Spring 2026

The team’s goal this semester was to assess whether NYC would meet reliability requirements if the Gowanus and Narrows peaker plants retire, as they disproportionately impact marginalized populations within the city and are a New York government priority to shut down.

After researching NYC’s “N-1-1-0” reliability standards, the team utilized the National Laboratory of the Rockies’ Sienna 2 model to simulate the retirement of Gowanus and Narrows. Scenario analyses were then completed using the Sienna model to determine whether the city’s transmission zone would still meet its reliability requirements.

The team concluded that NYC would not meet the necessary standards if the peaker plants were retired. Possible solutions, including transmission buildouts and the development of solar, wind, and nuclear generation of various scales were then assessed. 

The conclusion was that New York is not ready to move forward with the retirement of Gowanus and Narrows. Transmission line buildouts into specific areas of the city, combined with local generation capacity and storage is necessary before the state can begin to shut them down.