NYC Pledges to Cut Government Energy Use, Easing Strain on Grid

The city will install meters on government buildings in a bid to reduce consumption by 122 megawatts. 

A NYC Ferry travels on the East River during a heat wave in July, 2022. 

Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg

New York City is widening an effort to ease pressure on its power grid by cutting government energy use, as much of the US continues to suffer through a record-setting heat wave.

Under the new expansion of its existing energy usage plan, to be unveiled Wednesday, New York will reduce its load by 122 megawatts during peak demand over the summer, across 627 city facilities. That’s roughly equivalent to eliminating 130,000 miles worth of car emissions from the air.