By Paul Post
New York City-based Brookfield Renewable U.S. has moved 50 well-paying jobs from Marlborough, Mass. to Queensbury, where it can better manage power stations across the country including several hydro plants in the surrounding area.
The company’s new national control center, a multi-million dollar investment, opened in late summer at 399 Big Bay Road where a regional office with 35 jobs had already been operating.
Brookfield owns, operates and develops hydro, wind, solar and battery storage facilities that produce more than 7,500 megawatts in the U.S. In New York alone it generates about 900 megawatts, providing enough electricity for 440,000 homes.
Local holdings include Hudson River hydro stations at Spier Falls Dame (56 MW), Sherman Island Dam (38 MW), Glens Falls (12 MW) and Feeder Dam (5W). It also has hydro stations at Stewart’s Dam in Hadley (39 MW) and in Schaghticoke (16 MW), Schuylerville (2 MW) and Johnsonville (2 MW).
“Having the control center in the same location as staff working at our original office on Big Bay Road will enable us to integrate national system control center employees into a regional office with other personnel and duties,” said Anthony Zarrella, National System Control Center senior director.
Warren-Washington Counties’ Industrial Development Agency helped make the transition possible by approving a $513,000 incentive package that includes $210,000 in sales tax exemptions and a $303,000 property tax savings over 10 years.
The 50 new jobs are in operations, project management, information technology and regulatory compliance. Operators will monitor 140 hydro stations across the U.S. along with wind, solar and battery storage sites.
Brookfield has three wind farms in Western New York.
Some 15 positions moved from Marlborough to Queensbury, officials said. Others were hired locally or from other states and located here. The building cost $6 million, not including the equipment inside. The contractor was Joe Gross Electric in Queensbury. There was roughly six months of construction. Site prep work started toward end of 2021 and temporary certificate of occupancy was issued in July.
The center is continually staffed 24 hours per day, seven days a week to make sure power generation remains constant.
The new location will also foster a synergy between control center operators and field operations, enhance recruitment and advancement opportunities, and promote a better work-life balance for employees, Zarrella said. The region’s highly desirable quality of life in close proximity to the Adirondacks and Lake George-Saratoga attractions was a major consideration in the company’s decision to move operations to Queensbury, he said.
A Sept. 13 ribbon cutting was attended by state and local officials and leaders of Warren-Washington Counties’ IDA, Warren County Economic Development Corporation and Adirondack Regional Chambers of Commerce.
Brookfield Renewable U.S. is a subsidiary of Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management, which has more than $725 billion worth of assets in renewable power, real estate, buildings, infrastructure, credit and private equity. In addition to Toronto and New York, corporate offices are in Mumbai, Shanghai, Sao Paulo, Dubai and Sydney.
Power stations are found in North and South America, Europe, India and China.