| Watkins Glen village hall |
Welcome to the web page for the Village of Watkins Glen’s electric
department! Our village buys low-cost electricity from the New York Power Authority;
however, our little community, with a population of 2,200, has a special energy all its
own. We’re located on the southern end of Seneca Lake, and right here in our backyard
we have world-class auto racing, some of New York State’s best wineries and, of
course, Watkins Glen, the state park that encompasses a breathtaking gorge, formed over
the past 10,000 years.
Although the gorge was here first, our village was actually named after Dr. Samuel
Watkins, a New York City physician who founded a settlement in 1828, which he called
Salubria. In 1842, Salubria and a neighboring settlement, Savoy, were combined and
incorporated into the Village of Jefferson, a name chosen by Dr. Watkins. Our village
founder died in 1851, and his wife successfully lobbied to have the community renamed
Watkins the following year. "Glen" was added to our village name in 1924, and
our reputation has been spreading ever since.
After spending several summers in Watkins Glen, a law student named Cameron Argetsinger
organized a European-style road rally here in 1948, the first such race in the United
States since World War II. The event began right in front of the Schuyler County
Courthouse, with about two dozen cars traversing a 6.6-mile course through the village and
out into the surrounding countryside. In the following years, Watkins Glen became
synonymous with professional racing; today, more than 50 years after that first road
rally, Watkins Glen International is world famous for its racing events.
Our region’s natural resources have produced two major food-related industries:
wine—our village is part of the Finger Lakes Wine Trail—and salt—two local
salt manufacturers draw their product from beneath Seneca Lake. While tourism is our
biggest business, many of our local residents commute to jobs in the nearby population
centers of Ithaca, Corning and Elmira. Watkins Glen is also the seat for Schuyler County.
With undeveloped land available, both inside our village line and just outside our
borders, the public officials of Watkins Glen and Schuyler County are ready to welcome new
companies interested in locating their operations here.
| What the
Watkins Glen Electric Department has to offer your company: |
| Location |
Watkins
Glen is at the crossroads of Routes 14 and 414. Our village is 20 miles north of Route 17
and 40 miles south of Interstate 90. The Finger Lakes Railway operates a freight train
service within our village boundaries. |
| Business
Opportunities |
We
offer a business-friendly environment for companies looking to start or expand operations
in our area. Besides contacting our local chamber of commerce, prospective firms can
receive information and assistance from the Schuyler County Partnership for Economic
Development (SCOPED) and the Chemung/Schuyler/Steuben Workforce Development System, a
service that brings together local employers and job seekers. |
| Real
Estate |
Our
electric department provides low-cost electricity, purchased from the New York Power
Authority, to the entire Village of Watkins Glen, which measures about two square miles.
While most of our present customers are residential or small commercial, we also serve
some large commercial and industrial sites. Property is available for development both in
the village and just outside the municipal line. |
| Competitive
Electric Rates |
Residential
rates:
Customer charge $2.00
Summer rate 0.0330 per kilowatt-hour (kwh)
Winter rate 0.0330 for the first 1,000 kwh
0.0466 for each additional kwhCommercial
rates:
Customer charge $2.00
Summer rate 0.0382 per kwh
Winter rate 0.0473 per kwh
Industrial rates:
Customer charge 0
Energy charge 0.0156 per kwh
Demand charge 4.50 per kilowatt |
If you would like to learn more about the Village of Watkins Glen Electric Department,
contact:
Minard LaFever, Manager
303 North Franklin Street
Watkins Glen, New York 14891
(607) 535-2736
watkinssupt@yahoo.com |
