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Amtrak Arrives in Microgrid Era Ahead of Schedule
Last edited Wed Aug 24, 2016, 03:50 PM - Edit history (1)
Amtrak Arrives in Microgrid Era Ahead of Schedule
August 23, 2016 By admin
Amtrak is running ahead of schedule. The Washington, D.C.-based national train giant is one of the first transit systems to plan a community microgrid so that it can keep its operations running during power outages.
In the aftermath of the 2012 Superstorm Sandy, half of Sunnyside Yard had to rely on portable backup generators for a month due to a damaged transmission line. And in July 2006, about 25,000 customers in the Yard’s Long Island City border lost power for more than five days due to wind-related equipment failures.
Independently owned, the proposed $31.3 million microgrid would secure critical transportation services via 17.2 MW of energy generation and 4 MWh of storage. Operation, maintenance, and fuel costs would total $7.2 million yearly, with annual revenue streams of $10 million, primarily through the sale of electricity to Amtrak and Consolidated Edison.
Planned for Amtrak’s Sunnyside Yard in Queens and Penn Station in Manhattan, the microgrid also will include a nearby college and high school. In addition, it could provide emergency power to a public housing complex, gas stations, and a grocery store in the Sunnyside area of New York City.
August 23, 2016 By admin
Amtrak is running ahead of schedule. The Washington, D.C.-based national train giant is one of the first transit systems to plan a community microgrid so that it can keep its operations running during power outages.
In the aftermath of the 2012 Superstorm Sandy, half of Sunnyside Yard had to rely on portable backup generators for a month due to a damaged transmission line. And in July 2006, about 25,000 customers in the Yard’s Long Island City border lost power for more than five days due to wind-related equipment failures.
Independently owned, the proposed $31.3 million microgrid would secure critical transportation services via 17.2 MW of energy generation and 4 MWh of storage. Operation, maintenance, and fuel costs would total $7.2 million yearly, with annual revenue streams of $10 million, primarily through the sale of electricity to Amtrak and Consolidated Edison.
Planned for Amtrak’s Sunnyside Yard in Queens and Penn Station in Manhattan, the microgrid also will include a nearby college and high school. In addition, it could provide emergency power to a public housing complex, gas stations, and a grocery store in the Sunnyside area of New York City.
To keep things in perspective, the typical six-axle diesel locomotives seen on big freight trains are rated at 4,400 horsepower (hp) to 6,000 hp. Converting to Megawatts (MW), that's a range of 3.3 MW to 4.5 MW. Electric locomotives have similar levels of horsepower and wattage.
