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New York City Power Supply: How Is Your Electricity Generated?

If you own or manage a property in New York City, you probably turn on light switches and plug in appliances without thinking much about it. But if you’ve ever been curious about the New York City power supply, here’s an overview of where your electricity comes from. Things have changed a lot since the days of Thomas Edison and the war between AC and DC power. Understanding your power supply helps you make better choices when it comes to everything from electrical upgrades to environmentally friendly features in your property.

New York City Power Supply in the Early Days of Electricity

NYC a center for innovation

Until the late 1800s, New Yorkers relied on gas lamps, candles, coal fireplaces, and gas-powered steam for lighting, cooking, and heat. However, New Yorkers wanted to get an early jump on the electricity bandwagon. Following Paris’s lead, New York lit up Broadway for two miles with arc lighting provided by a Manhattan power station, giving the famous thoroughfare its nickname “The Great White Way.”

Soon after, Thomas Edison brought electricity to New York City in a more wide-scale way and built steam-powered generators to power a large section of the Lower East Side. This prompted both scientific and entrepreneurial competition, and multiple power companies were established.

The Consolidated Edison Company of New York was founded in 1936. Since acquiring nearly 200 other gas, steam, and electric companies, Consolidated Edison, or Con Ed as it’s often called, still provides all of New York City’s electricity in the present day.

Modern-day Electricity Generation for New York City

The process by which New York City residents receive their electrical power is much more complicated than in the early days. Although Con Ed distributes and bills for this power supply, it is generated in several different ways before reaching its destination.

One thing that hasn’t changed since the 19th century is that natural gas, steam, and electrical systems are still tightly interconnected to provide power. Consolidated Edison controls gas distribution in Manhattan, the Bronx, and areas of northern Queens; the rest of the city’s gas comes from National Grid.

Natural Resources

Natural resources are a large source of electricity around the world, including in New York City. Natural gas, oil, coal, and even wood are used to provide energy to the city. However, this comes with a large environmental cost, hence green initiatives to use alternative energy sources.

These natural resources are sourced by suppliers, such as oil companies that drill for petroleum and ship it as a raw material. Often, natural resources are stored nearby or on-site for use later in what are called energy hubs.

Power Plants

Power plants are different types of generators that convert raw natural resources to electricity. Think of the process like your body converting the food you eat to energy you use to keep your body running and perform your daily activities. If you recall the laws of energy used in the study of physics, energy is never really created or destroyed – it merely changes form for different uses.

Most of the electricity in New York City is generated by fossil fuel-powered plants. However, this contributes to a large proportion of the city’s air pollution. This, in turn, causes respiratory problems, health issues for wildlife, and staining of buildings. This is a major reason why the city is exploring other types of fuels and why it has become more stringent about the burning of fossil fuels by power plants, boilers, and the like.

Some new combined cycle power plants burn fossil fuels but make steam in the process, which is utilized to create more electricity. For example, the Astoria Energy Cogeneration Plant generates enough electricity to power about 10 percent of the city.

Some of New York City’s electricity comes from sources other than fossil fuels. One source of the city’s electrical energy is the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant in Buchanan. Nuclear power is considered a trade-off because while it’s a cheap way to generate electricity, there are still public safety concerns involved.

Hydropower provides another source of New York City’s electricity. The energy created by water flowing through dams is harnessed as far north as the Canadian border.

Wind farms are an up-and-coming power source in the US, but they are hard to use around New York City because of space issues. Wind power is free and avoids the environmental problems associated with fossil fuels. No power plant is needed either, which makes it a particularly efficient energy source.

Transmission Substations

Electricity generated by power plants (or wind farms) is next sent to transmission substations. Voltage is supercharged there, which lets it travel further along the power grid. New York City has about 15 transmission substations.

High Voltage Lines

High voltage lines carry electricity closer to the city for residential and commercial use. You’ve probably seen these towers on the outskirts of the city. Since high voltage is extremely dangerous, high voltage lines are set far above the ground and away from homes and businesses.

Area Substations

Area substations distribute electricity from the high voltage lines to various neighborhoods in the city and reduce the voltage in the process. New York City has 61 area substations. They are designed to blend into the neighborhood and be as unobtrusive as possible.

Power Lines

Power lines further transport electricity from the area substations to the buildings that use it. In less dense areas, these lines are above ground. But, in much of the city, power lines run underground.

Transformers

Voltage is lowered once more by transformers, usually located under the street level. These are large boxes that connect power lines to feeder lines.

Feeders

Feeder cables bring electricity from the underground transformers to all the various structures that are wired for electricity. These lines have been updated recently to avoid power outages and brownouts that can result when they get too old.

Electricity at the Property Level

Once electricity reaches the individual property level, it first goes through a meter. This registers how much electricity the building is using. If the property is submetered, the lines are split to go to a meter for each tenant. From there, the electricity travels via electrical panels to electrical outlets or hardwired fixtures, where you access it for lights, appliances, electronic devices, and heating.

Call Bolt Electric for Electrical Upgrades on Your Property

New York City’s hyper-local blue-chip electrical experts

The electricity you receive at your property is only as good as the electrical panel, wiring, and other infrastructure required to use it. If your building isn’t up to code, or if you would like to take advantage of advances in electrically powered elements, call Bolt Electric at 212-434-0098. Or, reach out online to schedule an appointment.