New York City and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will study a thermal energy network at two Lower Manhattan subway stations. The study will examine options to cool platforms and reuse captured heat in nearby municipal buildings. The project will focus on the connected Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall and Chambers Street station complex. Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall recorded average summer temperatures of 96°F in 2025.
The proposed system would use radiant cooling technology to remove heat from subway platforms. Pipes would transfer the captured heat to geothermal boreholes beneath an unused platform at Chambers Street. The system could store the thermal energy underground and use it to heat municipal buildings during colder months.
The MTA will incorporate the study into its planned renewal of the Chambers Street J/Z station. Congestion pricing revenue will fund the broader station project, which includes structural repairs, new tiles, and stairway improvements.
The MTA, New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services, and other city agencies will conduct the feasibility study. The agencies expect to select a contractor in fall 2026. The assessment will determine potential platform temperature reductions and energy cost savings. If implemented, the project would introduce the first thermal energy network within a US transit system.