The Cricket Valley Energy Center (CVEC) team is dedicated to maintaining clean air in Dover and its surrounding areas by reducing emissions, adhering to air quality permits, and continuously monitoring air quality to ensure the community’s safety.

Utilizing advanced, state-of-the-art technologies, the CVEC facility produces the lowest emissions rates of any combined-cycle natural gas turbine (CCGT) facility in New York State. In fact, CVEC plays an important role in improving regional air quality. By displacing older, higher-polluting oil, gas, and coal power plants, the CVEC facility helps reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) from other energy producers. The CVEC team is currently renewing the facility’s Title V Air Pollution Control Permit to continue providing low emission power to New York.

The modern technology employed at CVEC includes a Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS) to monitor the air quality of the facility and confirm that the facility’s emissions are within ambient air quality standards by EPA to protect public welfare. To provide the community with access to important information about their air quality, the CVEC team sponsors a Weather and Air Quality Monitoring Station at Dover High School. Using the station’s air quality sensors, students and the public can access local nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃), and particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentrations, along with a variety of weather indicators. A third-party research group recently conducted a study on this data and found that the CVEC facility did not contribute to the highest ambient air concentrations of NO₂, O₃, and PM_2.5. Please visit the Air Quality Monitoring page to learn more.

Air-cooling technology at Cricket Valley Energy Center (CVEC) reduces water use by more than 98%, and a rooftop rainfall capture system is used to provide a supplemental supply of water and a stormwater management plan. On average, the facility uses about 15 gallons of water per minute during cooler months and up to 60 gallons per minute during the hotter summer months. By way of comparison, a garden hose uses 5 to 10 gallons per minute.

No process water is discharged into the Swamp River and the CVEC team has incorporated stormwater management techniques to minimize any effects on the flow of the river. Wells drilled on the CVEC site into the bedrock aquifer produce sufficient water to meet the needs of the facility and have been tested to ensure minimal effects on neighboring wells, the surface aquifer, the Swamp River and associated wetlands.

Studies conducted by Russell Urban-Mead, Senior Hydrogeologist and author of the 1999 Harlem Valley Aquifer Study, found that even during drought conditions the CVEC facility will have a small effect on the water budget, with sufficient water available for future projects in the area.

Sight

A 300-foot buffer of existing mature trees along Route 22 and the location of the facility in a valley reduces the visibility of the site. In addition, the CVEC team co-located the three facility stacks to preserve the rural character of Dover.

Sound

During the environmental review and permitting process, the CVEC team completed noise level studies to ensure the facility would be at or below 50 decibels, the requirements of the DEC and the Dover Town Zoning Code. The 50-decibel level is comparable to the background noise of a typical office and sounds like a faint hum. Sound levels of 50-dB(A) will be met at all non-industrial property lines. A decibel, or dB(A), is a degree of loudness, as shown in the figure.

Prior to the project starting construction, the CVEC team worked with the Town of Dover to finalize a noise mitigation plan which demonstrates how the site’s operations will be consistent with the Town of Dover Noise Code and other related State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) requirements. This plan was reviewed and approved by the Town of Dover. During operations, the CVEC facility complies with the Town Noise Ordinance at property boundaries, specifically 50-decibel at the property boundary and 65-decibel along the Metro North Rail.

The CVEC site was chosen, in part, for the wide tree buffer that provides a visual and sound barrier. In addition, the facility has been designed to enclose most of the equipment within an insulated and soundproof building structure, which helps mitigate noise levels.

Located on an abandoned factory site, CVEC’s development included restoring wetlands damaged during prior uses of the property, and purchasing and remediating an adjacent property, locally known as the Rasco site. Throughout our remediation efforts, the CVEC team has conserved 79 of the project’s 193 acres and has not displaced any critical, threatened, or endangered species or habitats.

The CVEC facility does not operate or work within the Great Swamp Critical Environmental Area, and there is no hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” at this project. The project was honored with the Ducks Unlimited Wetlands Remediation Award in 2017 for revitalizing the site’s wetlands and for its commitment to protecting the wetlands for future generations.

Comprehensive traffic studies have shown that CVEC’s operations have no significant impact on local traffic, even when accounting for future growth and other local projects.

CVEC’s Comprehensive Site and Safety Plan (CSSP), developed in cooperation with local Dover fire and emergency officials, details safety procedures, training and, a zero-tolerance policy for non-compliance.

Unannounced safety review visits are conducted by regulating agencies, perimeter fencing and electronically monitored gates are installed, and authorized staff is on site 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year.

The CVEC team coordinates safety planning with the Town of Dover’s first responders and Dutchess County officials, along with NYSDOT and OSHA.

Facilities like CVEC commonly use two types of ammonia (NH₃) to reduce their nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions formed during operations: anhydrous and aqueous ammonia. The CVEC facility uses aqueous ammonia, which is safer to transport, poses fewer health hazards and, in the case of an incident, affects a smaller area than anhydrous ammonia. The CVEC team places the safety of the community and its workers first and all workers complete extensive ammonia safety training and are prepared with worst-case safety and communication plans.

For over a decade, Cricket Valley Energy Center (CVEC) has been a consistent and meaningful supporter of the Dover community by providing jobs, local project funding, and community support. Providing cleaner power and economic, social, and community benefits to Dover is the CVEC team’s priority.

Below are some important statistics on the CVEC facility’s local economic impact:

During the construction of the facility:

• Over 1,100 workers were employed
• Over $80 million in annual salaries were provided

During operations:

• 25 permanent jobs are provided
• Locally sourced materials and services are regularly procured
• Over $3.4 million in labor income is provided to Dutchess County
• Regional economic activity increases by ~$21.8 million

Additionally, the CVEC facility’s contribution to local tax revenue ensures that essential public services, such as education, infrastructure, and emergency services, are well-funded. Starting at $3.3 million and increasing to $7.9 million annually, the facility’s tax payments provide a reliable financial foundation for the town, county, and state. CVEC’s 30-year Payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) Agreement will continue to contribute an estimated total of $157 million, enabling meaningful community planning and investment that will benefit residents for decades to come.