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    The Indian Eye
             NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                   AUGUST 21, 2026                                      26

                          Mayor Mamdani, Governor Hochul and MTA

             Announce Plan to Lower Subway Platform Temperatures

                    and Harness Thermal Energy in Lower Manhattan

                 City and State partnership will study first Thermal Energy Network (TEN) in a U.S.

                          transit system as part of the Chambers Street J/Z station renewal project

            OUR BUREAU
            NEW YORK, NY

                     ayor Mamdani,  Governor  Hochul  and
                     the Metropolitan Transportation Au-
            Mthority (MTA) have announced  a part-
            nership to study a Thermal Energy Network (TEN)
            in the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall 4/5/6 and Cham-
            bers Street J/Z station complex. The project will ex-
            plore how to combat extreme heat on subway plat-
            forms while capturing and recycling excess heat to
            warm nearby municipal buildings during the winter.
                The  project  would  be  the  first  thermal  ener-
            gy network installed in a U.S. transit system. The
            announcement comes days after Governor  Ho-
            chul and the MTA announced plans for a compre-
            hensive renewal project at the Chambers Street sta-
            tion, which is among the oldest in the subway system.
                Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall 4/5/6 is one of the
            hottest stations in the subway system, with average
            temperatures  reaching  96  Fahrenheit  during the
            summer months, in 2025. While the MTA prioritiz-
            es reliable service in the short-term to get custom-
            ers on air-conditioned trains and spend less time
            on platforms, this study will help identify ways to
            reduce heat, improve rider comfort, and mitigate   MTA, we are harnessing cutting-edge climate tech-  ties of climate change head-on by investing in in-
            heat-related issues that can lead to service delays.  nology for a truly cool purpose: making our subway   frastructure that is both resilient and innovative,”
                The     revitalization  of    Chambers    stations tolerable during the summer and heating   said  Department of Citywide Administrative
            Street J/Z, which will rebuild structures, replace   critical city buildings during the winter. This is what   Services Commissioner Yume Kitasei. “DCAS is
            tiles, upgrade stairways and restore the station from   effective partnership between city and state gov-  proud to partner on this study to identify the next
            top to bottom, is being funded through congestion   ernment can yield - innovative solutions that have   generation of upgrades that will make our public
            pricing. The project provides the MTA and City   the potential to help millions of subway riders.”  buildings  and  infrastructure  more  efficient,  sus-
            with a unique opportunity to study TENs as a tool   “Bringing down the temperature is a real chal-  tainable, and prepared for the future.”
            to cool subway platforms while capturing and reus-  lenge in a century-old system with open entranc-  TENs, already in use at several hospitals and
            ing excess heat in nearby municipal buildings during   es and vents everywhere,” said  MTA Chair and   universities,  move heat between buildings, sig-
            the winter, lowering energy costs over the long term.  CEO Janno Lieber. “Together with Governor Ho-  nificantly  reducing  reliance  on  fossil  fuels.  The
               “There are few feelings worse than  escap-  chul and Mayor Mamdani, we’re exploring solu-  MTA and City  will  assess  the feasibility of  us-
            ing the extreme summer heat only to find yourself   tions — previously untested in transit — to make   ing TENs and geothermal infrastructure to absorb,
            on a subway platform that is even hotter. Unfortu-  stations more comfortable while helping to reduce   store and  transport  excess  heat between subway
            nately, for millions of commuters that is the reality   energy costs. Everybody wins.”     stations and adjacent municipal buildings.
            of our transit system — with some stations soaring   “Every time New Yorkers are stuck on a hot   The initial feasibility  study will help  deter-
            up to 20 degrees hotter than the outside tempera-  subway platform, we are confronted with the re-  mine  how much  cooling  can be achieved and
            tures,” said Mayor Mamdani. “We now have an op-  ality of the climate crisis,” said Chief Climate Of-  the potential energy cost savings for the City.
            portunity to do more than rebuild Chambers Street   ficer Louise Yeung. “Advancing a thermal energy   The proposed geothermal network would cap-
            top to bottom. We can make our subway platforms   network that will sustainably cool the Chambers   ture, store and redirect excess heat that accumu-
            cooler and more comfortable while putting wasted   Street subway station and heat the surrounding   lates in the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall and Cham-
            heat to work during the winter. That means low-  city buildings is a testament to our administration’s   bers Street station complex to municipal buildings.
            er energy costs, a more resilient subway system   bold and innovative agenda to deliver climate solu-  Radiant cooling technology would  absorb heat
            and a cleaner energy future for New York City.”  tions that protect New Yorkers. From advancing   from Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall platforms, and
               “For years, New Yorkers have suffered through   the nation’s first subway thermal energy network   potentially Chamber Street as well, and transfer it
            sweltering summer heat on subway platforms,  to piloting heat-resilient bus shelters and outdoor   through pipes to geothermal boreholes drilled be-
            with seemingly no hope for a cooler ride in sight.  cooling centers, the City is committed to making   neath the abandoned center platform at Chambers
            Today,  I can assure riders during this  hot sum-  our transit systems safer and more comfortable as   Street. The excess heat could then be stored in the
            mer week that help is on the way,” said Governor   New York City faces rising temperatures.”  boreholes and used during colder months to heat
            Hochul. “Working with Mayor Mamdani and the     “The City of New York is meeting the reali-  nearby municipal buildings.

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