Wells Enterprises will receive an additional low-cost Niagara hydropower allocation through the New York Power Authority.
Governor Kathy Hochul said the award was approved Tuesday by the NYPA board of trustees.
Wells is a current NYPA customer receiving 4,100 kW of hydropower allocations with associated commitments of nearly 550 jobs and more than $54 million in private capital investments.
The Dunkirk company is the largest family-owned ice cream manufacturer in the nation and is well-known for its Bomb Pops and Blue Ribbon Classics brands. Wells was awarded 1,052 kilowatts (kW) to support the construction of a new 350,000 square-foot facility at its Dunkirk site to expand its ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturing capabilities.
They are expending $425 million to build the facility, establish an on-site chocolate manufacturing plant, create a new office building and receiving bays, and purchase raw materials for its production lines. The expansion will create 270 jobs.
Low-cost Niagara hydropower is available for eligible companies located within a 30-mile radius of the Power Authority’s Niagara Power Project and in Chautauqua County.
NYPA Western New York funding awards are made possible through net earnings resulting from the sale of unused hydropower generated at the Power Authority’s Niagara Power Project and stems from power proceeds legislation signed into law in 2012.
Leave a Reply