NYC's Underground Steam System May Be Key to a Greener Future
Some 100 miles of steam pipes snake below Manhattan, delivering low-carbon vapor to some big-name customers. More buildings could soon tap in.
Steam released on the streets of New York.
Photographer: Gary Hershorn/Getty ImagesA network of underground pipes has pumped steam into a spattering of Manhattan buildings for more than 140 years, quietly powering their heating and cooling systems with little fanfare, save for the occasional orange steam stack dotting the island’s streets.
Now, as the biggest US city seeks to curb its carbon emissions, that 106-mile subterranean network delivering 370-degree vapor to a small subsect of New York’s skyline may have a bigger role to play.