagara Power Project; the available evidence does not establish that the reported digitalized unit was one of Lewiston's 12 reversible pump-turbine units. Two sources report different plant capacity figures: NYISO storage report and project profile state 240 MW nameplate capacity, while a separate NYISO generating-plant schedule lists 249.6 MW for EIA plant 2692. The 240 MW figure is the documented nameplate rating; 249.6 MW reflects a market-capability convention used by NYISO. The 240 MW value is selected. The Lewiston Pump Generating Plant is distinct from the adjacent Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant (2,525 MW conventional hydroelectric); together they comprise the Niagara Power Project under FERC Project No. P-2216.

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