Electrification has transformed our society, and the story of how it happened unfolded largely in New York State.

It’s a story about innovation, starting with the first central power station, in Lower Manhattan, and the first long-distance transmission of electricity, between Niagara Falls and Buffalo, both before 1900.

The birth of the New York Power Authority, in 1931, was itself an innovation, serving as a model for the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority and the other great federal public-power organizations.

Today’s Power Authority is continuing to make New York a leader in energy innovation through its nationally recognized energy-efficiency programs and pioneering clean energy technologies.