Greening Mass Transit & Metro Regions: The Final Report - MTA

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18 A model for low-carbon, high-value productivity, the MTA system provides 65 percent of all New York City commutes, while using just 5 percent of the city’s total energy consumption. Like all transit systems, the MTA is an energy-intensive operation. The system’s current electrical consumption is approximately 3.5 million megawatt hours (2007). Approximately 80 percent of this total goes for vehicle traction. The MTA is exploring advances in rail technology and optimal reductions in traction power, while also investing in alternative energy sources and continuing to squeeze energy efficiencies from facilities, lighting, and other non-traction energy uses. MTA Electricity Consumption Data 2000-07 Total Electricity (MWh) in millions 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 .5 0 MTA GHG Emissions Segregated by Agency 64% NYCT Subways & Buses Metro-North Railroad Bridges & Tunnels MTA Bus 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 14% Total Electricity Estimated Revenue Passenger Miles 5% 13% 1% 2% 1% Long Island Rail Road Long Island Bus HQ BASELINE Revenue Fleet Fuel–traction Electricity–traction Non-Revenue Fleet –Non-traction 15,000 14,800 14,600 14,400 14,200 14,000 13,800 13,600 13,400 13,200 Estimated Revenue Passenger Miles (Million Miles) MTA GHG Emissions, Segregated by Traction and Non-Traction 46% 33% 13% 3% 5% Electricity–Non-traction Heating–Non-traction Note: Previously, carbon emission calculations for electricity, originally presented in The Interim Report of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Sustainability and the MTA, were based upon emissions data for NYC and did not take into account the lower emission factors associated with electricity generation in MTA service areas outside of the city. Consequently, total MTA carbon emissions associated with electricity were overstated (2.8 million metric tons). Current carbon emission data has been refined to account for all MTA sources of electricity with updated emission factors (based on The Climate Registry’s General Reporting Protocol).
Recommendation 1. Move Aggressively Towards Renewable Energy Generation The MTA should move forward with an aggressive schedule of renewable energy use, development, and generation, with an initial phase of 7 percent renewable energy by 2015 and a long-term goal of generating 80 percent of the MTA’s total electrical energy needs from clean, renewable energy by 2050. The MTA consumed approximately 3.5 million megawatthours of electricity in 2007, costing approximately $367 million. Combined with the MTA’s current contributions to carbon avoidance, this green transformation of the MTA’s electricity supply will represent a major step toward true regional sustainability and a permanent source of low-carbon economic productivity for the entire metropolitan area. To meet this goal, the MTA should take action now on the offshore wind farm initiative described in Project 1 below. In addition to generating clean energy, this transformational initiative will: • Help meet the growing demand for additional power sources in the densely populated New York metropolitan area. • Develop a renewable energy source that will function as a hedge against future “oil shocks” and rising fossil-fuel prices. For the initial phase, the MTA should use a mix of onsite distributed generation and Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to achieve the 7 percent renewable energy goal by 2015, thus supporting the goals of the New York State Renewable Portfolio Standard. By seeking the long-term goal of 80 percent by 2050, the MTA will vigorously support the emerging consensus among scientists, policymakers, and environmental leaders worldwide regarding carbon reductions and climate stabilization. The Commission also recommends that the MTA target both percentages on the basis of its total energy consumption while continuing to increase ridership. Following are five Energy Projects for attaining this transformational recommendation. • Energy Project 1. Join Offshore Wind Consortium. To accelerate the MTA’s conversion to renewable energy, the MTA should enter into a consortium with New York Power Authority (NYPA), Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), New York City, the suburban counties, and other parties to develop offshore wind sources along the coastlines of Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties capable of generating up to 1,500 megawatts (MW) of clean energy. Governor Paterson has already convened a working group with Con Edison and LIPA to assess the feasibility of wind turbines off Rockaway Point. NYPA has expressed a strong interest in joining forces with the MTA. The MTA should be a major player in the consortium. With its large, steady power requirements, the MTA is an ideal user of wind power. In addition, onsite renewable generation and consumption have the added advantage of avoiding congested transmission lines, which have often hindered the proliferation of renewable power in New York State. The scale, clean energy potential and high efficiency of offshore wind farming, along with the funding value of RECs, makes this a potentially transformational project for the MTA. Newark Paterson New York City Coney Island Long Beach Nassau County Freeport TRANSFORMATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS Stamford Hempstead Copiague West Babylon Suffolk County Proposed Offshore Wind Park Long Beach 13 miles Freeport Hempstead Copiague West Baby 19
Page 1: Greening Mass Transit & Metro Regio
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Page 7 and 8: The Blue Ribbon Commission on Susta
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Page 11 and 12: New York City. 6 By improving traff
Page 13 and 14: Materials Flow Working Group Water
Page 15 and 16: NEW YORK CITY Create an All-Agencie
Page 17 and 18: Reports And Recommendations From Th
Page 19: Energy/Carbon Energy use, fuel cons
Page 23 and 24: Recommendation 4. Leverage the MTA
Page 25 and 26: Potential Traction Power Reductions
Page 27 and 28: The MTA‘s energy retrofits with N
Page 29 and 30: “People often ask me ‘What make
Page 31 and 32: MTA Facilities: A Small Sample Vehi
Page 33 and 34: MTA Green Building Guidelines New C
Page 36 and 37: "Today's housing, financial, and en
Page 38 and 39: 36 Smart Growth For half a century
Page 40 and 41: 38 Recommendation 4. Take Ownership
Page 42 and 43: Recommendation 6. Increase Passenge
Page 44 and 45: 42 Materials Flow Greening procurem
Page 46 and 47: 44 BASELINE The MTA, like its peers
Page 48 and 49: 46 • Develop a form for requestin
Page 50 and 51: Waste Management Best Practices at
Page 53 and 54: Water Management Water resources ma
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Page 57 and 58: Green Ideas from MTA Employees All
Page 59 and 60: “To understand the challenge of C
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Page 63: should not be missed. The Adaptatio
Page 66 and 67: 64 Strategy for the 21st Century Le
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68 2. Pass legislation that will pu
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70 4. Expand transit options throug
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72 Transit’s Triple Bottom Line D
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74 Assumptions Used in the SROI Ill
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76 Example #2: Rainwater Harvesting
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78 Pro Bono Experts Amanda Eaken, N
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80 Appendix Profile of The Metropol
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82 kW (kilowatts) of self-generatio
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84 2. Bike Transport on Trains and
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86 Medium Term: These are high prio
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88 • Integrate already existing m
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94 www.mta.info/environment
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