Cornell Hydropower Plant

From the suspension bridge, look below in the gorge to find the hydropower facility. In 1830, Cornell’s founder Ezra Cornell blasted a hole in the wall above Ithaca Falls to power a mill he managed at the base of the falls. Cheap and clean, the flows of Fall Creek powered hydraulic mechanisms that gave birth to industry in Ithaca, especially at the turn of the 20th century. These new industrial buildings include the present hydroelectric plant, which was built in 1904. In 1981, the plant was completely renovated: two crossflow turbines were installed with a total rated capacity of 1,780 kW. The plant, however, is limited to about 1,200 kW output because of the size of the penstock, the intake grate. Although this historic facility currently only produces 2% of Cornell’s current electricity, the university plans on upgrading the facility and increasing its production levels by 20%.