The operation of Ravenswood Generating Station

in Queens
Ravenswood Generating Station is a major power plant located in the

former industrial zone of Long Island City in Queens. The power plant

supplies energy to 20% of New York City. Find out more information at

queens.name.

A bit of history
In 1882, Pearl Street Station, the first commercial power plant in the United
States, began producing electricity. It was located at Pearl Street in
Manhattan, New York.

The plant ran on coal as fuel. By 1884, it was serving 508 clients. Pearl
Street Station was powered by high-speed steam engines. While steam
engines generated grid electricity, the thermal byproduct provided steam
heating to local manufacturers and nearby buildings in the same Manhattan
neighborhood. As a result, it became the world's first cogeneration plant,
which means that it was capable of producing both heat and electricity at
the same time. The station burned down in 1890, destroying all of the
dynamos except one, which is preserved and displayed in a museum.

New York's largest power plant

In 1963, Consolidated Edison of New York Inc. built the first two units of
Ravenswood Generating Station in Queens. In 1963, the station was
commissioned the Ravenswood No. 3 natural gas facility. This was the
world's first 1 million kilowatt unit. It was large enough to serve 3,000,000
people. At the time of installation, it was the world's largest steam
generator.

When the plant was launched in the 1960s, there were numerous
mechanical issues that needed to be addressed. Other units were then
added, and in the 1970s, turbines with multiple combustion engines were
erected to meet the energy needs of peak power. For a while, it was even
considered that the plant would be fueled by a nuclear reactor. However,
these plans were thwarted by community opposition and the New York City
Council's ban on commercial nuclear power anywhere within the city limits.
Interestingly, the factory is located on the site of the former Jacob Blackwell

house, which was built back in 1744. In the 1860s, this location became the

center of luxury estates along the riverbank. Subsequently, seeking

isolation from the chaotic crowds and the heat of the immigrant city, the rich

relocated east to Long Island, leaving the mansions unoccupied. In the late

1870s, many of them were converted into orphanages and shelters. In the

late 1880s, industrial production began to grow in the neighborhood, and it

became home to hundreds of small factories that thrived along the lively

East River.

Due to the abolition of state regulation of energy markets in New York

State, Consolidated Edison of New York Inc. sold all power plants in New
York, including Ravenswood Generating Station. In 1999, ownership was
transferred to KeySpan Energy. In 2004, this company constructed a new
unit utilizing combined cycle technology. Steam and electric generators
were powered mainly by natural gas while using small amounts of fuel oil
and kerosene.

Later, Ravenswood Generating Station was acquired by LS Power/Helix

Energy Solutions Group. In 2019, the construction of a 316 MW battery
storage system was announced. As a result, Ravenswood Generating
Station has become the largest power plant in New York. People refer to it
as "Big Allis". This name was given to the station owing to the construction
company's name, Allis-Chalmers Corporation, and since it is the world's
first power plant with a capacity of one million kW.

Clean energy center

In 2023, the oil and gas industrial facility set a course to become an

environmentally friendly energy center that uses renewable energy

sources. New York has mandated that state plants acquire 70% of their

electricity from renewable sources by 2030. To that aim, Ravenswood

Generating Station has established a training program to ensure a smooth

transition for personnel working on new equipment. The plant's employees

became the first fossil-fuel power plant workers in the United States to be

retrained for offshore wind farms.

According to the plan, the three 1960 steam generators will be replaced by

offshore wind and solar energy, while retaining the new 2004 plant, which

runs on a combination of gas and steam. Prior to this, an air assessment

was undertaken in New York City, revealing slightly higher levels of

nitrogen oxides and particulate matter in Long Island City, south of

Ravenswood Generating Station.

That is why the plant has begun executing a strategy for quickly deploying

low-carbon energy resources, providing consistent energy security,

availability, and reliability. The power plant's transition from fossil fuels to

renewable energy sources contributes to the state's commitment to

environmental justice by closing power plants near disadvantaged

communities and preserving and creating a large number of well-paid jobs

in trade unions.