Blue sky view East 74th Street Steam Generation Plant, above Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive and East River Esplanade, New York

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Steam from steam generating stations is carried under the streets of Manhattan to heat high rise buildings, so no boilers, oil or gas are needed. The steam travels through under-street pipes at 740C. Several plants generate the steam for distribution. This is the East 74th Street plant, overlooking Franklin Drive and the East River, north of the Queensboro Bridge. It was built in 1899 to generate electric power for Manhattan's elevated railroad system. Its use of steam to generate electric power ended in 1999. In 1959 it was taken over by the Consolidated Edison Company, which operates Manhattan's steam distribution system.

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Size: 3313px × 2549px
Location: East 74th Street Steam Generation Plant, Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive, Manhattan, New York City, USA
Photo credit: © robert harrison / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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