Canary Media
Summary
A state law has spurred 13 utility pilot projects aimed at creating neighborhoodwide thermal energy networks — a climate strategy gaining traction nationwide.
Last month, utilities in New York state submitted plans for 13 pilot projects meant to replace fossil-gas pipelines with infrastructure that can power clean, carbon-free heat pumps.
These underground thermal networks range from dense midtown Manhattan commercial centers to low-income housing, and from neighborhoods in the Hudson Valley to the upstate town of Ithaca, N.Y.
Capturing and sharing waste heat from thermal energy networks can increase efficiency even further. That, in turn, can cut the electricity bills of customers, which will rise as they switch from gas to electric heating.
Con Edison, the utility serving New York City and Westchester County, has proposed three projects taking on some of the most challenging urban settings, including the landmark Rockefeller Center.
For that project, Con Ed plans to convert three large commercial buildings from the utility’s district steam-heating network to heat pumps. These heat pumps would draw on water that’s warmed up by waste heat from sources including the sewers, data centers and adjoining buildings’ cooling systems.
Other states including Illinois, Maine, Vermont and Washington are exploring similar laws. And 13 gas utilities have created a Utility Networked Geothermal Collaborative to explore options.
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