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Generator Installation · New York
A generator must connect through a transfer switch or an approved interlock so it can never feed power back into utility lines. Electricians install standby generators, portable generator inlets with interlocks, and the transfer equipment for both.
New York City has one of the oldest building stocks in the country, and upstate winters bring ice-storm outages.
Across the Northeast, homes deal with cold winters, nor'easters and ice storms. Permit offices, utilities and housing stock differ by city, which affects how generator installation is planned and scheduled. These local guides cover the New York cities where we have written specific notes.
Hurricane Sandy left much of lower Manhattan, the Rockaways and parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island without power for days in 2012, and summer heat waves still strain the grid. Generators in New York City face strict rules: they must run outdoors with clearance from windows and doors, fuel storage is regulated by the Fire Department, and many apartment buildings do not allow them at all.
Utility: Con Edison (the Rockaways in Queens: PSEG Long Island)
Ice storms and winter snow can bring down trees on lines around Albany, and an outage in January means losing the furnace or boiler. A generator inlet with an interlock lets a portable generator power the heating system, refrigerator and some lights safely.
Utility: National Grid
Syracuse's heavy lake-effect snow and ice can bring down trees and lines, and a winter outage means losing the furnace or boiler. A generator inlet with an interlock lets a portable unit run the heating system, sump pump and refrigerator safely.
Utility: National Grid
The March 2017 windstorm left a large share of RG&E customers without power, some for days, and ice storms such as the one in March 1991 have caused even longer outages. For Rochester households, the furnace blower, sump pump and refrigerator are the usual priorities.
Utility: Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E)
Buffalo's worst storms, such as the October 2006 snowstorm and the December 2022 blizzard, have left homes without power for days in dangerous cold. For many households the priorities are the furnace blower, the sump pump and the refrigerator.
Utility: National Grid
1. Size the load
Circuits that must stay powered are listed and the generator sized.
2. Choose the connection
Inlet and interlock, manual transfer switch or automatic transfer switch.
3. Install and inspect
Permitted installation, gas connection by a licensed fitter where needed, and inspection.
Electricians set their own prices; local permit fees and utility requirements add to these factors.
Permits come from the city or county where the home is. For example: New York: Electrical work in New York City is filed with the Department of Buildings by a licensed master electrician. Albany: Electrical work in Albany is permitted through the city's Department of Buildings and Regulatory Compliance; suburbs such as Colonie and Bethlehem run their own. Syracuse: Electrical permits in Syracuse come from the city's permit office; surrounding towns issue their own. Rochester: Electrical permits inside the city come from the City of Rochester's permit office; towns such as Irondequoit, Greece and Brighton issue their own. Buffalo: Electrical permits inside the city come from the City of Buffalo's Department of Permit and Inspection Services; suburbs such as Amherst and Cheektowaga issue their own.
New York: Con Edison (the Rockaways in Queens: PSEG Long Island). Albany: National Grid. Syracuse: National Grid. Rochester: Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E). Buffalo: National Grid.
Listed interlock kits are accepted in many jurisdictions when installed with a permit. Your electrician will know the local rule.
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