The bigwigs of New York real estate are banding together in a radical plan to conserve power this summer and avoid California-style blackouts.
And that could leave office workers hotter, smellier and cooling their heels waiting for elevators.
To ward off flickering computers, foundering elevators and stalled subways, real-estate and corporate leaders are rounding up office-building owners and businesses to cooperate with Con Ed to reduce usage on the hottest days.
On June 27, Gov. Pataki hopes to announce that nearly half the city’s office buildings and most of its major businesses have volunteered to reduce their power loads, The Post has learned.
The Real Estate Board of New York, the New York City Partnership and Chamber of Commerce, the Building Congress and other groups are currently enlisting in the plan any owners and businesses whose offices occupy at least 500,000 square feet.
They’re being asked to shut off unnecessary lights and elevators, and ease up on air conditioning.
“If we can come up with 200 buildings [of a million square feet or more], that will have a real impact on load,” said Steven Spinola, president of REBNY.
If building owners and businesses don’t voluntarily cooperate, it could mean brownouts and blackouts, officials warn.
“We want to do anything we can to control our destiny,” said Kathryn S. Wylde, chairwoman of the New York City Partnership and Chamber of Commerce.
While city power usage is projected to peak at just over 10,000 megawatts a day, a Con Ed spokesperson said, previous summer days have created loads as high as 11,850 megawatts.
With in-city capacity currently at 8,744 megawatts – and importation capabilities of 5,120 megawatts – officials feel the Big Apple won’t be left baked.
Ten new temporary generators installed by the New York Power Authority are also coming on line, and are expected to supply about 60 megawatts each.
But in an emergency situation – such as the shut-down of a major power plant or a substation fire – capacity could be severely reduced, resulting in a domino-effect meltdown.
Last year, Rudin Management participated in a pilot program to determine how much power it could save if Con Ed gave sufficient warning.
By shutting off lights near perimeter windows, increasing the chilled-water temperature a few degrees, and turning off a third of its escalators and elevators, the company saved .55 watts per square foot during one 90-plus degree day in May.
That equals 5.5 megawatts over Rudin’s 10 million square feet, said John J. Gilbert III, its chief operating officer.
Businesses will be asking their workers for a lot of patience during the warm weather. But hotter offices or longer waits for an elevator pale in comparison to walking up stairs or getting stuck on subways if there’s a major power failure.
Residential tenants will also be asked to help by putting off power-using activities until the evenings and lowering their air conditioners during the day.
