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
City and MTA-led study at Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall 4/5/6 and Chambers Street J/Z stations will explore reducing platform heat and recycling excess heat to nearby municipal buildings during col
Mayor Mamdani, Governor Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced today a partnership to study a Thermal Energy Network (TEN) in the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall 4/5/6 and Chambers Street J/Z station complex. The project will explore how to combat extreme heat on subway platforms while capturing and recycling excess heat to warm nearby municipal buildings during the winter.
The project would be the first thermal energy network installed in a U.S. transit system. The announcement comes days after Governor Hochul and the MTA announced plans for a comprehensive renewal project at the Chambers Street station, 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 Fahre
The revitalization of Chambers Street J/Z, which will rebuild structures, replace tiles, upgrade stairways and restore the station from top to bottom, is being funded through congestion pricing. The project provides the MTA and City with a unique opportunity to study TENs as a tool to cool subway platforms while capturing and reusing excess heat in nearby municipal buildings during the winter, lowering energy costs over the long term.
“There are few feelings worse than escaping the extreme summer heat only to find yourself on a subway platform that is even hotter. Unfortunately, for millions of commuters that is the reality of our transit system — with some stations soaring up to 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperatures,” said Mayor Mamdani. “We now have an opportunity to do more than rebuild Chambers Street top to bottom. We can make our subway platforms cooler and more comfortable while putting wasted heat to work during the winter. That means lower energy costs, a more resilient subway system and a cleaner energy future for New York City.”
“For years, New Yorkers have suffered through sweltering summer heat on subway platforms, with seemingly no hope for a cooler ride in sight. Today, I can assure riders during this hot summer week that help is on the way,” said Governor Hochul. “Working with Mayor Mamdani and the MTA, we are harnessing cutting-edge climat
“Bringing down the temperature is a real challenge in a century-old system with open entrances and vents everywhere,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “Together with Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani, we’re exploring solutions — previously untested in transit — to make stations more comfortable while helping to reduce energy costs. Everybody wins.”
“Every time New Yorkers are stuck on a hot subway platform, we are confronted with the reality of the climate crisis,” said Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung. “Advancing a thermal energy network that will sustainably cool the Chambers Street subway station and heat the surrounding city buildings is a testament to our administration’s bold and innovative agenda to deliver climate solutions that protect New Yorkers. From advancing the nation’s first subway thermal energy network to piloting heat-resilient bus shelters and outdoor cooling centers, the City is committed to making our transit systems safer and more comfortable as New York City faces rising temperatures.”
“The City of New York is meeting the realities of climate change head-on by investing in infrastructure that is both resilient and innovative,” said Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Yume Kitasei. “DCAS is proud to partner on this study to identify the next generation of upgrades that will make our public buildings and infrastructure more efficient, sustainable, and prepared for the future.”
TENs, already in use at several hospitals and universities, move heat between buildings, significantly reducing reliance on fossil fuels. The MTA and City will assess the feasibility of using TENs and geothermal infrastructure to absorb, store and transport excess heat between subway stations and adjacent municipal buildings.
The initial feasibility study will help determine how much cooling can be achieved and the potential energy cost savings for the City.
The proposed geothermal network would capture, store and redirect excess heat that accumulates in the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall and Chambers Street station complex to municipal buildings. Radiant cooling technology would absor
The study will be conducted in partnership with New York City Department of City Administrative Services (DCAS), the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Operations and the MTA. The contract for the feasibility study is expected to be awarded this fall. Pending confirmation of geothermal feasibility, design work will begin in early 2027.
This initiative is part of the City and MTA’s broader efforts to address the threat climate change poses to the future of the transit system, including the growing impacts of extreme heat. Radiant cooling, which can be 25 to 35% more energy efficient than traditional air conditioning, removes heat by circulating chilled water through panels on walls and ceiling or through tubing embedded in the floors, allowing cool surfaces to absorb heat directly.
The Chambers Street station is particularly well suited for the study because its abandoned center platform would allow the MTA to test technology without disrupting passenger areas. Brooklyn Bridge – City Hall also experiences signific
“Every New Yorker who has spent even two minutes waiting on a sweltering subway platform knows how urgently we need better solutions to extreme heat underground,” said City Comptroller Mark Levine. “This study will explore whether we can make stations more comfortable while capturing that heat for a productive use. I’m glad to see the Mayor and Governor working together to pursue innovative solutions that can simultaneously improve the experience of subway riders and build a greener, more efficient and lower-cost energy system.”
“As climate change only continues to increase the frequency and severity of extreme heat waves, this study offers a creative solution for cooling, boosting our energy efficiency, and strengthening our city’s climate resilience,” said NYC Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. “It's especially exciting that this new technology will be explored at one of the city’s hottest subway stations, bringing relief to riders who need it the most. I thank the MTA, MOCEJ and DCAS for their leadership in addressing one of our most persistent transit challenges to ensure the safety and accessibility of our subway system for all New Yorkers.”
“Many subway stations are more than a century old and weren’t designed to handle today’s extreme heat, making creative solutions essential,” said MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “Exploring a Thermal Energy Network model is a major step forward that has the potential to turn excess heat into a valuable asset for riders and the city.”
The partnership with the MTA builds on the Mamdani administration’s efforts to confront the climate crisis and build a greener, more resilient city. Earlier this year, the administration released its Urban Forest Plan, plotting a course toward 30% tree coverage citywide. As temperatures rise, expanded tree canopy will help reduce heat and protect New Yorkers for years to come.
The administration is also making historic investments in renewable energy, including the construction of 130 solar installations on schools across New York City that will provide 27.5 megawatts of electricity. An additional 86 projects are in the pipeline and would add another 17.2 megawatts.
As part of the administration’s mission to reduce citywide emissions, the City is also accelerating vehicle electrification. The administration has already surpassed 1,000 electric vehicles for law enforcement and is on track to fully electrify the Sanitation Department, Parks Department and DCAS enforcemen
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