NYC's Data Centers and Rockefeller Center Could Power a Climate Solution

NYC's Data Centers and Rockefeller Center Could Power a Climate Solution

New York City's Con Edison is testing a new way to heat and cool buildings using a system called a thermal energy network. These networks would capture waste heat from data centers and other buildings and use it to provide clean energy to nearby residential and commercial buildings.

Con Edison is proposing three pilot projects in the city, one of which would involve capturing waste heat from data centers near Chelsea Market and piping it to an affordable housing complex. The other project would utilize waste heat from Rockefeller Center.

The utility hopes that these pilot projects will prove the viability of thermal energy networks as a way to decarbonize entire neighborhoods and lower energy bills. The technology is not new, but Con Edison is among the first utilities in the country to propose using it on a large scale.

The high upfront costs of building thermal energy networks are a barrier to wider adoption, but advocates argue that these systems are a more cost-effective way to decarbonize buildings than replacing old gas lines.

Con Edison is working with other utilities across North America to share information and best practices on how to implement thermal energy networks. The results of the pilot projects in New York City will be closely watched by utilities and policymakers across the country.