New York City steam system

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New York City’s steam system is a large, citywide network run by Con Edison's Steam Operations. It brings piped steam to many parts of Manhattan, plus smaller systems for places like New York University and Columbia University. Individual buildings in the city also have their own steam systems. The steam heats and cools buildings, and is also used for cleaning and disinfection. It is the largest district steam system in the world and has been in operation since 1882.

History and growth
The New York Steam Company started service in lower Manhattan on March 3, 1882. By 1932 it supplied steam to more than 2,500 buildings from six steam plants, including the big Kips Bay Station near Midtown. The company sometimes bought steam from electric plants during peak demand. The New York Steam Company merged with Consolidated Edison (Con Edison) on March 8, 1954. Today, Con Edison runs the largest commercial steam system in the world, larger than the next nine systems combined.

How it works today
Con Edison’s Steam Operations serves more than 1,700 commercial and residential customers in Manhattan, from Battery Park up to 96th Street on the west side and to 89th Street on the east side. About 27 billion pounds of steam flow through the system each year. Steam is produced at five plants: four in Manhattan, and one each in Brooklyn and Queens. The main plant sits between 14th and 15th streets on Manhattan’s east side. The steam plants boil water drawn from New York City’s water supply, making Con Edison one of the city’s largest users of municipal water.

What steam is used for
Steam heats buildings and can also cool them through chillers that use steam in different cooling processes. It helps run humidity controls for art museums and is used for steam cleaning in restaurants and other places.

Efficiency and environmental impact
About 30% of the system’s capacity and 50% of its annual steam come from cogeneration, where electricity and steam are produced together. Cogeneration and heat recovery (HRSG) make the system more fuel-efficient and reduce pollutants such as NOx, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter. This lowers the city’s carbon footprint. Con Edison also promotes using steam for cooling in summer with absorption chillers, a form of trigeneration that can cut peak electrical loads and save on expanding electrical infrastructure.

Leaks, safety, and culture
Steam leaks create visible vapor that is vented through tall orange-and-white stacks rising from manholes. These stacks have appeared in many TV shows and films. There have been at least twelve steam pipe explosions in New York City since 1987. The biggest recent incident was in 2018 in the Flatiron District, which forced the evacuation of 49 buildings. Earlier explosions occurred in 2007 and 1996, and a person was killed in 2002 after falling through a manhole.