Natural gas keeps the nation’s largest development running
It was a tall order: Get energy flowing to and around a 28-acre complex complete with megamall, arts space, hotel, and commercial and residential towers, including the highest observation deck in the Western Hemisphere. Con Edison was game to meet it.
A decade in the making, the Hudson Yards mixed-use development on Manhattan’s Far West Side opened in April, thanks to a herculean coordinated effort among hundreds of people at Con Edison and the developer, Related.
Touted as the largest development in U.S. history—hosting an estimated 55,752 people each day within its apartments, offices and stores—all 18 million square feet of commercial and residential space runs on natural gas.
Hudson Yards has incorporated a natural-gas-powered cogeneration system, which produces heat and electricity at the same time. An integrated thermal-recovery loop captures excess energy to heat the buildings and produce hot water for showers, laundry and more. Residents will also have the opportunity to cook with natural gas.
“Con Edison built a six-inch, high-pressure gas service that feeds the Hudson Yards cogeneration facility. While offsetting its electrical usage and making heat for Hudson Yards, it also has the ability to allow Hudson Yards to ‘island’ from the utility electrically,” Bob McGee, Con Edison spokesperson, told American Gas.
Close collaboration between Con Edison and Related was crucial. Related was responsible for running cables through its buildings, and Con Edison connected them to the grid.
To light, heat and cool the sprawling Far West Side property, numerous groups in Con Edison’s Electric Operations and Substation Operations came together to establish six new feeders and energize nearly 40 13-kilovolt/265-460-volt transformers by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, the utility’s Gas Operations and Construction Management installed hundreds of feet of gas mains, services and dozens of meters. Dozens of women and men from Con Edison’s Energy Services and Engineering and Planning brought it all together for the customer.
“From Con Edison’s standpoint, this was a great project for our people to work on, a transformative development on New York’s skyline and the city’s most significant private commercial project affecting midtown since Rockefeller Center in the 1930s,” McGee said.