As one of the most iconic cities on the planet, New York is a world leader in many of its services. From the shear amount of tourist attractions to its extensive mass-transit system, the Big Apple is a hive of activity and progressive thinking.
Despite being one of the most rapidly evolving cities, the way it consumes electricity means that any energy management systems are stretched. To increase collaboration across the utilities companies that provide the population centre, New York Energy Week is returning in 2015 for the third consecutive year.
With a number of panels, workshops and keynote speeches set to take place across June 15-19, it is hoped that a spotlight will be shone on the growing problem of excessive utilities consumption across the city and the rest of New York State.
Power consumption in the city
Researchers from the Columbia University Engineering School found that Manhattan is unsurprisingly the worst offender. Midtown – where many of the world’s most famous skyscrapers and financial institutions stand – uses more power annually than the entire country of Kenya, as noted by Co.Exist.
The geography of the area isn’t helping matters when it comes to power use. Due to the unique way New York City is shaped by its various waterways, efforts to build a consistent method of energy delivery have been hindered.
“[The] electricity distribution infrastructure in many urban areas [of New York State] relies on large amounts of electricity brought in from outside the city, making it difficult to support increased future use without requiring significant investment of resources and funds,” explained Mechanical Engineering Professor at Columbia University Vijay Modi.
Source: Gentrack
