National Grid, county and local officials tour the Dunkirk station on Friday morning that is located on the south side of the former power-generating station. Submitted photo

In the shadows of the mammoth NRG Energy Inc. plant off Point Drive North in Dunkirk is a $46.5 million investment by National Grid to disconnect its operations from the former power-generating station that has not been in operation since 2015.

On Friday, area elected officials and representatives from major industrial customers toured the site that is not highly visible to neighbors, but a key cog in the region’s daily activities and economy.

“We started this project in September of 2020 … and the asset separation (from NRG) has been completed,” said Jim Wiley, construction supervisor for the extensive project in the city. “This was a major milestone for National Grid.”

From this nearly hidden location, south of the station, electricity is delivered by the power provider to 500,000 New York customers, including those in the southwestern portion of the state and portions of Pennsylvania. Some of the industries in attendance, who benefit from the upgrades, included representatives from Nestle Purina and Immunity Bio.

Wiley, who has been a part of the company since 1986, was one of many National Grid officials who spoke during the gathering. He noted that phase one of the massive upgrade, which involved the construction of a 3,500 square-foot control house as well as upgrades to the systems for the 230kV and 115kV switch yards, were completed in February and May. Phase two, which involves a 34 5kV contruction, is expected to be completed in late November.

Before it was shut down, NRG in Dunkirk was one of the cleanest coal-producing power plants in the nation due to upgrades made in the early 2000s. However, with New York state pushing for more alternative and cleaner energy options such as wind and solar, it ultimately led to the end of the more than 70-year-old facility.

With a scattering of NRG employees still overseeing the location, National Grid had an urgency to break its operations away from the former Dunkirk Generating Station, which had been the terminal points for the major voltage lines.

Around 1999, a deregulation of the power industry occurred in New York state. Previously known as Niagara Mohawk, the plant both produced and distributed power throughout portions of the northeast. Once the deregulation became complete, producers and suppliers went their separate ways.

In making the improvements at the Dunkirk station, Wiley noted the older equipment was built to last for decades. With recent modernization and upgrades at the station, he said, the company aims to ensure resiliency and reliability for residential, commercial and industrial customers.

Additionally, there is a local economic benefit. Workers from throughout the state are staying here to complete the work and some of the supplies needed are being purchased locally, officials noted.

“It’s a huge improvement and National Grid feels so much more comfortable now with what we have,” Wiley said.