The Little Plant That Could IS BACK is a 25 minute documentary which tells the story of the Stuyvesant Falls hydroelectric plant, a renewable energy resource built in 1900, which was almost destroyed but is now back on line thanks to the efforts of the local community and engineer James Besha and his Albany Engineering Corporation.

The flow of water down hill is a natural resource that can be turned into electricity. During the current period of “cheap oil and gas” many of our community resources are being neglected: hydropower is one of them. The Stuyvesant Falls hydroelectric plant is a great example – with a fascinating history – of how community involvement has helped revitalize an economic/energy resource. At Stuyvesant Falls the water power was first used to power transportation, then converted to hydroelectric, then became virtually unused. Now the plant has been rejuvenated and upgraded and is delivering electricity to the grid.