New York City has developed a green map so that businesses and residents may work and live in a more environmentally conscious manner. There are many tips on the green map for saving energy such as using a bicycle more often or using compact fluorescent light bulbs at home and at work.
Of particular note is also the mentioning of the use of hydrogen fuel cells to reduce dependency upon the grid for electricity. Microturbines, co-generation systems and fuel cells are all competing to help the city get off the grid.
The map also mentions the Oakwood Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant that uses an anaerobic gas digester to break down waste into hydrogen and then run it through a fuel cell for power. The New York Aquarium is even powered by a UTC fuel cell, which means the 8,000 fish at the facility are safe from expiring because of a grid blackout.
Under New York City’s Green Apple Intiative, NYC is moving towards replacing its public fleet vehicles with those that run on alternative forms of energy. Hybrids are heavily in the picture as city taxis are expected to move over to this technology shortly and NYC is even in the running for Yahoo’s Greenest City contest.