City Hall is urging New Yorkers to scale back energy use for a second week as the city bakes under an extended heat wave that is placing stress on the electricity grid.
In order to conserve energy, authorities are asking that New Yorkers avoid using large appliances and keep air conditioners set at 78 degrees while utility giant, Con Edison, is warning that in order to “keep service reliable” cut backs need to happen especially during peak hours between 2 and 10 p.m..
The circumstances are not sitting well with many who blasted the guidance.
Ahmed N, told the New York Post, “I think it’s BS. It shouldn’t be [a] personal responsibility to combat a collective problem like climate change.”
While waiting for a cooling center to open, Art J. told The Post, “It’s hot regardless, AC or not. It’s really hot so we need it on all day.”
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James Harris, 63, said the cooling center in the basement of his building has been a saving grace but blasted the guidance as well, saying, “I don’t even have AC. Asking people to limit AC when people don’t even have any… I don’t like that. It’s unfair.”
Con Edison first made the plea to power users on July 7, and re-issued the guidance to customers late Monday morning.
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Be mindful of energy consumption
During a Monday press conference, Mayor Eric Adams urged city residents to turn down their air conditioners to help prevent blackouts and to lessen the burden on the electrical grid.
Later on Monday, he posted to X asking residents to “avoid using large appliances like washers and dryers,” and to “turn your A/C to 78 degrees and a low setting” to “keep everyone’s A/C running safely.”
At the press conference he said, “We will be monitoring the electrical system. The system can be stressed, and when temperatures rise, we urge New Yorkers to be mindful of their energy consumption.”
This messaging didn’t go over well with some New Yorkers either, who looked around the city and saw a number of opportunities to cut back on power usage.
Candace Low, standing outside a cooling center in Bed Stuy told The Post, “They don’t need the lights in Times Square. [Adams] should be turning those off. If not, he should pay our bills then.”
Ahmed N. agreed, saying, “If you’re really concerned about conserving energy then … shut off Times Square to tourists.”
“The seasonal call for a Times Square shutoff isn’t anything new: New Yorkers have been calling for a power-down for years,” The Post reported.
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Commercial buildings chip in
Adams said on Monday that more than 600 buildings have opted to reduce their energy usage, which is equivalent to powering down around 12 Empire State buildings.
Sweltering temperatures are expected to continue into next week, however there are a few scattered storms in the forecast that should cool things down, albeit for just a little while.
To help New Yorkers stay cool, the city has opened more than 500 cooling centers across the city.
Beaches are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and operating hours at Olympic and intermediate pools have been extended from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. until at least Wednesday and other pools are open until 7 p.m..
Staffing issues are keeping some wading pools closed, two were closed on Monday and the Claremont Intermediate Pool and Mapes Wading Pool in the Bronx as well as Lyons Pool on Staten Island were closed on Tuesday, according to the NYC Parks website.
