Page 26 - The Indian EYE 082126

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.

www.TheIndianEYE.com