Latham-based company breaks ground on clean-energy facility

Plug Power, headquartered in Latham, is bringing green jobs to Genesee County. The company is building a green hydrogen plant there. It’s part of New York’s plan to greatly reduce its carbon footprint over the next 30 years.

Green hydrogen is produced using renewable energy. It can provide clean power for manufacturing and shipping.

Those industries cause some of the largest carbon emissions, and the state is looking to eliminate carbon from the equation.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced construction Wednesday on Plug Power’s $290 million electricity substation and green hydrogen fuel production facility.

The plant will produce tons of green liquid hydrogen every day, servicing the Northeast region. Plug Power has pledged to create as many as 68 jobs at the facility, which will be the largest of its kind in North America.

"You are part of the story of my new administration, where we are going big, or we’re going home. And that means with respect to our investment in our green energy future, it’s going to be an all-the-above approach, making sure we have the most aggressive, boldest, clean energy initiatives in the nation," Hochul said.

New York has set the goal of being carbon-neutral by 2050.