The company, a subsidiary of multinational private electric utility Ibderdola, began the re-watering process of the facility as the first step towards resumption of power generation.
Re-watering of the 2,000ft long power tunnel system will subsequently spin the hydroelectric turbines at the Lower Falls and eventually lead to electricity production.
Located on the Genesee River at the Lower Falls, a tunnel relining project had halted operations at the facility, undertaken as part of the company’s five-year $111m upgrade to the hydroelectric station.
Renovation works were jointly undertaken by RG&E and Iberdrola at the Station 5 powerhouse and the Middle Falls Dam & head gates in 2007 in the Genesee Gorge in Rochester, New York.
The hydro plant has an installed capacity of 46MW and once re-operational will produce sufficient renewable energy to power over 30,000 homes in Rochester per annum.
RG&E president Mark Lynch noted that the company, along with Iberdrola USA, is committed to investing in sustainable energy.
"That’s why we’re rebuilding this century-old station to provide our customers with green, renewable power for years to come," added Lynch.
